When it comes to a true freshman quarterback's collegiate debut, there won't be many performances that top five-star recruit DJ Lagway's 45-7 win over Samford in Week 2 against the Florida Gators.
Lagway, who started in place of the injured Graham Mertz, didn't disappoint on Saturday, completing 72 percent of his passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns.
Lagway, the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2024 class, had an explosive performance for the Gators, averaging 18.2 yards per attempt and completing six passes for over 30 yards.
Additionally, Lagway easily broke the previous school record for passing yards by a freshman, breaking the previous record of 268 yards set by Chris Leak in 2003.
The freshman's strong performance in Week 3 has already surpassed Graham Mertz's career high for passing yards in a single game, raising questions about the starting quarterback position at UF.
Mertz struggled in the season opener against the Miami Hurricanes, completing 11 of 20 passes for just 91 yards and one interception, before Lagway sat out the game with a concussion.
Prior to Florida's Week 3 matchup with Texas A&M, head coach Billy Napier made it clear he planned to use both quarterbacks if Mertz clears concussion testing.
“Our aim has always been to DJ. [Lagway] “Every game he's obviously gaining experience,” Napier said. “Obviously, he's gaining a little bit more experience every week. The way he gets the opportunity to go in as a starter and prepares and plays as the No. 1, his poise, his composure, shows he's ready to do what we're going to have him do going forward. There's no doubt those two guys are going to make it difficult for our defense.”
“We've had a lot of dynamics over the years where you've had a proven veteran, you've had a great career coming back, you've had a player in a leadership role and you've got a young, talented player,” Napier added. “We're going to do what's best for our team, and these two players make our team better. The great thing is there's a great relationship. They both have confidence and humility and I think the team and the staff have a healthy respect for both players.”
However, the head coach was certainly impressed with Lagway's first start, saying after the game: “He's everything we thought he would be.”
“We are very pleased to have such a talented young player join our team,” said Napier. “We all know he is extremely talented and we look forward to seeing him demonstrate that talent on any stage and against any opponent.”
If he continues to play like he did against Samford, it will be increasingly difficult for Coach Lagway to not give him playing time, as with his strong start on Saturday, he showed all the signs of being a player for Florida's future.
Considering Florida's extremely tough schedule this season, which includes several matchups against top-25 teams, including against the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs and No. 2-ranked Texas Longhorns, the Gators may ultimately have to go with their best option to win football games.
Either way, the DJ Lagway era is just beginning, and there's likely a lot more to come in his true rookie season.
