DJ Lagway's spot on Ari Wasserman Top-10 Returning College Football Players in 2025 explained

Florida QB DJ Lagway is about as hyped as any player going into next fall. On3’s Ari Wasserman says it’s justified too with where his potential is.

On ‘Andy & Ari On3’ on Thursday, Wasserman defended his high placement of Lagway in his recent ranking of the Top-10 Players Returning to College Football in 2025. He said anyone questioning that rating needs nothing more than to just watch, look, and see what the Gators’ quarterback is already.

“Here’s the thing too. It’s, like, do you have to be a third-year veteran with a bunch of stats to be on this list or can you just have eyeballs? Like, I don’t know,” Wasserman said. “Like, I just, like – I actually wear contacts but I think I’ve got pretty good, functioning eyes. Have you watched this guy play for five minutes? Like, it’s like – that’s all I need.”

While Wasserman was joking, On3’s Andy Staples made the case that some may actually not have seen as much of him considering at what point of the season that he started to really play for Florida.

“Florida is out of it at that point. They’re a five-loss team when he becomes the starter in earnest,” Staples noted. “Yeah, it’s not – you may not have seen him against LSU or Ole Miss.”

Lagway, in a dozen appearances as a true freshman with seven starts, was 115-192 (59.9%) for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. That earned him multiple recognitions on Freshman All-American Teams from outlets like On3, ESPN, PFF, and FWAA.

It was the flashes in those outings and within that stat line, though, that have many excited for his sophomore season as the full-time starter in Gainesville, including his name already on early lists and odds for The Heisman Trophy. However, Staples does see a stat or two that Lagway needs to improve upon to live up to what some are thinking he can be.

“Right at 60% completion. If he can get that up by about five percent or if he can get towards 70? Like, that’s incredible,” Staples said. “12 TDs to nine picks? The picks have got to go down. Like, you cannot have that. That’s too even of a td-to-interception ratio. Like, that does have to improve…I know you don’t care but that does matter.”

Still, even if he doesn’t fully develop those out better yet, Wasserman is already anticipating that Lagway could be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

“I don’t know if there’s a prop bet out there. But, if I could bet right now at some long odds – because you don’t know, you know, how things are going to play out – like, that DJ Lagway will be the number one overall pick in the draft in two years, like, I would bet it right now. Because he has the measurables,” said Wasserman.

Lagway showed much of why he was his class’ top quarterback as a prospect during his first college season. That now has him already projected, including by Wasserman, as one of the better players in the sport going into his second one in ’25.