Florida's DJ Lagway earns Maxwell Award preseason watch list mention
Lagway is among the most hyped quarterbacks in the nation entering the fall after coming out of high school among the most heralded prospects in the 2024 cycle. His efforts last season likely saved Billy Napier his job, leading the team to a 6-1 record in his starts, resulting in the first winning campaign in four years and the first bowl game victory since 2019.
The Gators QB accumulated a treasure trove of accolades during his debut campaign, being named to the FWAA Freshman All-American Team, as well as an ESPN Freshman All-American, a 247Sports True Freshman All-American, an On3 True Freshman Al-American, a PFF True Freshman All-American, the CFN Freshman Quarterback of the Year, a CFN Freshman All-American and earned an SEC Freshman of the Week honor following his game against the LSU Tigers.
The bad news is that Lagway is currently dealing with a lower-body injury heading into fall camp. Whether or not he will be ready for the season-opener against the Long Island Sharks is still to be determined.
About the Maxwell Award Watch List
Established in 1937, the Maxwell Award is one of the most prestigious honors in college football. It is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the sport, recognizing excellence on the field and exceptional contributions to the game. The award is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell, a distinguished sportswriter and influential figure in college football. Maxwell's deep passion for the sport and his insightful commentary helped shape the public's perception and appreciation of college football during his career.
Robert "Tiny" Maxwell was renowned for his engaging writing and extensive coverage of football, which brought the sport closer to its fans and enhanced its visibility. His dedication to the game and his unique ability to capture its essence in words left a lasting impact on both players and spectators. The Maxwell Award serves as a tribute to his legacy by celebrating players who exemplify the skill, sportsmanship, and dedication that Maxwell valued.
The full watch list will be narrowed down to a group of semifinalists on Tuesday, Nov. 11, after which three finalists will be revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 25, with the winner being announced on the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show taking place on Thursday, Dec. 11.
Players chosen to advance to the next round are picked by a committee from Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele Publications, who have a partnership with the Maxwell Football Club.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
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34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Canada's Josh Liendo, Ilya Kharun qualify for 100m butterfly final at swimming worlds
A pair of Canadians advanced to the final in the men's 100-metre butterfly at the swimming world championships after strong semifinal swims on Friday in Singapore. Toronto's Josh Liendo and Montreal's Ilya Kharun qualified second and fourth overall, respectively. Liendo, who took silver in the event at Paris 2024, clocked a time of 50.24 seconds to finish second in the second semifinal behind Switzerland's Noe Ponti (50.18). The 22-year-old Liendo was sixth at the turn before surging down the stretch and nearly catching Ponti. "I've got to send that first 50 tomorrow; that'll be the plan." Liendo told CBC Sports' Devin Heroux after the semifinals. WATCH l Liendo advances to 100m butterfly final in Singapore: Kharun, 20, finished second in the first semifinal in 50.39, just behind France's Maxime Grousset (50.25). "I'm putting everything on the line here for this event. I wanted to win but this is a pretty good step towards winning," said Kharun, who finished fourth in the 200 butterfly and narrowly missed qualifying for the 50 fly final. Kharun claimed Olympic bronze in both the 100- and 200 butterfly in Paris. The final is scheduled for Saturday at 7:43 a.m. ET. Summer McIntosh returned to the pool Friday morning and won her women's 800m freestyle heat, setting up her latest showdown with American rival Katie Ledecky on Saturday at 8:21 a.m. ET. McIntosh won the second heat with a time of 8:19.88. She had the third-best overall time behind Australia's Lani Pallister (8:17.06) and Ledecky (8:14.62), who both qualified from the third heat. Ledecky, a four-time Olympic champion in the event, also holds the world record (8:04.12). "Any time I get to race Katie, whether it's in the 800, which I haven't done in a while or the 400 or any event really, any time we get a matchup it's lots of fun," McIntosh said. 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"But, I mean, this is definitely going to fuel me for next season, so it leaves a little bit more fuel in the tank and really get closer and closer to that record. "If there's one world record that I wanted to break since the start of my career it's this one." Watch live coverage of every race at the swimming worlds on and CBC Gem, with finals beginning at 7 a.m. ET each day. The full competition schedule is available . Fellow Canadian Blake Tierney nearly reached the podium later Friday in the men's 200m backstroke final. The 23-year-old Saskatoon native finished fourth in 1:55.09 — 0.5 seconds behind French bronze medallist Yohann Ndoye-Brouard. "This is my first time ever making a semi, let alone a final, in the 200 back," Tierney said. "The plan was really just to treat each swim like it was my only swim so if I didn't make a semi or final I'd be able to walk with my head high. 