"Every shark in the water was trying to steal him": CFB analyst names DJ Lagway as the X factor for Florida's 2025 season

DJ Lagway has the tools to be one of college football's brightest stars. The fact that he stayed put in Gainesville has paid dividends for Florida coach Billy Napier and the program. It shows in the way that the Gators' recruiting has taken off since around Halloween.

ESPN college football analyst Tom Luginbill had his thoughts on Lagway's impact on Florida's future.

"I think the biggest X factor in all of that for the University of Florida was the allegiance of DJ Lagway to this program no matter how bad things got, no matter who was tampering with him," Luginbill said Tuesday in a post uploaded on X/Twitter by ESPN College Football.

"His belief in the direction and the vision that Billy Napier's obviously had. Let's not forget, he had been committed to Florida for, what, well over a year? And every shark in the water was trying to steal him, but he maintained that allegiance and that loyalty, and I think that sends a message to everybody else.

"So, now, all of a sudden, you start winning, you start playing good, and the perception changes of your program. It took, what, three weeks? Four weeks? And everything changed for Florida's program."

According to a graphic that accompanied Luginbill's comments, the Gators' 2025 recruiting class ranked No. 39 in the country at the end of October and 27th a month later. By Dec. 4, that rating had climbed to No. 10.

ESPN.com lists 18 four-star recruits in this crop for Florida. That group is spearheaded by wideouts Vernell Brown III (rated No. 7 at his position nationally) and Oregon flip Dallas Wilson (No. 8). Both are Sunshine State natives, as is inside linebacker Ty Jackson, who ESPN has as the top player at his position in the class.

Considering DJ Lagway as Florida's future

On3's Ari Wasserman recently showed how encouraged he is by DJ Lagway as the Gators' guy under center, ranking him highly on his list of players to watch next season. Wasserman wouldn't at all rule out Lagway's prospects at the next level, either.

"I don't know if there's a prop bet out there," Wasserman said last week on "Andy & Ari On3." "But if I could bet right now at some long odds — because you don't know, you know, how things are going to play out — like, that DJ Lagway will be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in two years. Like, I would bet it right now. Because he has the measurables."

Florida won each of the games in which Lagway was its primary quarterback last season. He finished the campaign by going 93 of 157 through the air for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added 97 yards on the ground.