BEST: Florida Gators’ DJ Lagway Ranked Top SEC QB by Josh Pate
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In a stunning but not entirely unexpected turn, respected college football analyst Josh Pate of 247Sports and CBS named Florida Gators freshman phenom DJ Lagway the best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) going into the 2025 season — a bold statement that has electrified the Gator Nation and sparked debates from Baton Rouge to Tuscaloosa.
“Lagway is the most dynamic, complete quarterback the SEC has seen since Joe Burrow’s 2019 run,” Pate said on his Late Kick Live podcast. “The arm talent, the poise, the leadership — it’s all there. Florida struck gold, and the conference knows it.”
Though Lagway has yet to take a regular-season snap, the buzz surrounding him has reached fever pitch. At 6’3”, 240 pounds with 4.6 speed, the five-star recruit out of Willis High School in Texas arrived in Gainesville as the crown jewel of Billy Napier’s historic 2024 recruiting class. His spring game performance only fueled the hype: 22-of-27 passing for 341 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions, including a 65-yard bomb to sophomore wideout Aidan Mizell that brought the packed Swamp crowd to its feet.
Veteran SEC coaches have taken notice. Georgia’s Kirby Smart reportedly told a booster gathering, “That kid at Florida looks like a problem,” while Alabama insiders murmured that Nick Saban’s successor, Kalen DeBoer, spent extra film sessions breaking down Lagway’s spring highlights.
Pate emphasized not just the stats, but the intangibles.
“DJ has command of the huddle like a fourth-year senior. His processing speed is unreal for a freshman. He’s diagnosing defenses like he’s been in the league for two years already. You can’t teach that,” Pate said. “And the arm talent? You won’t see another kid in the country who can throw a 20-yard out from the opposite hash without flinching.”
Critics argue that Pate’s ranking is premature. After all, proven SEC quarterbacks like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava have actual game experience under their belts. But Pate stands firm.
“Look — I get it. There’s risk with a freshman,” he admitted. “But Lagway isn’t your average freshman. This is a Trevor Lawrence-level guy who steps in and changes the entire identity of your program on Day 1.”
Indeed, the impact on Florida’s program has been seismic. Season ticket sales are up 18%. National media outlets have quietly penciled in Florida as a dark horse CFP contender, despite last year’s 5-7 finish. Boosters report that NIL funding has surged as the Gainesville business community races to attach itself to the DJ Lagway brand.
Even former Gator great Tim Tebow weighed in during SEC Network’s spring coverage. “DJ has everything you want — strength, vision, toughness, character. He reminds me of the great ones,” Tebow said with a smile. “If he keeps his focus, the sky’s the limit.”
For now, Lagway remains humble. “I’m just here to work hard and help this team win games,” he told reporters after the Orange and Blue game. “I appreciate the love, but talk doesn’t win championships. Hard work does.”
Still, with the season opener against Miami looming, it’s clear: the DJ Lagway era has begun — and the SEC may never be the same.
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