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USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports ranked the top-25 teams' starting QBs. Where does DJ Lagway land?
The summer doldrums are here, and as we await the start of the 2025 college football season at the end of August, there are still plenty of predictions and rankings to churn out ahead of the nation's favorite gridiron game. Among those in the sports media taking advantage of the dog days leading up to the upcoming campaign are USA TODAY Sports writers Paul Myerberg, Blake Toppmeyer, Eddie Timanus, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith, who recently submitted their list of elite college football quarterbacks, ranking each preseason top-25 school's starting quarterbacks. Among them was Florida Gators sophomore gunslinger DJ Lagway, who ranks among the top 10 at No. 7 — behind fellow SEC signal-caller John Mateer (Oklahoma) and ahead of conference peer LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina). "The Gators ignited after Lagway became their starter midway through his true freshman season," the group offers. "We probably haven't seen the best of him yet. A hamstring injury hampered his dual-threat abilities in 2024. Durability is an issue with Lagway. He's spent the offseason recovering from a throwing shoulder injury. When healthy, he's a big play in waiting. He throws an excellent deep ball, connecting on more than 52% of his throws that traveled more than 20 yards." DJ Lagway's 2024 stats The 6-foot-3-inch, 239-pound signal-caller out of Willis, Texas, appeared in 12 of Florida's 13 games last season while logging seven starts. The Gators won six of those games he opened up under center, with the lone loss coming against the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville — a game he was knocked out of with a lower-body injury after rallying his team in the first half. Lagway completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns against nine interceptions last fall. He also amassed a multitude of accolades, including a spot on the FWAA Freshman All-American Team, as well as ESPN Freshman All-American, 247Sports True Freshman All-American, On3 True Freshman All-American, PFF True Freshman All-American, CFN Freshman Quarterback of the Year and All-American, plus the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl MVP award. USA TODAY Sports top-25 teams QB rankings 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.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer ranked No. 6 QB in 'College Football 26'
Real-world sports don't play quite like they do in video games. However, the annual release of each sport's iteration always generates excitement. Even before the game comes out, fans and the players themselves are eager to see individual team and player ratings. With the latest iteration of EA Sports College Football 26 set to be released on July 10, the ratings for individual players have begun leaking. Oklahoma is well represented with nine players rated 87 or higher, including two at 90 or above. Advertisement Washington State transfer John Mateer is tied for the sixth-highest rating at quarterback in the entire game. The new Sooners signal-caller received a 91, behind only Penn State's Drew Allar, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and Clemson's Cade Klubnik, all of whom received a 92 rating. Another transfer into the Oklahoma program, running back Jaydn Ott, rated at a 90. Ott was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection at California-Berkeley two seasons ago, but injuries dropped his rushing total to just 385 yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries last year. The next three highest-rated Sooners players are on the other side of the ball. Defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings (89) finished second on the team with 66 tackles last year and added 2 1/2 sacks, two fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. Defensive end R Mason Thomas (89) was a second-team All-SEC pick after registering 12 1/2 tackles for loss, including nine sacks. And defensive back Eli Bowen (88) finished as an ESPN Freshman All-American last year upon finishing with 30 tackles, an interception, and four pass break-ups. OU wide receiver Deion Burks rated as an 88, while defensive lineman Gracen Halton, linebacker Kip Lewis and defensive lineman Damonic Williams all rated as 87s in this year's version of the game. Advertisement Oklahoma begins its real-world football season August 30 at home against FCS Illinois State. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: John Mateer leads Sooners in 'College Football 26' ratings
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer ranked No. 6 QB in 'College Football 26'
Real-world sports don't play quite like they do in video games. However, the annual release of each sport's iteration always generates excitement. Even before the game comes out, fans and the players themselves are eager to see individual team and player ratings. With the latest iteration of EA Sports College Football 26 set to be released on July 10, the ratings for individual players have begun leaking. Oklahoma is well represented with nine players rated 87 or higher, including two at 90 or above. Washington State transfer John Mateer is tied for the sixth-highest rating at quarterback in the entire game. The new Sooners signal-caller received a 91, behind only Penn State's Drew Allar, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and Clemson's Cade Klubnik, all of whom received a 92 rating. Another transfer into the Oklahoma program, running back Jaydn Ott, rated at a 90. Ott was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection at California-Berkeley two seasons ago, but injuries dropped his rushing total to just 385 yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries last year. The next three highest-rated Sooners players are on the other side of the ball. Defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings (89) finished second on the team with 66 tackles last year and added 2 1/2 sacks, two fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. Defensive end R Mason Thomas (89) was a second-team All-SEC pick after registering 12 1/2 tackles for loss, including nine sacks. And defensive back Eli Bowen (88) finished as an ESPN Freshman All-American last year upon finishing with 30 tackles, an interception, and four pass break-ups. OU wide receiver Deion Burks rated as an 88, while defensive lineman Gracen Halton, linebacker Kip Lewis and defensive lineman Damonic Williams all rated as 87s in this year's version of the game. Oklahoma begins its real-world football season August 30 at home against FCS Illinois State. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does Florida football's quarterback room rank in ESPN's 2025 FBS tiers?
