The Florida Gators have an excellent quarterback DJ Lagway However, there are lingering doubts regarding his future progression. Among these uncertainties, one stands out. He is still recovering from a shoulder injury. from the 2024 season.
For Lagway at present, having an electrifyingly powerful throwing arm stands out as his key asset in games. When he recovers fully from injuries, the Gators will find themselves in a strong position.
DJ Lagway is positioned just below Arch Manning in the NFL Draft quarterback rankings.
The most intriguing aspect for the Gators is how impressive Lagway has been. He stands out as their top quarterback since Tim Tebow.
Max Chadwick from Pro Football Focus Ranked all the quarterbacks currently eligible for drafting, and Lagway came in second place. This ranking feels logical yet somewhat unexpected at the same time.
Similar to Manning, Lagway may lack the established track record of some others mentioned here. However, much like Manning, he possesses immense untapped potential.
The highly-touted true freshman demonstrated why he was considered the best quarterback prospect in the 2024 recruiting class by leading the Power Five conference with an impressive 8.8% big-time throw rate. His 95.6 passing grade on deep passes also ranked him third nationally. However, he will have to improve his accuracy next season; his 59.7 passing grade on shorter throws placed second-to-last among quarterbacks in the Power Five league.
Despite the challenges, Lagway had an extremely motivating first-year experience. He might possess greater throwing ability than any other player in collegiate football and simply requires refinement in his foot placement and precision.
It's quite intriguing that Lagway is positioned just one rank below Manning. Whether this ranking accurately reflects their abilities might depend on how Chadwick interpreted it, as it appears to hinge more on the names rather than the players themselves.
This certainly represents a significant leap forward, considering Manning has only started twice during his college tenure. Nonetheless, franchises would struggle to overlook the successor in what many consider the finest lineage of quarterbacks in NFL lore.
Last year, Manning was outstanding whenever he played, securing an 88.1 PFF rating which ranked him 13th among FBS quarterbacks who had at least 200 plays. He boasts better athleticism compared to his uncles and shares their exceptional arm skills and cognitive prowess behind the line of scrimmage.
In 2024, Lagway not only performed admirably but excelled remarkably. Throughout the season, he remained unbeaten in all games he both initiated and completed. His sole setback occurred during a match against Georgia when an intense hamstring injury hit him towards the end of the second quarter as he led with a score of 13-6 for the Gators. Even while managing this injury, he displayed remarkable explosiveness and notably enhanced his composure within the pocket.
Manning has only shown his capabilities against a relatively weaker UTSA team. Ranking him above Lagway is primarily due to family ties instead of performance observed on the field, where Lagway clearly outshines Manning.
Another significant point is that Lagway is positioned just above both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders in this year’s draft class. By ranking him higher than these two players, Chadwick suggests that Lagway could likely be selected within the first five picks of this year’s draft.
If I needed a quarterback, I'd go with Lagway.
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