From the moment that DJ Lagway committed to Florida, Gator fans were hoping he would be the savior of the program. That hope remained until the LSU game this past season, when it was clear that something was wrong with the former five-star QB and that he would, in fact, not be the savior of the program. Lagway would close out the season and then transfer to Baylor once Jon Sumrall came to town.
But a new deep dive from USA Today paints a picture that while Florida fans were holding out hope for two years, those hopes were wasted breath as Lagway was just never a match for the Gators to begin with.
DJ Lagway claims he is happier at Baylor
Matt Hayes of USA Today did a deep dive into Lagway as Baylor’s spring practice has opened. In the piece, it paints a picture that Lagway was “depressed” during his time at Florida and that Lagway felt “isolated” in Gainesville. Lagway told Hayes that:
“I was in a bubble down there, I didn’t feel like a normal person. I didn’t even know what the campus looked like. I was really closed off. I didn’t really hang out with my teammates. Yeah, I was depressed. I just stayed in my own lane. Stayed out of the way.”
Lagway went on to detail some of his injury struggles that lingered through the 2024 season, which famously derailed his 2025 offseason, as being far worse than anyone seemed to realise.
The theme of it all is that Lagway seems much happier now that he is at Baylor and away from the spotlight in Gainesville.
A needed breakup
The picture painted from the piece is that a spotlight was placed on Lagway, and even though he proclaimed strength publicly that he was ready to face it, this article makes it clear he was not. Perhaps the confusing part for Florida fans is that, up until the back half of 2025, most Gator fans still defended Lagway, and when he did make a mistake, it was often labeled as a Billy Napier problem rather than a Lagway problem.
So that’s why the comments from his new coach, Dave Aranda, don’t match reality:
“He’s worn from the Florida experience. It’s going to be a lot of work. All of the comments and critiques really hurt him. It’s about being able to have hard conversations, real conversations. We’ve been very intentional with that from the beginning.”
But this article also shines a light on some very real problems that Lagway himself created, to which he himself admits. The fact that he isolated himself from the public is one thing, even though countless other Florida players like Tim Tebow didn’t feel the need to do so, but the fact that he admits he also isolated himself from his teammates is a no-win situation for anyone. The article also highlights the core injury he had last offseason, which no one knew about until Napier brought it up on the eve of spring practice.
And even with this article, there is a feeling that the whole story wasn’t told regarding what really happened regarding his rehab after the 2024 season.
It’s one thing if this were the pre-NIL era and Lagway was just a guy on scholarship, but Florida fans were implored to donate money that went straight to Lagway with the fear of “If you don’t, Lagway could leave for Texas A&M.” Someone had to pay for the Lamborghini SUV and Mercedes.
And let’s make this clear too, Lagway is not the first person in human history to struggle with fame. There is a reason why they say money can’t buy happiness.
It’s also clear that when Jon Sumrall came to town and had the interview that ultimately sent Lagway on his way, Sumrall and Lagway weren’t going to be a match. It, in some ways, now makes perfect sense why Napier and Lagway were a match.
As we pointed out yesterday, when a viral clip of Lagway made its rounds, most Gator fans probably aren’t actively rooting against Lagway at Baylor. He gave Florida what he could on the field in 2024, and 2025 is just a season everyone would like to forget.
But this article sheds light on the fact that it was probably best for everyone that Lagway found a new home for the 2026 campaign.