Where does Florida football's quarterback room rank in ESPN's 2025 FBS tiers? The quarterback has historically been the keystone position in the sport of football and that fact still rings true in 2025. Championships are often won on the shoulders of the best signal-callers, especially at the college level. Looking ahead to next fall's campaign, ESPN reporter David Hale took a moment to rank all 136 FBS quarterback situations into tiers now that the dust has settled from the spring practice season. The full list comprises 20 total tiers that are also broken down into subdivisions based on his "Magic Eight Ball" predictions. The Florida Gators earned a spot in the top tier, second division entitled, "So hot right now," based on starter DJ Lagway and backup Harrison Bailey's presence under center. The category also included Texas Longhorns gunslingers Arch Manning and Matthew Caldwell, as well as Miami Hurricanes passers Carson Beck and Emory Williams. "The conversation around Manning and Lagway is two former five-star recruits who appear on the verge of breakout performances," Hale notes. "Their ceilings are ridiculously high, but their actual on-field production so far leaves plenty of room for questions." DJ Lagway's 2024 stats The 6-foot-3-inch, 239-pound signal caller out of Willis, Texas, appeared in 12 of Florida's 13 games last season while logging seven starts. The Gators won six of those games he opened up under center, with the lone loss coming against the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville — a game he was knocked out of with a lower-body injury after rallying his team in the first half. Lagway completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns against nine interceptions last fall. He also amassed a multitude of accolades, including a spot on the FWAA Freshman All-American Team, as well as ESPN Freshman All-American, 247Sports True Freshman All-American, On3 True Freshman All-American, PFF True Freshman All-American, CFN Freshman Quarterback of the Year and All-American, plus the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl MVP award. 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.
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
CBS Sports' SEC spring overreactions sees Florida football's DJ Lagway dominate in 2025
CBS Sports' SEC spring overreactions sees Florida football's DJ Lagway dominate in 2025 We currently dwell in the doldrums that separate college football's spring practice season from the summer activities, which resume at the end of May. In the meantime, we are left to ponder the outcomes of this month's final scrimmages and begin projecting ahead to the 2025 regular season. The Florida Gators were without their star quarterback DJ Lagway for all intents and purposes during the spring as a persistent shoulder injury — and possibly a lingering leg injury from last season — kept him out of throwing-related drills and scrimmage duties. Nonetheless, CBS Sports writer Brandon Marcello's SEC overreaction after the dust settled is focused mainly on UF's second-year signal-caller now that he appears to be ready to fully resume his quarterback workouts. 'DJ Lagway will lead Gators to glory' "Florida is not deep on defense, and Billy Napier might not be the best game-day coach, but the ingredients on offense are potent enough for a surprising turn in Gainesville," Marcello notes. "The Gators were left for dead last September, but somehow rebounded to win eight games against a brutal schedule. If the dynamic Lagway can stay healthy behind an offensive line that returns four starters, why can't they improve upon last season and challenge the likes of Georgia and LSU on the schedule?" DJ Lagway's 2024 stats The 6-foot-3-inch, 239-pound signal caller out of Willis, Texas, appeared in 12 of Florida's 13 games last season while logging seven starts. The Gators won six of those games he opened up under center, with the lone loss coming against the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville — a game he was knocked out of with a lower-body injury after rallying his team in the first half. Lagway completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns against nine interceptions last fall. He also amassed a multitude of accolades, including a spot on the FWAA Freshman All-American Team, as well as ESPN Freshman All-American, 247Sports True Freshman All-American, On3 True Freshman All-American, PFF True Freshman All-American, CFN Freshman Quarterback of the Year and All-American, plus the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl MVP award. 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.
