You didn't think college football was going to take a week off, did you? While we wait for the College Football Playoff to get rolling this weekend, we got the first of what should be several transfer portal bombs on Monday morning: According to On3, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway has decided to move on rather than stick around and play for new Gators head coach Jon Sumrall.
It seems that, after two injury-plagued years for the former five-star recruit, Sumrall and his staff challenged Lagway in their initial meeting. That did not go very well, and so now Lagway is jumping into the portal to see what else is out there. Overall, it's been a mixed bag as Florida's starter, with flashes of tremendous upside tempered by missing games and too many mistakes. But the recruiting pedigree and the arm talent are more than enough for just about any coach to dream on.
Of course, because he's a high-profile quarterback available in the year 2025, everyone's first thought immediately turned to LSU: Surely, with Lane Kiffin now at the helm and a huge NIL bag burning a hole in his pocket, the Tigers will make a run at just about every big name in the portal this winter. But Lagway didn't give much thought to Kiffin's Ole Miss as a high schooler, and if he's looking to make the leap to the NFL in 2027, is the first year under a new head coach really what he wants to sign up for? Here are a few options that might be a better fit.
5. Baylor Bears
On first blush, this might seem like a confusing inclusion; the Bears are coming off a disappointing 5-7 season that nearly cost head coach Dave Aranda his job. But Baylor might have the inside track here: Lagway grew up outside Houston in Willis, Tex., just a two- or three-hour drive from Waco, and his father, Derek, played football for the school.
The Bears were a finalist for Lagway during his high-school recruitment. They fell short for a reason, and the trend lines aren't great for this program right now. But the Big 12 might be a friendlier developmental environment for Lagway, and it was just last season that Baylor OC Jake Spavital was engineering one of the sport's most explosive offenses behind dual-threat QB Sawyer Robertson. Robertson is now out of eligibility, and Spavital and his QB-friendly system will be looking for a new pilot. Don't rule it out.
4. Arizona State Sun Devils
The unexpected departure of Sam Leavitt leaves Kenny Dillingham and Co. in need of a plug-and-play QB for 2026. The Sun Devils weren't involved in Lagway's recruitment out of high school, but they were also coming off a 3–9 record in Dillingham's first year at the helm. A lot has changed since then: ASU made the College Football Playoffs last season, for starters, and while 2025 got derailed by injuries, they were still a healthy 8-4.
Of course, if Dillingham bolts to Michigan, this is all a moot point. But that seems less likely than it did a few days ago, and if he's sticking in the desert, there's a lot to like here: Dillingham is one of the brightest young offensive minds in the sport, and Arizona State can offer Lagway a chance to not only put up numbers but also compete right away in a wide-open Big 12. After two years of playing through nagging injuries, he could well jump at the opportunity to commit to a player-friendly coach like Dillingham, who gave his team an entire bye week off this season. And hey, the weather ain't so bad either.
3. Miami Hurricanes
Death, taxes and Mario Cristobal shopping at the top of the transfer market for a new starting quarterback. Both Cam Ward and Carson Beck have found success as plug-and-play starters in Coral Gables; with Beck moving on to the NFL next spring, could Lagway be next in line?
Maybe he wants to get the heck out of Florida, or maybe he wants nothing to do with the ACC. But Shannon Dawson's go-go passing attack would seem to be a great fit for Lagway's big arm, and with Clemson reloading, no program in the conference is better positioned to contend for a Playoff spot in the short term than the Hurricanes. Plus, we know the NIL bag is going to be there thanks to a ... well, let's be polite and say "enthusiastic" group of boosters.
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders opted against throwing a bag at a portal QB last winter, and they still have blue-chip recruit Will Hammond waiting in the wings when Behren Morton moves on next year. But how sure are we that Hammond is the guy based on what he showed in Morton's stead this season? Tech built their Playoff team through defense and the trenches this time around, but what if they decide something more is needed offensively to get over the hump?
Lagway is a Texas guy, and he absolutely has the tools to excel in Mack Leftwich's Air Raid system — one that won't ask him to run very much but instead prioritizes getting the ball out on time consistently. If the Red Raiders decide to get in on the bidding, there's a lot for Lagway to like.
1. USC Trojans
This one comes with an asterisk next to it, as we still don't know what the future holds for Trojans incumbent Jayden Maiava. If Maiava opts for one more year in college before jumping to the NFL, it wouldn't make much sense for USC to look elsewhere based on his productive 2025 season and how much it would cost to bring in a high-profile replacement like Lagway.
But Maiava's strong numbers this year could have bumped up his stock enough that he decides to declare for the draft, and if so, Lincoln Riley could quickly look in Lagway's direction. The Trojans were heavily in on Lagway as a high school prospect, arguably finishing as the runner-up to Florida in the end. And it's not hard to see why: With his arm talent and Riley's track record offensively, it would seem to be a match made in heaven.
USC is slowly but surely building quite the money cannon, so you better believe they'd have the resources of Riley wants to go big-game hunting in the portal.