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Ingrid Wilm of Calgary also missed out on a final, finishing seventh in her women's 200m backstroke semifinal with the 13th-fastest overall time. 12-year-old Yu makes history with bronze Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi has won a bronze medal, an astounding feat for a girl who would be a sixth- or seventh-grade student depending on the school system. Yu earned the medal by swimming in the prelims of China's 4x200m freestyle relay team. She did not swim in the final on Thursday — China placed third behind winning Australia and the United States — but gets a bronze medal as a team member. She became the youngest swimmer ever to win a medal at worlds, surpassing Canadian Allison Higson, who earned bronze in the 200m breaststroke at 13 in 1986. Yu's been close to winning an individual medal, placing fourth in both the 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. She still has the 400 IM to swim. WATCH l Full replay of Friday's swimming finals session: Brent Nowicki, the executive director of World Aquatics, said the governing body would look at its age-limit rules. The limit is now 14, but athletes can reach the worlds if they surpass a tough time standard. "I didn't think I'd have this conversation, but now I think we have to go back and say is this appropriate?" he said this week in Singapore. "Is this really the right way to go forward and do we need to do other things? Put other guardrails up? Do we allow it under certain conditions? I don't know the answer." He called Yu "great." He also said officials had to be "careful" about the age issue. The gold medals were spread around on Friday, thanks to the absence of McIntosh and French star Leon Marchand from any finals on Day 6 in Singapore. Marchand, who has already broken the world record in the 200m individual medley, will try to break his own 400 IM record on Sunday, the final day. 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USA Today
an hour ago
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Florida's legendary former volleyball coach Mary Wise takes analyst role with ESPN
A University of Florida legend is poised to take the next step in her illustrious career. Former Gators volleyball head coach and cornerstone of the program, Mary Wise, will join ESPN as a women's college volleyball analyst for the upcoming 2025 season. She retired from her three-decade-long gig this past February and will debut on the national stage on Sunday, August 24, during ESPN's coverage of the AVCA First Serve in Lincoln, Nebraska. "I'm honored to join ESPN and remain in the college volleyball landscape," Wise said. "I've seen firsthand the growth of the game and how ESPN has played a significant role. I'm excited to continue contributing to the sport I love from this new perspective." ESPN's studio coverage for the season-opening doubleheader will include the Orange and Blue taking on the Pitt Panthers. Wise will remain part of the broadcast team throughout the season, leading up to the 2025 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship in December. Mary Wise's legacy at Florida Wise finished her career at Florida with 1,068 wins, amassing the most all-time for a female head coach in Division I women's volleyball while also tallying 25 SEC Championships and eight NCAA National Semifinal appearances. She was a 15-time SEC Coach of the Year, leading the Gators to 30 NCAA Regional Semifinal appearances and 34 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. She was also listed among USA Volleyball's All-Time Great Coaches. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
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McIntosh, Ledecky set for world swimming showdown in 800-metre freestyle
SINGAPORE - Summer McIntosh geared up for a swimming duel with American star Katie Ledecky, while Blake Tierney fell agonizingly short of the podium Friday at the world championship. McIntosh races for a fourth straight gold in Singapore in Saturday's 800-metre freestyle. It could be the Canadian's toughest challenge yet as McIntosh needs to beat reigning Olympic champion and world-record holder Ledecky for another gold. McIntosh posted the third-fastest time in Friday's heats at eight minutes 19.88 seconds behind Ledecky (8:14.62) and Lanni Pallister of Australia (8:17.06). McIntosh and Ledecky will race in lanes beside each other in the final scheduled for 8:17 a.m. ET. 'Any time I get to race Katie, whether it's in the 800, which I haven't done in a while or the 400 or any event really, any time we get a matchup it's lots of fun,' said McIntosh. 'She pushes me to reach bigger goals, so I'm really excited to race her tomorrow night.' The 18-year-old from Toronto beat Ledecky in the 400-metre freestyle on opening day for the first of her three gold medals, which is the most by a Canadian at a world championship. McIntosh was also victorious in the 200-metre individual medley and 200-metre butterfly. Her stated goal for Singapore was five wins in her five individual races — the 400 individual medley is Sunday — which is a feat only U.S. great Michael Phelps has achieved at a single world championship. Ledecky is the only woman to win four gold medals at a long-course world championship, which she did in 2015 in Kazan, Russia. Also Friday, Toronto's Josh Liendo and Montreal's Ilya Kharun booked spots in the men's 100-metre butterfly final Saturday. The two shared the Olympic podium in Paris last year, with Liendo taking silver and Kharun the bronze. Liendo turned in the second-fastest time in the semifinals of 50.24 seconds, while Kharun was fourth in 50.39. Saskatoon's Tierney finished fourth in the men's 200-metre backstroke in 1:55.09, which was just under half a second short of a medal. 'This is my first time ever making a semi, let alone a final, in the 200 back,' Tierney said. The 23-year-old broke the Canadian record twice — in the heats (1:55.17) and again in the semifinal (1:55.03) — to qualify for the final. 'The plan was really just to treat each swim like it was my only swim, so if I didn't make a semi or final, I'd be able to walk with my head high,' Tierney said. 'It was a little more taxing than maybe some of the other guys who maybe cruised some in the morning. But three 1:55s, I'm pretty happy with that.' Hungary's Hubert Kós won gold in 1:53.19, followed by South Africa's Pieter Coetze (1:53.36) and France's Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (1:54.62). Canada has won six medals at the world aquatics championships — five in swimming and one in high diving. Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., finished 13th in women's 50-metre butterfly, and Calgary's Ingrid Wilm was 13th in the women's 200-metre backstroke. Singapore offers a prize purse of US$3.1 million for pool and open-water swimmers, plus a $30,000 bonus to swimmers who break world records. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
