Behind DJ Lagway, Gators have 4th best QB room in college football per PFF

Which programs have the top quarterback rooms in college football and where do the Florida Gators, who return starter DJ Lagway, rank in that category? Pro Football Focus revealed its rankings Wednesday and UF is very high on its list.

According to PFF, Florida has the No. 4 QB room in the country. Here was its reasoning:

DJ Lagway enters his true sophomore year as a top-10 quarterback in the country and might have more arm talent than anyone else in America. The top quarterback recruit in 2024 led the Power Four with an 8.8% big-time throw rate last season and was third in the nation with a 95.6 passing grade on deep throws. 

The Gators acquired a new backup in Louisville-transfer Harrison Bailey, who posted an impressive 78.4 PFF grade in his lone start last year in the bowl game. Clay Millen is also back for another year, and he was eighth among all FBS quarterbacks in 2022 with a 7.3% big-time throw rate while at Colorado State. True freshman Tramell Jones was also a four-star recruit from the 2025 class. 

Interestingly, PFF did not mention sophomore Aidan Warner, the player who appears to be battling Bailey for the No. 2 job on the UF roster.

DJ Lagway is coming off a promising freshman season

Lagway, a rising sophomore, passed for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions as a true freshman, playing a key role in the Florida Gators’ strong finish to the 2024 season. He has received a ton of accolades this offseason.

However, when spring camp opened in March, the Gators announced Lagway was dealing with an injury and, out of caution, limited his participation. Although he didn’t throw during camp, Lagway remained active — standing behind the quarterbacks and mimicking their movements to stay engaged. He recently started throwing again and Florida expects him to be at 100 percent when the season begins.

At Louisville, Bailey appeared in six games in two seasons, including five in 2024. Last year, he completed 24 of 33 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns in a backup role behind Tyler Shough, who threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns. When Shough opted out of the Sun Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft, Bailey got the start. Making his first start in 1,473 days, he led Louisville to a 35–34 win over Washington, throwing three touchdown passes and earning MVP honors after completing 16 of 25 passes for 164 yards.

UF’s QB room has some depth, it seems

In the recent Orange & Blue Game at UF, Bailey finished 29 of 43 for 363 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Warner, who replaced Lagway as the starter when Lagway was injured in 2024, was 10 of 23 for 157 yards and two scores in the spring game. The performances were comparable despite what the statistics may indicate. In fact, Warner probably had the better first half as his team built a big lead.

As for who finished No. 1 on the PFF list of top QB rooms, that would be LSU—Florida’s Game 3 opponent. Wrote PFF of the Bayou Bengals:

The Tigers have a top-five quarterback in the country and a legitimate Heisman candidate leading them in Garrett Nussmeier. He threw for the fifth-most passing yards in the nation last year (4,043) while tying for seventh in big-time throws (26). 

Behind him is Mississippi State-transfer Michael Van Buren Jr., who showed encouraging signs during eight starts in his true freshman year. His first two came on the road against a couple elite defenses in Texas and Georgia, and he responded with a 79.0 passing grade with five big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays in those contests. LSU also has a couple former four-star recruits in the room as well in sophomore Ju’Juan Johnson and redshirt freshman Colin Hurley.

The following UF opponents also made the list:

6. Miami: “While he certainly didn’t live up to expectations last year, Carson Beck is still one of the top returning quarterbacks in the sport. The Georgia transfer still earned an 80.2 passing grade last season and his 90.9 overall grade since 2023 is the second-best among returning FBS signal-callers.”

Honorable mention—Texas