Dave Aranda didn’t sugarcoat it. When talking about DJ Lagway’s time at Florida, the Baylor head coach painted a picture of a quarterback who was suffocated, not developed.
“He’s very driven, there is a huge chip on his shoulder,” Aranda told ON3’s Alex Byington. “I could see on the recruiting trip … I could see someone that just wanted to be free. Like (he was in) straight jacket, maybe, someone that is just all boxed in and boxed up and just wanted to be free, express himself, play free. And I think he’s felt that (freedom) … at Baylor.”
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for what was happening in Gainesville. Lagway arrived at Florida as a five-star recruit with sky-high expectations. But over two seasons, the Gators stumbled as a team, and Lagway’s individual performance never quite matched the hype. The numbers weren’t terrible, but they weren’t special either. Something was off.
What Changed at Baylor?
Aranda says the difference is night and day. Lagway isn’t just smiling more. He’s taking initiative. He’s taken the offensive line out to eat. He’s bringing receivers to seven-on-seven drills. They’re watching film at his house. These are the small things that tell you a player has bought in completely.
“He’s smiling more, he’s open more, he’s engaging with teammates more,” Aranda said. “He’s just totally engaged, totally driven. So guys are connected to him and want to play for him, they don’t want to let him down.”
That kind of language from a coach matters. You don’t hear that about a guy who’s just mailing it in. Lagway looks like a guy who finally got out of a bad situation and landed somewhere that fits him.
Can He Deliver at Baylor?
The Bears haven’t had a quarterback with this kind of arm talent since Charlie Brewer was slinging it around. Lagway has the physical tools to be a top-tier college QB. He’s got two years of eligibility left. And he’s playing in a Big 12 where offensive numbers get gaudy fast.
There’s no guarantee it all clicks. Transferring doesn’t always fix things. But the early returns from Waco are promising. If Lagway plays the way Aranda thinks he can, Baylor could be a real problem for the rest of the conference.
The real question is whether Florida looks back at this and wonders what went wrong. That answer might take a while.
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