DJ Lagway's move to Baylor feels like a clean fit on paper, but it also comes with a clear football reason: he wanted a fresh start after a difficult year at Florida, and he believed the Bears offered the right environment to reset. For Baylor Football, it is a notable addition for the 2026 college football season, and for Lagway it is a chance to rebuild momentum closer to home.
Lagway had been expected to break out as a sophomore in 2025, but the season did not go to plan. He threw 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 12 starts for Florida as the Gators finished 4-8 and Billy Napier was fired. After that, Lagway entered the transfer portal and eventually chose Baylor.
Part of the appeal was simple geography. Waco is just over a two-hour drive from Willis, Texas, and Lagway said Baylor had always felt familiar because he grew up around the program through family ties. His father, Derek Lagway, starred at running back for Baylor from 1997-2001, so the school was never an unfamiliar name in the household.
Why Baylor made sense
Lagway pointed to the coaching staff as a major factor in the decision. He was particularly taken by the way Jake Spavital builds the offense and by what he saw from Sawyer Robertson over the previous two seasons. That combination gave him confidence that Baylor could offer both development and opportunity.
“The way Coach (Spavital) dials it up and just seeing what Sawyer did in the previous two years was definitely eye-catching to me,” Lagway said.
He added that the move gives him a chance to keep improving in a system that suits him. “So I'm excited to continue to learn this offense and continue to get better,” he said.
A different setting after Florida
Lagway was frank about how isolated he felt at Florida. He said he felt like he was living inside a bubble, and that he did not really experience campus life or connect properly with teammates. That is a striking admission, and it helps explain why a change of scenery mattered so much.
“I was in a bubble down there, I didn’t feel like a normal person,” Lagway said. “I didn’t even know what the campus looked like. I was really closed off. I didn’t really hang out with my teammates. Yeah, I was depressed. I just stayed in my own lane. Stayed out of the way.”
Those comments underline that this was not just a football move. Baylor offered him a setting that felt more comfortable, a place closer to home and one where the support structure around him looked better aligned with what he needed.
What comes next for Baylor Football
The real test will arrive quickly. Baylor and DJ Lagway are scheduled to open the year against Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 5, in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That will be the first chance to see how quickly Lagway can settle into his new surroundings and how much impact he can have for the Bears right away.
For Baylor, the upside is obvious. Lagway arrives with pedigree, Texas ties and a point to prove after a difficult season in Gainesville, Florida. For Lagway, the hope is that Baylor Football gives him the balance, coaching and familiarity that were missing before.
