Following a slow start, Billy Napier's recruiting successes have picked up for Florida, which nabbed perhaps its quarterback of the future on Wednesday when four-star prospect DJ Lagway committed to the Gators over offers from USC, Texas A&M, Baylor and Cal.
"I feel they're [Florida] going to build something special and I definitely want to be part of it," Lagway told 247Sports.
Hailing from Willis (Texas) High School, Lagway is one of the top athletes in the Class of 2024 with a four-star ranking from 247Sports. Ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in the class and the No. 35 overall prospect, Willis had a bevy of Power Five offers but ultimately narrowed his decision to the Gators and Trojans. He is also considered a five-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
"The coaching staff, I have a really good relationship with those guys," Lagway said. "I love the system that they have. Coach Napier has an amazing system and I feel I fit perfectly in there."
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Lagway is a multi-sport athlete who also competes in baseball and basketball, and there's a possibility he plays on the gridiron and the diamond for the Gators once in college. His athleticism should come as no surprise as his father, Derek Lagway, was a running back at Baylor from 1997-2001.
Here's a breakdown of Lagway's player profile from 247Sports' Gabe Brooks, who compares the quarterback's game to Tennessee's Hendon Hooker:
Rips the ball in those portions of the field and drives it to the perimeter. Ball gets out fairly quickly. Explosive over-the-middle intermediate juice. Big-handed with ability to manipulate throw path late in delivery.
Shows the requisite vertical arm strength and still should see downfield power capacity increase with continued development. Accuracy improved in junior season, as evidenced by big jump in completion percentage (12+ points).
Dynamic running threat, whether improvisationally or by design. Open-field galloper with run strength that corresponds to size. Functional athleticism fosters big-play threat. Also displays close-quarters suddenness and lateral twitch to stack moves and extend runs in traffic.
Lagway's commitment gives Florida three commitments for the 2024 class, which rises from No. 14 nationally to No. 10 -- coincidentally knocking the Trojans down to No. 11.
