“A strong backbone for him”: When DJ Lagway’s QB coach opened up about Florida QB’s parents’ impact on his life

When QB DJ Lagway committed to the University of Florida it was a big deal in his community. Lagway had his true freshman season in 2024 and emerged as a starter after injuries to starting QB Graham Mertz.

When Lagway was still visiting schools and deciding where he wanted to commit, a video was posted on YouTube by the Baller Tribe account. It was a detailed documentary that followed DJ Lagway as he practiced and prepared for his visit to Florida.

In the video posted in 2022, DJ Lagway's high school coach spoke about the impact Lagway's parents have had on his life. He specifically gave credit to his father for instilling a great work ethic in him (starts at 0:50).

"DJ has a great family, a strong backbone for him," the coach said. "And his mom, his dad, they raised a great kid. A young man that has been groomed and you can see that. The training that DJ gets, Mr. Lagway intently watching him, not allowing him to get complacent ... but (letting him) know there's so much more for him to do. 'Please don't think this is it.'"

"It's just more about taking the time to mold it and make it exactly what it needs to be for you to be consistent and look so prolific," he added.

DJ Lagway is projected to take over the full-time starting QB job in 2025

DJ Lagway started games for the Florida Gators in 2024 mostly out of necessity. With starter Graham Mertz suffering injuries, Lagway emerged as the team's new starter. Lagway performed well, completing 115 of 192 passing attempts for 1915 yards and 12 TDs.

However, it would not have been surprising to see the Gators go out and get a veteran QB for this season. Lagway is still young and giving him time to develop without the pressure of starting could have been an option for head coach Billy Napier after Mertz declared for the NFL draft.

The Gators did add one QB in the transfer portal, former Louisville Cardinals QB Harrison Bailey. However, Bailey has played five seasons and has been a backup every year. So, that is the role he is expected to take again. As a result, Lagway is expected to be the full-time starter. The team is putting their trust in him, and Lagway will try to use the lessons taught to him by his parents to succeed.