Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway is not expected to play in the Bears' Week 2 game against Prairie View A&M, per multiple reports.
Lagway injured his ankle in Baylor's 17-16 loss to Auburn last week. He was noticeably hobbling at the end of the first half and had to be carried into the locker room by teammates. He returned to play in the second half with a heavily taped right ankle and finished the game, nearly leading the Bears to a last-minute win, however Baylor's 2-point attempt was stopped inches short of the goal line.
ESPN's Pete Thamel is reporting Nate Bennett will get the start in Lagway's place against the FCS Panthers in Waco on Saturday.
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#lagway #bears #play #baylor

In front of a packed house at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the Florida Gators routed the FAU Owls 66-21 in the teams' season opener.
The Gators have struggled the past four seasons, all of them ending with losing records. In 2025, the team finished 4-8, and coach Billy Napier was fired in October.
Changes had to be made in the offseason, and they were. Florida brought in new head coach Jon Sumrall, who's credited for quick turnarounds at Troy and Tulane, turning them into winning teams.
Out goes quarterback DJ Lagway to Baylor and in comes Aaron Philo, a transfer from Georgia Tech who threw for 373 yards in his only start against Gardner-Webb in 2025.
FAU came into this game being ranked No. 1 in the nation in passing offense last season, averaging 340.2 yards per game. Their defense, however, was ranked near the bottom, giving up 36.3 points per game. History wasn't on the Owls' side either as they've never won a game against the Gators, 0-4 all-time.

#Florida #coach #hill

Ranking the new quarterbacks' debuts, from Darian Mensah masterclass to DJ Lagway head-scratcher originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In today's modern era of college football, teams have new guys starting at quarterback seemingly every season. From true freshmen, to guys who worked their way up the depth chart or transfer-portal stars, we have several guys who made their starting debuts in 2026.
Miami started Duke transfer Dariah Mensah, Indiana turned to TCU transfer Josh Hoover and Tennessee started true freshman Faizon Brandon.
Let's take a look at how 16 new 2026 quarterbacks did during their Week 1 debuts.
MORE:College football Week 1 overreactions: Is Dabo is done? Is Oregon a fraud?

#debuts #transfer

ATLANTA — Whenever Baylor has to make the ultimate call on Dave Aranda, it is unlikely to be clear-cut. He is too competent to crater and too well-liked to author his own demise, working at a school that would prefer not to buy out a football coach unless it has to.
But it is not a secret, least of all to Aranda, that his seventh season will be defined by decisions: The little ones he makes every week, followed by the big one his employer must render.
After the first of 12 data points is now in the rear-view mirror, it's imperative to start thinking about the question that can bring some of these fine margins into leader focus: How much credit does a coach get for doing the right thing but getting the wrong result?
Though perhaps not every fan would agree, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone within the Baylor program who disagreed with Aranda's decision to go for two and a victory over Auburn on Saturday night after his quarterback, DJ Lagway, fought through an ankle sprain and threw a touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining.
Analytically, it was the right call. Emotionally, it was a risk worth taking. Practically, it was a no-brainer.

#every #though

It's often said that football is a game of inches — so much so that it has become a cliche.
In Auburn's season-opening win against Baylor, it was more like a game of centimeters.
After scoring a touchdown with nine seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to get within one, 17-16, Baylor opted for a 2-point conversion to win the game rather than an extra point attempt, which almost certainly would have tied the game and forced overtime.
REQUIRED READING: Auburn football report card: Grading the Tigers after Baylor win
The try was unsuccessful, with Matthew Klopfenstein catching a DJ Lagway pass and getting tackled just shy of the goal line to preserve the Auburn victory. The Tigers pulled out the win despite allowing 436 yards and finishing with three turnovers.

#tigers #required #grading

The Auburn Tigers are just days away from opening the 2026 season against the Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Tigers would love nothing more than to start the Alex Golesh era with a win, which would be a great start toward building momentum for the rest of the season. However, Auburn is one of two SEC teams facing a Power Five opponent in Week 1, which will provide the Tigers with a great challenge early in the season.
The Tigers and Bears met in Week 1 of the 2025 season, with Auburn taking down home-standing Baylor, 38-24, in Waco. Both teams would go on to finish the season with 5-7 records; however, only one team will begin the season with a new coach.
Auburn fired Hugh Freeze and later hired Alex Golesh, while Dave Aranda gets one more season with Baylor. However, he starts the season on the hot seat, and a win over Auburn would do wonders for his job security. A game of this magnitude could go either way, but here are five reasons why Auburn football could struggle against Baylor on Saturday in Atlanta.
Despite winning last season's game in Waco, Auburn struggled to defend Baylor's passing game. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson passed for 419 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn's quality secondary. This season, Florida transfer DJ Lagway takes over as the starting quarterback for the Bears and is hungry for the chance to prove his worth at the highest level.

