D.J. Lagway commit salvages otherwise horrendous signing day for Florida

Five-star quarterback recruit D.J. Lagway salvaged an otherwise horrendous early signing day for Florida. 

In its third offseason with head coach Billy Napier, the Gators needed Lagway to sign after they were hit with a pair of flips earlier in the day.

Four-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams committed to Florida in June 2023 but signed with Auburn. Linebacker Adarius Hayes, also a four-star recruit, signed with Miami (FL) after committing to Florida in January 2023.

Hayes ranked 73rd overall nationally and was the seventh-highest-ranked linebacker. Williams was No. 79 nationally and 12th among defensive linemen.

Lagway, the No. 3 quarterback and No. 10 overall in 247 Sports' composite rankings, received a late push from USC, but it wasn't enough to sway him from Florida.

Keeping Lagway was huge for the Gators, who couldn't afford to have him flip after originally receiving a commitment in December 2022. But Florida might not reap the rewards from his signing immediately after Graham Mertz announced earlier this month he's returning for his final year of eligibility.

This season, Mertz was 261-of-358 (72.9%) for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions, making it unlikely Lagway will jump in and take over the starting role in 2024.

What happens if the Gators, which still have questions on defense, have another subpar season and Napier gets fired? In the transfer portal era, a coaching change could lead to Lagway leaving, too.

Early signing day could have gone much worse for Florida, but it isn't out of the woods yet.