The Florida Gators might have the best young quarterback in the country in DJ Lagway, and On3 named the first-year phenom to its True Freshman All-America Team on Friday.
Lagway started the year as the backup to senior Graham Mertz. He made his first start in Week 2 against Samford while Mertz recovered from a concussion and set a program record for true freshmen with 456 passing yards. Lagway continued to earn playing time as a backup from then on, finally taking over the reins to the offense midway through the Tennessee matchup after Mertz tore his ACL.
Lagway missed the Texas game with a hamstring injury after suffering against Georgia but returned a week later against LSU. He finished the season 4-0 in games that he started and finished. Over 11 total appearances, Lagway totaled 1,610 yards on 93 of 157 passing (59.2%), 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing 46 times for 97 yards.
“No true freshman quarterback had more of an effect on winning at their respective program than DJ Lagway,” On3 national news reporter Thomas Goldkamp wrote. “Lagway took over for Florida following the season-ending injury for Graham Mertz and led the Gators to wins in four of their last five games, providing a bunch of positive momentum heading into the offseason in Gainesville.”
Goldkamp noted Lagway’s “top-shelf arm,” sturdy pocket presence and scrambling ability to support Lagway’s placement on the list. He also questioned whether the injury Lagway suffered hampered him from playing at full strength. True freshmen rarely play their best ball in Year 1, which means an already high ceiling for Lagway could be an underestimate.
Pro Football Focus gave Lagway a 71.8 overall offensive grade, good for 4th among true freshman quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks. His 75.5 passing grade is first along the same criteria.
Even more impressive, Lagway’s 97.3 passing grade on deep balls (20 yards or more) leads all FBS quarterbacks. He threw 30 deep balls…
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