Former Gators QB DJ Lagway found out the hard way that the grass isn’t always greener
Things didn’t get off on the right foot for DJ Lagway in his first start at Baylor
DJ Lagway’s departure from the Florida Gators was one of the biggest storylines of the offseason, and his debut with the Baylor Bears on Saturday against the Auburn Tigers gave fans of both programs exactly what they expected. For better and for worse, Baylor got the full Lagway experience.
One of the reasons Lagway left Florida was because things simply weren’t working in Gainesville. The former 5-star recruit out of Willis, Texas, was even quoted earlier in the week saying, “I think God forgot about me.” The hope was that a fresh start at Baylor would finally unlock everything he has to offer. Saturday’s performance showed that unlocking Lagway’s potential remains a complicated process.
Baylor got the full DJ Lagway experience
The first two drives set a frustrating tone. Lagway fumbled on the first possession, and the second ended with an interception where he stared down his target on a shallow crosser. It was far from an ideal start. Later in the first half, he sprained his ankle and was pretty immobile for the majority of the game.
Even within that, Baylor fans still got the great Lagway throws. He was ripping balls up the seam, finding guys down the field, and hitting tight windows with some form of consistency. He finished 27-of-54 for 333 yards, 2 touchdown passes, and an interception. The arm talent was on full display as he delivered dots down the field.
The 50% completion percentage told a more complicated story. A multitude of plays saw his receivers let him down, and he missed guys completely on others. The talent flashed, but the inconsistency lingered.
The final drive told the whole story
The ending of this game felt like a microcosm of Lagway’s time at Florida. On the final drive, he was finding guys downfield. On a 4th down, he ripped a seam route to Gavin Freeman with an absolutely perfect throw. Then he found Jadon Porter for a touchdown, but it was dropped. Lagway believed in Porter again right afterward, and they connected inside the five-yard line. A touchdown pass to Freeman on 4th down with 9 seconds left got the Bears within a point.
Then came the 2-point conversion attempt, and the final throw epitomized what Lagway’s done in his college career. It was on target, but it wasn’t good enough. The throw was slightly behind the receiver, and the defender ended up making the tackle right on the goal line, preventing the conversion. If Lagway has perfect placement out front, it’s a game-winning throw.
Lagway felt he needed to leave for personal reasons, and it’s totally understandable why. It’s really hard to blame him for that. However, from a football perspective, Baylor is not a better program than Florida, nor do they have better talent. Lagway may have ended up being really good in the new system brought in by offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Even so, Saturday’s debut in Jake Spavital’s offense didn’t bring any extra confidence.
For Gators fans, it was a frustrating watch because they got to see the Lagway they barely saw in Gainesville with the all-star throws. And yet, it was the same player who was on the team for two years and started the majority of that time.
Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener.
