Graham Mertz is the present for Florida Football, but DJ Lagway will be the future

While it's unlikely he'll unseat starter Graham Mertz anytime soon barring injury or a complete collapse in performance, Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway is certainly making a strong early impression in Gainesville.

The nation's No. 3 overall prospect and top-ranked QB in the class of 2024, Lagway made his debut in Gator uniform on Saturday during Florida's Orange and Blue Game.

Running the offense opposite Mertz, Lagway looked in command after a shaky first drive. The true freshman threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns and wasted no time showcasing his potential. On the first play of the second quarter, he found Aidan Mizell for a 22-yard touchdown, lofting the ball over the linebacker and splitting the safeties on the throw.

Later on, Lagway found Taylor Spierto on a slant route on the goal line to give the Orange Team the lead prior to halftime.

At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, Lagway certainly looks the part of a future star with his physical frame that oozes potential. While the spring game exists primarily to provide practice reps, Lagway's performance will only accelerate the hype and buzz surrounding his arrival in Gainsville.

Mertz remains firmly entrenched as the Gators' QB1 for now after his 2023 campaign, but the program has to be ecstatic about the quarterback pipeline with a talent like Lagway patiently waiting. The future looks extremely bright for the Florida passing game if the freshman can continue developing at this rate.