#auburn #however

DJ Lagway is back home.
Well, as close as he can get.
After two seasons at Florida that took him from the nation's top quarterback prospect to the transfer portal, Lagway's next chapter brought him back to Texas this offseason.
It brought him to a place that has been part of his life since before he could walk.
Baylor was the place his father, Derek, played running back from 1997 to 2001. It was the place where he watched games as a kid. It was the football program that offered his first scholarship before he became the nation's No. 1 quarterback prospect.

#brought

The transfer portal has transformed college football.

Teams are able to improve with just a few signings. Players have more freedom to find the best opportunities, and everyone has a capable quarterback now.

Who are the best players at their new schools? Here are the 25 most important transfers – other than the quarterbacks, who get their own special mention.
26: Winningest Programs Yet To Make the CFP
25: ACC Key Questions
24: Big 12 Key Questions
23: Big Ten Key Questions
22: Top 2027 NFL Draft Prospects
21: SEC Key Questions
20: What's Next in Realignment?
19. Ranking all 30 New Head Coaches
18. Who Has the Easiest Schedules?
17. Who Has the Hardest Schedules?
16. Who Might Be the Next Indiana?
15. Group of Six Teams with Best CFP Shot
14. 5 Teams Due For a Letdown
13. 5 Programs Under the Most Pressure
12. 26 Bold Predictions
11. 5 Teams We're Disrespecting
10. 5 Hottest Head Coaching Prospects
9. Biggest Games of the Season
8. Coaches On Hot Seat
7. Teams About to Surprise
6. 10 New Superstars
5. Top Quarterback Battles
We could've done an entire list just on the quarterbacks, so let's start this off by lumping them all into one quick-hit list.

The ten best quarterback transfers: 1) Darian Mensah, Miami (Duke); 2) Josh Hoover, Indiana (TCU); 3) Sam Leavitt, LSU (Arizona State); 4) Dylan Raiola, Oregon (Nebraska); 5) Byrum Brown, Auburn (USF); 6) Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State (North Texas); 7) Rocco Becht, Penn State (Iowa State); 8) DJ Lagway, Baylor (Florida); 9) Alberto Mendoza, Georgia Tech (Indiana); 10) Colton Joseph, Wisconsin (Old Dominion)

The 25 best non-quarterback transfers are …
Former School: Auburn
The massive 6-8, 354-pound tackle started at Virginia Tech, left for Auburn, and now he'll be the starting left tackle for the Seminoles.
– Florida State 2026 Team Preview
Former School: Wake Forest
Part of the all new Red Raider defensive front, the 6-4, 300-pound former Demon Deacon has the quickness to be a terror of an interior pass rusher.
– Texas Tech 2026 Team Preview

#teams

Pro Football Focus ranked Florida running back Jadan Baugh the 37th-best college football player heading into the 2026 season.
The list mixed "proven performance and future projection" to identify the 50 most valuable players in the sport. Baugh earned an 87.7 overall grade in 2025 and figures to be the focus of Florida's offense in 2026.
"Baugh is a physical runner who should post huge numbers in Buster Faulkner's creative rushing attack this season," the PFF staff wrote. "Last year, Baugh finished third among SEC running backs with 1,168 rushing yards, 65 missed tackles forced and 35 explosive runs. He's also fumbled just one time across 354 career carries. Baugh could be a Doak Walker Award candidate this season if all goes well in Florida's new offense."
Baugh is the fourth running back on the list, behind No. 6 Ahmad Hardy (Missouri), No. 10 Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss) and No. 36 Caleb Hawkins (Oklahoma State).
The question is how opposing defenses will adjust now that Baugh is a proven threat. He emerged as the star of the offense over time last season, benefiting from the focus being on DJ Lagway and the passing game. One of the first things Jon Sumrall said when he took over the program was, "How can I get No. 13 the ball a few more times?"

When it comes to the 2027 NFL Draft, there are some quarterbacks with real live arms. Then, there is Baylor transfer DJ Lagway. Lagway came into college with unlimited potential, but we have not seen a ton of growth in two years while he was at Florida.
Could a change of scenery be just what the doctor ordered? Let's talk about it.
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 247 lbs
Recruiting rank: Five-star recruit, no. 1 quartrerback in 2024