Can DJ Lagway Save Dave Aranda’s Job?

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Jan 8, 2026 4:23 PM ET

When Baylor made the announcement in November that head coach Dave Aranda would be returning in 2026, it came as a surprise to some. But even for those who weren’t surprised, everyone immediately knew that next season will be a must win situation for Aranda.

And which quarterback did he choose to help determine his fate? That would be Florida transfer DJ Lagway, who made his decision to join the Bears on Thursday.

When Lagway entered the transfer portal, Baylor immediately became a serious player. His father, Derek Lagway, was a running back in Waco from 1997 to 2001 and rushed for 711 yards and six touchdowns during his career.

Now that the decision was made, was it the right one for both sides?

For Lagway it makes sense. Compared to Florida, Baylor is a lower stress environment that may give him the opportunity to reach his true potential. There will still be plenty of curious eyes watching him, but expectations in Waco won’t match those annually in Gainesville.

However, for Aranda and Baylor it is a more debatable decision. Considering Lagway’s ties to the school, this was a somewhat easy solution to their quarterback needs. Easy doesn’t necessarily mean that it was smart though.

As a former five-star high school recruit, Lagway was never able to be consistently productive at Florida. In his two seasons he passed for 4,179 yards and 28 touchdowns, which is a solid building block, but he also had 23 interceptions. His 14 interceptions during the 2025 season led the SEC and were the second highest total in the country.

For a head coach who will feel his seat get warmer by the week if the 2026 season doesn’t go well, deciding to put your fate in the hands of a quarterback who has a 28/23 touchdown to interception ratio is a bold move.

This doesn’t mean that it won’t potentially work out for both Aranda and Lagway, but if it doesn’t, one will be looking for another job and the other will be back in the transfer portal.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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