DJ Lagway found his next home, and it is in Waco. The former five-star quarterback has officially committed to Baylor after a tumultuous departure from Florida earlier this offseason, ending one of the more surprising portal sagas of the cycle.
Lagway was the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the 2024 class and started his Florida career as the heir apparent to lead the Gators back to relevance. The reality never quite matched the recruiting buzz. Lagway battled inconsistency, an offensive line that could not protect him, and the kind of coaching turnover that derails young quarterbacks even at the best programs.
When Florida moved on and Lagway entered the portal, the assumption was that he would land at an SEC contender or a Big 12 program with playoff aspirations. Baylor was not on the radar of most analysts, but the Bears have been quietly retooling under Dave Aranda and pitched Lagway on a clean reset with no asterisks attached.
The decision tells you a few things about where Lagway’s head is. He could have chosen a system more obviously suited to his skill set. He could have chased the biggest NIL bag. He chose Baylor, which suggests he wanted a fresh start in a program where the spotlight is dimmer and the expectations are not crushing.
From Baylor’s perspective, this is a transformative addition. Aranda has been on the hot seat in Waco for two seasons running, and landing a former five-star quarterback gives him both a competitive boost and the kind of national headline that buys time with the administration. Baylor’s offense was a mess in 2025. Adding a quarterback with Lagway’s tools changes the trajectory of the entire program.
There is no guarantee Lagway becomes the player his recruiting ranking suggested. Quarterbacks who flame out at their first stop and reset have a mixed track record. But Baylor is exactly the kind of low-pressure environment where a talented player can rebuild his game without the noise that follows you at Florida. If Lagway hits, the Big 12 has a new contender.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
