DJ Lagway to enter transfer portal: Florida Gators quarterback exiting team after Billy Napier ouster
Image Credit: Lorenzo Vasquez, UAA
Florida Gators sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway is set to enter the transfer portal after his second season with the team, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Lagway, a former five-star prospect who largely committed to Florida due to the presence of head coach Billy Napier, appears will be seeking a new program amid poor play and his coach being fired in the midst of his fourth year leading the team.
Impressing as a true freshman while flashing playmaking skills after replacing injured starting QB Graham Mertz in 2024, Lagway completed 60% of his passes for 1,915 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. However, after being promoted as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in his sophomore campaign, he instead struggled in 2025, completing 63% of his passes for 2,264 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while starting all 12 games.
Lagway went through a tumultuous offseason and training camp in which he underwent surgery for a sports hernia but chose not to repair an injured shoulder. Instead, he did not throw at all until spring practice ended and only irregularly until the week before the regular season began. While working his way back onto the field, his return was further complicated by a strained left calf over the summer.
Ultimately, Lagway was unable to take advantage of the most important offseason of QB development — the time between his first and second year in college. Whether it was Lagway’s family that chose this path or the advice of athletic trainers remains unknown, but he began the 2025 season having clearly regressed from his freshman campaign.
While Lagway did find a level of comfort as the year progressed, he remained a turnover machine whose footwork and mechanics were largely to blame for his continued miscues. Lagway threw for fewer than 175 yards in six games and had three contests with more interceptions than touchdowns. He tossed five picks in a 10-point loss at LSU and three more in a 31-point loss at Kentucky.
Only Gators will update this breaking news story shortly.
