3 Florida Gators signees named Gatorade Player of the Year in respective home states

DJ Lagway, the sensational 5-star quarterback signee from Willis (Texas), will soon officially be a Florida Gators player. On Wednesday he was honored by Gatorade, the famed product that got its start on the Florida campus in Gainesville.

Lagway, after a terrific senior season, was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Texas. Additionally, Lagway, Alabama QB signee Julian Sayin and sophomore Southern California QB commit Julian Lewis were named finalists for Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Lagway wasn’t the only Florida signee honored Wednesday. Linebacker Aaron Chiles (Maryland) and running back Kahnen Daniels (Mississippi) won the same award for their respective home states.

Here’s a little more about each of these Florida Gators signees:

-DJ Lagway, QB, Willis (Texas)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2.5 /230 pounds
On3 Industry Rankings: No. 10 overall, No. 2 QB, No. 3 in Texas.
Commitment date: 12/07/22
Chose Florida over: Clemson, Southern California and Texas A&M.
Time of enrollment: January
Stats: Lagway passed 4,631 yards, 58 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while completing 72.1 percent of his attempts in 2023. He added 975 rushing yards.
411: After a dominant senior season, Lagway could make a push for No. 1 QB and No. 1 overall recruit distinction with another good showing this week at the Under Armour All-America Game.

2 other Florida Gators signees also had stellar seasons

-Aaron Chiles, LB, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3 /225 pounds
On3 Industry Rankings: No. 122 overall, No. 9 LB, No. 1 in Maryland.
Commitment date: 6/17/23
Chose Florida over: Michigan, Maryland.
Time of enrollment: June
Stats: Recorded 76 tackles (29 solo), 7 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2023.
411: Chiles also was the 2023 MaxPreps Maryland High School Football Player of the Year.

–Kahnen Daniels, RB, West Point, Miss.
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11 /190 pounds
On3 Industry Rankings: No. 228 overall, No. 17 RB, No. 7 in Mississippi.
Commitment date: 4/10/23
Chose Florida over: Mississippi State
Time of enrollment: January
Stats: Rushed for 2,730 yards and 30 touchdowns in 14 games
411: Daniels ran for 253 yards and three touchdowns in West Point’s 35-7 win over Laurel in the state final. He was Mississippi’sClass 5A Mr. Football.

Per Gatorade, “a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in January, Lagway joins an all-star group of alumni that includes Emmitt Smith (1986-87, Escambia High School, Fla.), Peyton Manning (1993-94, Isidore Newman School, La.) and Jackson Arnold (2022-23, John H. Guyer High School, Texas). … The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.”