Willis got some news this week as the hometown hero DJ Lagway announced he is leaving the Florida Gators and entering the NCAA transfer portal. While it was suspected by many, it was still a shock to others and different to what some thought would happen. With many unexpected factors happening to Florida’s team this year, Lagway will try to find success somewhere else with many of his college days left.
“I think DJ Lagway will go to Baylor University because that’s where his father went, and the family lineage would be a great factor for him,” senior Ben Bessire said. “The Willis community and I are rooting for him wherever he goes though.”
The transfer portal is essentially an online free agency for college athletes. It allows them to announce that they want to play somewhere else and is extremely common among almost every team. Teams recruit and lose players to the portal every single year. Athletes enter for all kinds of reasons, some just didn’t get playing time and others want new coaching. It hasn’t really mattered for the Willis community until now when a former Wildkat entered this portal. DJ has two years of eligibility left for NCAA football, and he plans to ball out anywhere he goes.
“I think DJ went to the portal to get a fresh start, sometimes athletes just need that,” senior Carter Williams said. “I’m thinking of USC or LSU just because they have good programs and coaching staff who supports DJ.”
Everyone in the town of Willis has their theories of where DJ will go, of course at the end of the day it’s up to him, and he will go wherever suits him best. The estimations and theories are quite interesting and many people have great reasons for where they think DJ will end up showing his D1 talent.
“He will go to LSU because of the rework that is happening, and he could be a deciding factor in how they pursue next year,” senior Braden Peet said. “Especially with new coaches and money to give because they gave Lane Kiffin such a high salary cap for players.”
If Wildkats were around for Lagway’s high school gameplay, they definitely remember the recruiting frenzy and the Florida hype that came with it, and even though it’s a shock, it’s completely okay to enter the transfer portal and give his talents somewhere else. Lagway is Willis blood, where he goes, the community of Willis goes.
“Watching DJ Lagway in high school felt like watching the future of college football, it’s like he always had control of the field and gave it his all,” senior Reid Dorwart said. “I still believe in him, and I think coming out of the portal he will go to Baylor or LSU to continue his career and make it to the league.”
