Florida sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway was among the 80 players named to the preseason Maxwell Award watch list on Monday.
The Maxwell Award is presented to the most outstanding player of the college football season every year. The prestigious award, established in 1937, is named after renowned sportswriter Robert “Tiny” Maxwell.
Lagway was a standout player last season and received several accolades for his performance, including Freshman All-American honors from ESPN, FWAA and On3. He recorded a 6-1 record across seven starts and helped lead the Gators to an 8-5 record despite starting the year 1-2.
Lagway logged 12 touchdowns and 115 passes for a total of 1,915 yards in his freshman season.
The quarterback also helped the Gators defeat Tulane 33-8 in the Gasparilla Bowl, earning MVP honors and becoming the bowl’s first 300-yard passer in the process.
Despite battling a shoulder injury that limited throwing in the spring, Lagway is expected to be back on the field as Florida’s starting quarterback in August.
“I'm not just trying to get back to throwing the ball, I've been working on mechanics [that are] going to help my accuracy this year, help my decision-making,” Lagway said during SEC Media Days on July 16. "I'm excited, I'm ready to go.''
A committee made up of members from Pro Football Focus (PFF), Phi Steele Publications and Maxwell Football Club will begin narrowing down the list starting in November.
The Maxwell Award will be awarded during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 11.
Contact Nicole Lopez at nlopez@alligator.org. Follow her on X @lopeznicole715.
