If you’ve spent any time scrolling through college football message boards lately, you’ve probably seen the same question pop up like a bad habit: is DJ Lagway injured? It feels like we’ve been tracking this kid’s medical chart more than his actual highlight reel for the past year.
One minute he's the five-star savior of the Florida Gators. The next, he's in a walking boot. Then he’s in the transfer portal. Honestly, the timeline is a bit of a mess, and it’s no wonder people are confused.
The short answer is yes, Lagway has been dealing with some pretty serious physical setbacks. But it's not just one single "pop" or a "tear" that everyone is talking about. It’s a literal laundry list of injuries that hampered his 2025 season in Gainesville and is now making some major programs—specifically Florida State and Ole Miss—take a very long, very cautious look at his medical records before signing off on his transfer.
The Injury Reality: What's Going on With Lagway's Shoulder?
The biggest red flag right now isn't his legs; it's his throwing arm.
Reports coming out of the transfer portal circuit this January suggest that DJ Lagway might need surgery on his throwing shoulder. This isn't exactly "new" news, but it's becoming a bigger problem. The issue actually stems from a high school baseball injury back in Willis, Texas. It started flaring up again toward the end of the 2024 season and basically never went away.
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During the 2025 offseason, he was noticeably limited. He didn’t throw during spring practices. He missed the Orange & Blue game. If you watched him this past fall, you could see the impact. His throws didn't have that "Gatorade Player of the Year" zip. They felt a little floaty.
Some sources, like those cited by A to Z Sports, mentioned that Florida State actually backed off their pursuit of Lagway specifically because of these medical concerns. That’s a massive blow for a kid who was the most hyped recruit in the country just two years ago.
The Rest of the 2025 Medical Report
It wasn't just the shoulder. 2025 was a brutal year for Lagway’s body. Here is the breakdown of what he was fighting through:
- Sports Hernia Surgery: He had a core-muscle procedure early in the 2025 offseason. This is notoriously difficult to come back from for a dual-threat QB who needs that core strength to rotate and run.
- The Left Calf Strain: Just as training camp was heating up in July, Lagway went into a boot with a strained calf.
- The Miami Incident: Four weeks into the season, during that trip to Miami, he suffered another lower-body injury. He was back in the boot shortly after.
- The Hamstring Shadow: Don't forget, he missed time in 2024 with a hamstring injury suffered against Georgia.
When you add it all up, the guy was playing at maybe 70% for the entire 2025 season. You can see it in the stats: 16 touchdowns but 14 interceptions. Those aren't "elite" numbers. They are the numbers of a kid trying to overcompensate for a shoulder that hurts and a base that isn't stable.
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Why the Transfer to Baylor is So Complicated
On January 8th, the news broke that Lagway was heading "home" to Baylor. It made sense on paper. His dad played there. It’s close to home.
But then, Pete Thamel and other heavy hitters reported that he hadn't "officially" committed. Why the hesitation? It comes back to the same question: is DJ Lagway injured enough to miss the 2026 spring ball?
Any school taking him on—whether it's Baylor, Ole Miss, or a late-entry blue blood—is essentially buying a "fixer-upper" for the 2026 season. They have to decide if his arm talent is worth the 6-month rehab process he likely faces for that shoulder. Baylor seems willing to take that gamble. They need a spark, and Lagway's ceiling is still higher than almost anyone else in the portal.
"Lagway's medicals led Florida State to change course... there is an expectation that Lagway will have or need surgery on his throwing shoulder this offseason." — Medical Report Insight, January 2026
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The Impact of Injuries on His Mechanics
It's kinda sad to see how much his throwing motion changed. To manage the pain in his shoulder, Lagway actually started shortening his stroke.
Normally, he has this big, effortless whip. In 2025, it looked more like a push. That lack of follow-through is likely why his interception rate spiked. When you can't drive the ball with your legs because of a calf or hernia issue, and you can't whip it because of a shoulder issue, you start "aiming" the ball. And in the SEC, "aiming" gets you picked off.
What's Next for the Former Gator?
So, where do we go from here?
If you're a fan of wherever he lands (most likely Waco), you need to temper expectations for the spring. He likely won't be taking many—if any—live reps in March or April. The goal for Lagway right now isn't winning a starting job; it's getting healthy enough to actually compete for one in August.
Actionable Steps for Tracking the Situation
If you're trying to keep tabs on his recovery, here is what to watch for over the next few weeks:
- Official Commitment/Signing: Wait for the actual paperwork. Until he's enrolled, schools are still poking at those medical reports.
- Surgery Announcement: Keep an eye on his social media or local Baylor/Ole Miss beats. If he goes under the knife for that shoulder in late January, he’s on a 5-to-6 month clock.
- Spring Practice Reports: If he's "limited" or "working with trainers on the side" in March, that’s actually a good sign. It means they are following a plan. If he's totally absent, worry.
The talent is clearly there. You don't get compared to the greats of the game by accident. But right now, the biggest opponent DJ Lagway faces isn't a defensive end—it's his own recovery timeline. He needs a year of clean health to prove he’s still the player we saw in those Willis High School highlights. For now, we wait and see if the surgery happens and how that "shortened" throwing motion looks once the pain is gone.