The Florida Gators are heading into a new era for their football program with new head coach Jon Sumrall leading the way.
After making the midseason decision to move on from former head coach Billy Napier, the coaching search was a busy one. Lane Kiffin was the early favorite to land the Florida job, but he ended up deciding to leave Ole Miss to become the next head coach for the LSU Tigers.
When it became clear that Kiffin was going to either stay at Ole Miss or head off to LSU, the Gators quickly pivoted. Sumrall was the clear-cut next choice for Florida.
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Following the news of Sumrall being hired, the Gators were hit with some bad news. DJ Lagway, their talented young quarterback, opted to leave the program to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Lagway, who was a five-star quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class and ranked No. 1 among all quarterbacks in that class, had been viewed as the face of the future for Florida. Unfortunately, that will not be the case and he will be playing for a new program in 2026.
Immediately after the news of Lagway entering the transfer portal broke, a lot of teams were brought up as possible landing spots. Those landing spots included the LSU, Miami, and even Florida State. Now, a new team has emerged as a potential suitor.
According to a report from college football insider Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, the Baylor Bears have emerged as a potential destination for Lagway in the portal. Lagway’s dad, Derek Lagway, played football at Baylor.
“Sources continue to link DJ Lagway to Baylor, among other schools,” Nakos wrote. “It is unclear at this point where Lagway stands with the Bears, outside of his father being an alum. Other schools mentioned have been LSU and Miami.”
During the 2025 college football season with the Gators, Lagway completed 63.2 percent of his pass attempts for 2,264 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He also ran for 136 yards and a touchdown.
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While he has yet to live up to the hype of being the top quarterback in his class, the talent is there for Lagway to be special. He needs to cut down his turnovers and improve other areas of his game, but landing in the right destination will be crucial.
At least for now, the Bears are a team worth monitoring very close as a portal option for Lagway.
For more on the Baylor Bears, Florida Gators, and for more college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.
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