Every five-star quarterback is signed with the pressure of becoming a Heisman Trophy candidate as quickly as possible. Some fizzle out, others become multi-year starters at respectable programs and a few shine above the rest to reach true greatness.
DJ Lagway has a chance to be one of the great ones at Florida, but is he already a Heisman candidate?
It depends on who you ask. Most major sportsbooks have him as a top-10 contender for the award before even taking a snap. Arch Manning (Texas), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) and Cade Klubnik (Clemson) are the so-called favorites, but there isn’t a unanimous preseason pick like in prior years.
Anthony Richardson found himself in a similar spot a few years ago, albeit during the Billy Napier transitional stage. Ultimately, Lagway’s Heisman candidacy will be determined on the field. If he plays well, Florida will win and he’ll be in contention. A few ugly games can knock you right out of the conversation, but a head-to-head win against one of the names above could skyrocket his Heisman stock.
The Athletic’s annual Heisman draft
The Athletic recently held a Heisman fantasy draft, where each of the top 10 wins points. The first place gets 10, the second gets nine and so forth. Lagway fell all the way to the 11th pick, finally being picked up by senior writer David Ubben. It’s a shot in the dark to pick Lagway for Heisman, in a way, but he’s the kind of player that can’t be counted out, especially after what he did while healthy last year.
“Apparently I’m building my team solely out of dual-threat quarterbacks with a ton of potential amid some skepticism,” said Ubben after taking South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers in the first round.
“Lagway took over the starting job as a five-star true freshman last year and was a huge reason why Florida rallied late in the season, notching a pair of Top 25 wins to cool off Billy Napier’s seat. The Gators are one of the biggest wild cards in the SEC, and their outlook will be closely tied to how much promise Lagway fulfills in his first full season as the starting quarterback. I’m buying stock.”
CBS Sports/247Sports
CBS Sports and 247Sports took on a similar task of naming each preseason top-25 team’s top Heisman candidate in May. Lagway was the natural pick with better odds before his injury woes became a headline. He ranked 10th, one spot ahead of Miami (via Georgia) quarterback Carson Beck.
“Lagway was 247Sports’ No. 1 quarterback in the nation coming out of high school and he backed up that billing with some incredible flashes as a freshman,” CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah said. “He threw six touchdowns during a four-game winning streak to end the year that included upsets over Ole Miss and LSU. With another offseason of growth, Lagway should take his rightful place among the best in the country.”
Florida Heisman Trophy history
Florida has had three Heisman winners come through the program. Steve Spurrier brought the first trophy to Gainesville in 1966 after finishing ninth the year before. Only six Gators received votes over the next 30 years. Fullback Jimmy DuBose is the most interesting name on that list, finishing sixth in 1975. What was going on that year? Wide receiver Wes Chandler rounded out the top 10 two years later.
Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith surprisingly only finished as high as seventh in 1989, improving on a ninth-place finish in 1987. Shane Matthews was the next quarterback to vie for the award, and his fifth-place finish in 1991 was the closest of anyone since Spurrier. That is until Danny Wuerffel entered the picture in 1995 with a third-place finish.
Led by Spurrier, Wuerffel became the second Gator to win the Heisman in 1996, etching his name into the history books and winning a national championship along the way. Rex Grosmann continued the trend of quarterbacks in Orange and Blue contending for the award, finishing the 2001 season as the runner-up. Many believe he should have won over Eric Crouch, but they aren’t the voters.
Tim Tebow had the most prolific Heisman run of any Florida Gator. After winning it in 2007, he finished third in 2008 and fifth in 2009. Perhaps a win or two away from becoming the first two-time winner since Archie Griffin did it in the 1970s.
Kyle Trask (4th) and tight end Kyle Pitts (10th) both finished inside the top 10 in 2020.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football DJ Lagway Heisman Trophy The Athletic draft