On3 ranks DJ Lagway among top 3 CFB players returning in 2025
On3 college football national writer Ari Wasserman released his rankings Wednesday of the top 10 players returning to college football in 2025, and Florida quarterback DJ Lagway made the top three.
Atop the list is Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, followed by his teammate and All-American safety Caleb Downs. The first player ranked who’s not with the defending national champions was Lagway.
Here’s what Wasserman wrote about the Gators signal caller and why he ranked him so high at No. 3:
“There is no question you’ll find more accomplished players on this list, but you could make the case that Lagway is the most important player to his team in college football. Though there are undoubtedly things he needs to work on, it was evident from the second he stepped on the field at Florida that he has a chance to be one of the great ones. His potential is so high, in fact, that he could be the get out of jail free card that eventually leads to Billy Napier being the Gators coach into the future. Lagway is big, strong, physical and has a rocket arm. This may seem too high right now, but it’ll become clear early in the season next year that he’s one of the most sensational talents in our sport.”
Lagway earned several postseason accolades after his 2024 campaign, earning Freshman All-American honors from On3, ESPN, FWAA, PFF and 247Sports and CFN, which also named him the Freshman Quarterback of the Year.
Lagway threw for 1,915 yards with 12 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 60% completion rate. He had a 6-0 record in games he started and finished and ranked No. 2 nationally in deep balls with a PFF passing depth grade of 95.8.
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On3 projects Gators as top-10 preseason team
Last week, On3’s Andy Staples and Wasserman released their first way-too-early top 25 for the 2025 season and the Gators were at No. 9 in the On3 preseason rankings.
Here what Staples had to say about Florida:
“There might be one QB as exciting as LaNorris Sellers. Rising Gators sophomore DJ Lagway finished second in the nation in yards per attempt last year and should improve his accuracy with a full offseason as QB1. Meanwhile, the offensive and defensive lines that finished the season mauling potential playoff contenders will return intact.”
The Gators are one of 10 SEC teams in On3’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, along with Texas (1), Georgia (6), South Carolina (8), Auburn (11), LSU (9), Tennessee (13), Alabama (14), LSU (15) and Texas A&M (19).
Florida plays six of those teams in conference play along with Miami, which is ranked No. 21 by Staples and Wasserman.
