Florida freshman DJ Lagway will make his first career start against Samford on Saturday, 247Sports reports. The news comes as starting signal-caller Graham Mertz remains in concussion protocol due to an injury suffered last weekend in a 41-17 loss to Miami.
Lagway played in Florida's final three series and finished 3 of 6 for 31 yards and an interception. He also showed flashes in limited action of his dynamic two-way ability, rushing for 20 yards on four attempts.
"It's been a lot of fun," Florida coach Billy Napier said during the SEC weekly teleconference on Wednesday. "DJ's got a great attitude, obviously. He's excited, got a chance to play Saturday for the first time in his career. Just to get feedback about that and now understand what it's like out there as a competitor. So far, so good. I thought he did a lot of good things (Tuesday) and it's great to see the other players kind of rally around him. But, yeah, it's definitely a positive for him to be able to take advantage of those reps with the first team."
Lagway, the top-ranked quarterback and the No. 3 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports, entered this season as Mertz's backup. At 6-foot-3, 239 pounds, Lagway is a true dual-threat capable of offering a different look for Florida's offense and could see extended action depending on the severity of Mertz's injury.
The Willis, Texas, native committed early in the recruiting cycle to Florida and held firm on his commitment despite late rumors that he could flip during the early signing period last December. Lagway committed to Florida over USC, Texas A&M and Baylor, among others.
Florida is entering a critical season under Napier after going 5-7 during the 2023 campaign. Florida plays Samford next at home on Sept. 7 before facing Texas A&M in its first SEC game.
