DJ Lagway talks win over Florida State, offseason plan

The 2025 college football season didn't go as planned for Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, but things ended on a sweet note by beating rival Florida State, 40-21.

After the game, Lagway addressed the media, with a heavy focus on his offseason plans. Injuries forced Lagway to miss most of the offseason heading into the 2025 campaign, leading to inconsistency and a midseason benching. Lagway said the rivalry win reinforced his belief in his growth and the direction of the program.

The freshman spoke at length about his development, his mindset through adversity, and the importance of approaching the offseason with renewed urgency.

Note: Lagway's quotes came prior to Florida hiring Jon Sumrall as its new head coach.

Here's what he said.

On Ending Tough Season Against Rival

"It’s always great to end the season on a good note. We clicked offensively and ran the ball at will. Just a great day at the park."

On Jadan Baugh's 266-yard day

"That's an easy day. Having a guy like him, comes in every day and works, I'm excited for him and his future. It's going to be great."

On Being First Florida QB Since Tebow to Start 2-0 Against Florida State

"That’s all I care about — the logo, the brand. The University of Florida has done so much for me and my family. I’m truly thankful and honored to be part of such a great culture and fan base. I'm blessed to be here."

On Coaching Change Reflection

"Obviously, I want to see who we bring in, but at this point, I’m a Florida Gator and happy and blessed to be here."

On Play Tonight and Progress

"Solid. Made some throws when needed. Every game, I feel like I’m getting a little better. That’s all you can ask for. It was a solid way to go into next year. I’m excited to build off that."

On Progress Since Season Opener

"I’ve come so far given everything I’ve been through this year. It’s truly a blessing to be out there and compete with my guess. All the blood, sweat and tears just to get to this moment. It's truly a blessing, and a lot of people don’t realize how much it took to get on the field. I’m thankful to be able to play football today."

On Handling the Future

"I’m focused on me. Getting right back to work Monday for a big offseason. It's a big offseason for me. I get to have an offseason, so I'm excited for that. And, you know, use everything to my advantage. The season didn't go how we wanted it to, but instead of looking back at it and sulking about it, I’m using this time to get better and work on what I need to."

On Biggest Lesson from the Year

"The biggest thing I learned from this is through the good and through the bad, you've got to come to work every day and continue to put your best foot forward. There were days — every day being the first and last one to the building, even when things aren’t bright and you want to be home and stay away from everyone. Being in the building, every single day, and just grinding it out.

"Every rep is priceless. Like coach Napier always said, this is a practice sport. You can't just jump out there and play. You have to practice different situations. I learned how to take better mental reps, seeing how to do things. I took a lot from just learning how to care for my body. It’s been a hard year, but I’m thankful for all of it."

On Building as a Better Athlete

"I’ll never forget this year. God’s got good for me in the future. I’m excited to take it day by day and use my platform to give him glory."

On New Coach’s Inheritance

"I feel like he's going to inherit a bunch of hardworking guys. Guys that have been through the fire. Guys who want success and know what that looks like. But being able to get the pieces to do that on a consistent level."

On Excitement for Next Steps

"I'm definitely excited to see who we bring in. But I'm going to control what I can control because I know who I am as a player and what I can do. I’m just trying to get better at my game and light it up next year."

On Third Quarter Momentum Shift

"We had a package to get Aaron Chiles in there. That's who we wanted to get the ball too, but they covered it. It was a good call by Coach O'Hara. We call it our late find. (Hayden Hansen) popped open as a third or fourth progression, so I gave him the ball. It was a good moment for him to get in the end zone."

On Early Struggles and Shutting Down Consideration

"No, I never thought about shutting it down, even when things don't look great. I kind of knew what I was getting into without an offseason. If I'm going to have a bad season, I expected it to be one without an offseason. That’s why I’m excited about next year. I'm getting right to work. I've got my plan. I've got my people around me, and we're finna make this thing go."

On Offseason Health/Procedures

"No, I came out clean. I'm thankful for that and appreciate the staff, especially Paul Silvestri and all those guys in the training room. It’s been a long season. They’ve been there every step of the way."

On Offseason Focus Areas

"Honestly, I started working on the things I want to work on after the Kentucky game when I got benched. I took a day to sit back and see, alright, we have an offseason coming up. What do I want to get better at. I might as well start right now. Just working on footwork and get my body right. I want to get back in shape, like Willis DJ Lagway 2023 National Player of the Year shape, and just feel good and have a good offseason."

On Sending Seniors Out with a Win

"It meant everything. They played their butts off and fought so hard. They're amazing leaders. I'm just thankful for them, true professionals. They showed a lot of younger guys how to do it. I’m truly thankful for them."

On Kentucky Loss being a Teaching Moment

"Definitely a teachable moment. Going through that adversity and still being a leader when that time happened and not shutting it down. My guys looked at me as a leader, and I was there for my guys. Tramell is going to be a heck of a player.

"It was a big learning moment, just slowing things down and getting back to basics. Nobody's in the room just doing drops, no throws, no receivers, just me with my headphones on, working on little things. That's what I'm excited to do. the lasts couple of week it’s paid off. My footwork in the pocket is getting better. Excited for growth and continuing to get better."

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football QB DJ Lagway's postgame quotes vs FSU Seminoles