After escaping the high-pressure SEC for Baylor, former Florida Gators five-star DJ Lagway faces "bust" warnings as analysts question if his talent can survive a rebuilding Bears roster.
The Florida Gators enter training camp with uncertainty at the quarterback position.
Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo will compete with Tramell Jones Jr. for the starting job this fall. Philo is familiar with new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who had the same title with the Yellow Jackets last year. But Jones made a huge statement with his play during the Orange & Blue Game this spring.
The Gators might be better off had DJ Lagway decided to play for Jon Sumrall, but the young quarterback opted for a change of scenery after a frustrating 2025 campaign. Lagway chose to return to his home state of Texas and play for the Baylor Bears.
Lagway might have been better off staying with Florida.
Cooper Petagna of CBS Sports listed Lagway as one of eight college players who are "running out of time to prove themselves" in 2026. Petagna predicts Lagway will be a "bust" for Baylor this fall.
"At times last season it seemed apparent the former five-star was carrying the weight of his head coach's job status and his team's performance directly on his shoulders.," Petagna wrote of Lagway. "Whether or not that was fair to Lagway, his play reflected a quarterback consistently hunting the big play rather than playing within himself and operating freely in year two as the starter.
"Now in Waco and outside of the SEC, Lagway will join forces with offensive coordinator Jake Spavital to apply lessons learned from a disappointing sophomore season -- facing expectations all the same, but far from the ones that shadowed him in Gainesville."
Frankly, the Bears don't have the same talent around their quarterback as the Gators will this season. While Florida has questions about the offensive line, there's no doubt the offense has superior skilled positions.
Running back Jadan Baugh is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Wide receivers Dallas Wilson, Vernell Brown III and Eric Singleton Jr. should be explosive for Jones or Philo.
With that being said, Lagway will face less pressure in Waco. Texas Tech and BYU are expected to be the kings of the Big 12. Maybe Lagway can flourish being an under-the-radar quarterback for the Bears.
