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DJ Lagway Earns Prestigious Preseason Honor

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 6:44 PM ET

The Florida Gators are just over a month away from kicking off their 2025 season , and fans have high hopes for what this year can bring. A big reason for this optimistic outlook is the presence of Florida's star quarterback DJ Lagway.

Lagway shined as a true freshman last year, appearing in 12 games while making seven starts in place of an injured Graham Mertz.

Now, with his sophomore season on the horizon, fans, experts and coaches around the college football landscape, including Florida head coach Billy Napier, are expecting big things from the dual-threat quarterback. On Monday, Lagway was named to one of the most prestigious watch lists in the sport.

Lagway was placed on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, the Gators announced via social media. This honor is given to the most outstanding player in the country at the end of every college football season.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback from Willis, Texas, had one of the best freshman campaigns in the nation in 2024. He went 6-1 as a starter, including back-to-back victories against ranked, SEC opponents and a four-game winning streak to end the season.

Overall, Lagway finished with 1,915 passing yards, completing nearly 60% of his throws, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He led all true freshmen in FBS with a 154.9 passer rating and was named to the FWAA Freshman All-American Team.

While this announcement was much appreciated by Gators fans, it comes on the same day as some concerning injury news for the former five-star. Lagway has reportedly been walking around in a boot after suffering a calf injury last week.

Lagway's injury does not seem severe, according to On3's Zach Abolverdi, which allows the Florida faithful to breathe a sigh of relief. As long as he is healthy, Lagway promises to be one of the best players in the country in 2025.

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

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