Throwing or Not, DJ Lagway ‘Taking the Next Step’ This Offseason

GAINESVILLE, Fla.– It’s true. DJ Lagway is not throwing the football in the brief period that the media is allowed to view practice. As to why? The answer is likely because he does not necessarily need to be.

If there is one certainty for the Florida Gators entering the 2025 season, it is that their young gunslinger is as advertised, and there is no worry about his ability to throw the ball to any spot he wants.

While fans may squirm at the idea of him not throwing much during the spring, the signal-caller is more focused on improving his eyes over his arm.

“Talking about building that file cabinet and that rolodex of all these plays versus these coverages, that’s where he’s really improving,” quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara said. “He’s understanding the intent behind the play, the problems, and now he understands how to attack the weakness of the coverage and stay away from the strength.”

O’Hara further added that the young signal-caller is improving on not forcing plays that aren’t there and instead using his legs to extend or create plays.

“He’s had to take a few reps (from) behind. Now he’s sitting back there and he’s seeing it,” he said. “He knows where the ball’s gonna go. We’re having conversation every play and he really is improving there in terms of coverage recognition.”

After a freshman campaign that gave the nation just a taste of what Lagway can be, year two comes with heavy expectations. As a rookie, he threw for 1,925 yards with a 59.9% completion percentage in just 12 appearances, including a 12:9 touchdown to interception ratio; However, it is off the field where coach O’Hara thinks Lagway’s improvement has been most important.

“He’s starting to become that coach on the field. Whereas last year, he made a lot of plays and he kind of knew what was going on… his instincts were so pure that he could make it happen… But now he’s becoming really dialed in,” O’Hara said. “He’s taken on every single part of the offense now… last year was like, ‘We got to get you to learn the system and the offense and the shifts and the motions and the run checks, and oh, by the way, what’s the defense doing?’ Which is really hard to figure out in the SEC. But now he’s starting to take that next step in terms of learning the intent behind the play.”

While, yes, the lack of throwing reps is not ideal for the young quarterback and his timing with a largely new receiving group, the improvement as a processor may be more important for the talented Lagway. Though impressive as a freshman, the Gators rookie had a serious, lingering turnover problem.

Of the 16 SEC quarterbacks to play over 200 snaps, Lagway ranked tied for fifth in interceptions on the year, averaging the most per pass attempt amongst the group. He threw the most interceptions-per-attempt of any Gators quarterback since Jeff Driskel in 2014 (Minimum 200 attempts).

However, PFF gave Lagway just seven turnover worthy plays on the season, implying his larger interception number was not completely unavoidable. His three percent turnover worthy throw rate was the eighth lowest of the 16 SEC quarterbacks mentioned previously.

Not a finished product, the ceiling for Lagway is undoubtedly high, but for O’Hara, the belief comes from more than just the raw talent on the field.

“DJ is such a unique person because he’s so talented, but at the same time, he may be the hungriest football player I’ve ever coached. Guy just has a passion to learn and try to be the best,” O’Hara said. “I think he has the best football instincts I’ve ever seen, and that’s every player on the field. I think he sees it quicker, just as a football player, take quarterback out of it, I think he sees the field as good as anyone I’ve ever been around.

“… I don’t think he gets enough credit for that… his play instincts are phenomenal.”

While it is always a pity to not see the ball jump out of Lagway’s hand, even in the spring, the rest to his arm gives time for his much-needed development as a quarterback over a passer. Though he may not be using his arm much, the Gators leader still seems to be using his legs to take ‘the next step’ needed in being a name to remember at the position.