Five-star freshman DJ Lagway to start at QB for Florida in Week 2

Florida QB DJ Lagway is getting the start in Week 2.

The freshman is atop the depth chart ahead of the Gators’ game against Samford on Saturday. Graham Mertz suffered a concussion in the second half of Florida’s loss to Miami in Week 1 and is still in concussion protocol.

Lagway replaced Mertz after he was hit following an interception. He played the rest of the game and Florida scored a TD on one of his three possessions.

Lagway was one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2024, according to Rivals. The five-star recruit was the No. 28 prospect overall and the No. 7 recruit in the state of Texas. He was also ranked as the top dual-threat quarterback in the country and just one of four quarterbacks overall who got five-star ratings from Rivals.

The other three five-star QB recruits were Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola and Ohio State QBs Julian Sayin and Air Noland. Raiola was Nebraska’s opening week starter, while Sayin and Noland are backing up Kansas State transfer Will Howard with the Buckeyes.

Mertz is in his final season of eligibility after transferring from Wisconsin ahead of the 2023 season, so Saturday’s game will be a glimpse of what the future could look like for Florida. Lagway was 3-of-6 passing for 31 yards and an interception in Week 1 and also rushed four times for 20 yards. After playing FCS-level Samford, Florida has back-to-back SEC games against Texas A&M and on the road at Mississippi State.