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While quarterback DJ Lagway’s SEC career fizzled out after he moved on from the Gators, his family name is getting a second chance in the conference. DJ’s younger brother, Jamal Lagway, a class of 2028 DB, is getting attention from across college football. In the latest update, an SEC team extended him an offer.

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On Friday, Kentucky extended an offer to the Willis High School standout sophomore CB. After getting that offer, the 2028 CB shared his excitement on X, writing, “#AGTG after speaking with @CoachTOdom I am blessed to receive my 10th d1 offer from the @UKFootball. ”

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Resharing that post, his father, Derek Lagway Sr., congratulated him, writing, “#AGTG 🙏🏾 Congratulations Son @LagwayJamal 💪🏽 Just the beginning!!!! Keep working hard!!! #DL2 #4 TheDUB #DUBLIFE #ProtectUCrew.”

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Although Jamal didn’t follow in his elder brother’s footsteps, he is making waves as a CB in Willis, Texas. Last season, he was a key contributor, leading his team to the UIL Texas 6A Division II State Quarterfinals, recording 49 total tackles, including 24 solo, and appearing in 13 games.

Despite that, he is currently unranked, but interestingly, he has offers from powerhouse programs, including Texas A&M, Georgia State, New Mexico, Sacramento State, Baylor, Oregon, and Florida. Following his brother’s footsteps could be a possible scenario for Jamal.

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However, DJ has found a new home with the Baylor Bears, a program where their father, Derek Lagway, played college ball as a running back.

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“As a kid going to Baylor games and, you know, seeing my pops, you know, wearing the green and gold and, you know, it’s just a blessing to be here,” said DJ Lagway.

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Given DJ’s move and his father’s legacy at Baylor, Jamal might also choose to become a Bear. Still, joining the Gators could be an intriguing start to his journey. While Jamal weighs his options, it’s a reminder of his brother’s own challenging path at Florida, where injuries—not a lack of talent—derailed his success.

DJ Lagway’s father called the QB’s transfer move “awesome”

DJ Lagway was the star of the Gators heading into the 2025 season. However, his start to the campaign was plagued by injuries. During the off-season, he delayed a shoulder surgery to avoid missing games. But the offense never got going, and the losses to USF, Miami, and LSU didn’t help Napier’s team.

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Overall, DJ racked up 4,179 yards in 24 games during his time at Gainesville. But that did not translate to wins, especially last year. It ultimately cost Billy Napier his job and led to Lagway’s move to Baylor. Now, he has revealed the reasons behind his lack of success.

“Missing the spring and summer with injuries is the hardest thing you could imagine as a quarterback,” said Lagway. “Being a 19-year-old kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders and not being able to do the thing that you love to do is really hard.”

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So talent or potential was not an issue, but DJ Lagway’s injury played a major role in his failed SEC journey. His father fully supports the move to Baylor. “It is awesome that DJ is at Baylor. It was God’s plan to end up at Baylor, and it is going to be fun,” DJ’s father said.

“As a parent, if I could change something, I would’ve told him to redshirt,” said Derek. “That was a lot of pressure on a 19-year-old kid, and I think he did decent with it. He didn’t have the year he expected, or we expected, but it was good to go through what he went through because it will make him stronger later.”

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Malabika Dutta

2,544 Articles

Malabika Dutta is a College Football News Writer at EssentiallySports, working on the Marquee Saturdays Desk. A graduate of the ES College Football Pro Writer Program, she specializes in breaking news and injury reports during live coverage while also developing off-field narratives that give fans a deeper understanding of players’ lives. Her recent work includes coverage of the Rourke family following Kurtis Rourke’s NFL Draft selection by the 49ers. Malabika combines a strong foundation in English Literature with hands-on sports journalism experience, contributing to national college football coverage and supporting the newsroom with timely reporting and contextual storytelling.

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