Florida quarterback DJ Lagway has announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. The former five-star recruit failed to meet expectations in two years as the Gators’ starting quarterback. Injuries and inconsistencies ultimately doomed his time under center. Across 2024 and 2025, Lagway completed 62% of his passing attempts for 4,917 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions.
It was a challenging tenure for Lagway in Gainesville. The Gators intend to start fresh after dismissing former head coach Billy Napier in October. Napier will be succeeded by ex-Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, who plans to go in a different direction at quarterback after Lagway threw an SEC-high 14 interceptions in 2025.
Lagway possesses a ton of natural ability. He’ll enter the portal as an intriguing reclamation project with untapped potential. We've identified three potential landing spots for Lagway via the portal.
Miami
If Lagway is feeling bitter about his stint with the Gators, there'd be no sweeter revenge than transferring to and succeeding at Miami. The Hurricanes will almost certainly continue their recent tradition of searching the portal for their next starting quarterback. They had success with Cam Ward and Carson Beck, and Lagway could emerge as Mario Cristobal's next target.
Beck will depart after leading Miami to its first College Football Playoff appearance. Coach Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson have built a scheme designed to elevate experienced quarterbacks. Miami could offer Lagway an opportunity to recapture his status as a former five-star prospect.
Baylor
The Willis, Texas, native is expected to consider opportunities closer to home, according to various reports. The Baylor Bears would be a logical destination for a variety of reasons. It starts with family ties, given that Waco is roughly a two-hour commute from his Lagway's hometown of Willis.
His father, Derek Lagway, played for the Bears from 1997-2001. Baylor offensive coordinator Jake Spavital just developed Sawyer Robertson into the type of quarterback who produced 3,681 passing yards and 31 touchdowns this season. The Bears are looking for a successor. Coach Dave Aranda is coming off a difficult 5-7 campaign, so he'd have to sell Lagway on why Baylor is capable of helping him get his career back on track.
Duke
Duke could only emerge as an option if quarterback Darian Mensah declares for the 2026 NFL Draft. The sophomore QB enjoyed an incredible 2025 campaign, throwing for 3,646 yards, 30 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The crop of quarterbacks in the draft has thinned following LaNorris Sellers' decision to stay in school and Brendan Sorsby's intention to enter the transfer portal. Mensah could capitalize by parlaying his season into a draft declaration.
Mensah's potential departure would leave the reigning ACC title champions with a significant vacancy at quarterback. Under these circumstances, Lagway may see an opportunity to step into a proven offense being led by head coach Manny Diaz and overseen by offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer, who previously worked at Auburn, SMU, and Miami.
Bonus options: Clemson, TCU