Incoming Florida Gators recruit DJ Lagway was already heading to Gainesville with plenty of hype. Ranked 2nd among duel-threat quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class by ESPN, Lagway is the type of prospect who represents hope for a Florida football program that is looking to return to their mid-00s form, when they won two National Titles in a three-year span and boasted ridiculously loaded rosters for a half decade stretch. Now, Lagway, who committed to Florida a year ago, has become the fourth Florida Gators recruit to be named the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year, an honor that was revealed to him by Emmitt Smith, the first Florida Gator who won the award, back in 1987.

The other two eventual Gators who were named Gatorade National Player of the Year were Brock Berlin (who would go on to transfer to Miami FL) and John Brantley. Neither Berlin or Brantley lived up to the hype they came to Gainesville with. Emmitt Smith did alright for himself, though.

In DJ Lagway, the Gators are getting a big-bodied QB who has been lauded for both his arm talent and athleticism, and coming out of Texas, it's understood that Lagway has faced some high quality competition over the last couple of years. Lagway was considered relatively raw early in his high school career, but his head coach at Willis High, Trent Miller, had nothing but great things to say about that Lagway has grown as a quarterback.

“DJ was concerned about being labeled as an athlete and being recruited by his potential,” Trent Miller shared with On3. “He wanted to focus on his craft as a quarterback. I’ve been coaching for 15 years, and he’s the most talented quarterback and most quality young man I’ve been around. He’s the whole package if you put it all together. I’ve never been around a kid who wants it more for himself and also his whole team.”

Sounds like the exact kind of young man you want coming into your campus and becoming the face of the football program, but Lagway may need to wait his turn, with Graham Mertz returning to Florida for one more season.