The sophomore quarterback earns a spot on the Maxwell Award watch list for the 2025 season.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sophomore quarterback, DJ Lagway, was named to the Maxwell Award watch list after playing one of the hardest ranked schedules in the country and leading the team to a winning record.
The former No. 1 recruited quarterback, helped lead the Gators to an 8-5 season record after starting quarterback, Graham Mertz, tore his ACL in the game against Tennessee. Lagway recorded seven starts and went 6-1 for the season helping the Gators make their way back to a bowl game, where they defeated Tulane 33-8 in the Gasparilla Bowl. The freshman quarterback became the Gasparilla Bowl’s first 300-yard passer and for his efforts, Lagway was awarded the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl MVP.
At the end of his freshman season, Lagway totaled 1,915 yards on 115-of-192 passing for a 59.9% completion. Lagway totaled 12 touchdowns, rushed 51 times for 101 yards and tied Chris Leak for most wins as a UF true freshman quarterback.
For his freshman year performance, Lagway was named to the FWAA Freshman All-American Team, an ESPN Freshman All-American, a 247Sports True Freshman All-American, an On3 True Freshman Al-American, a PFF True Freshman All-American, the CFN Freshman Quarterback of the Year, a CFN Freshman All-American and earned an SEC Freshman of the Week honor following his game against LSU.
Starting in 1937, the Maxwell Award is given to the most outstanding player in college football and was named after Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, who helped shaped the public’s perception of the sport as a player, sportswriter and football official.
The full watch list consists of 80 players and will be narrowed down to a group of semifinalists on Nov. 11, 2025. From there three finalists will be revealed on Nov. 25, 2025 with the winner being announced on the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show taking place on Dec. 11, 2025. Players chosen to advance to the next round are picked by a committee from Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phi Steele Publications, who have a partnership with the Maxwell Football Club.
2025 Maxwell Award Watch List
FIRST
LAST
SCHOOL
CLASS
POS
Ryan
Williams
Alabama
Sophomore
WR
Noah
Fifita
Arizona
Junior
QB
Sam
Leavitt
Arizona State
Sophomore
QB
Jordyn
Tyson
Arizona State
Junior
WR
Taylen
Green
Arkansas
Senior
QB
Corey
Rucker
Arkansas State
Senior
WR
Jackson
Arnold
Auburn
Junior
QB
Cam
Coleman
Auburn
Sophomore
WR
Sawyer
Robertson
Baylor
Senior
QB
Bryson
Washington
Baylor
Sophomore
RB
Maddux
Madsen
Boise State
Junior
QB
Al-Jay
Henderson
Buffalo
Senior
RB
Brendan
Sorsby
Cincinnati
Junior
QB
Cade
Klubnik
Clemson
Senior
QB
Antonio
Williams
Clemson
Junior
WR
Darian
Mensah
Duke
Sophomore
QB
DJ
Lagway
Florida
Sophomore
QB
Caden
Veltkamp
Florida Atlantic
Junior
QB
Keyone
Jenkins
Florida International
Junior
QB
Tommy
Castellanos
Florida State
Senior
QB
Nate
Frazier
Georgia
Sophomore
RB
Haynes
King
Georgia Tech
Senior
QB
Jamal
Haynes
Georgia Tech
Senior
RB
Luke
Altmyer
Illinois
Senior
QB
Fernando
Mendoza
Indiana
Junior
QB
Elijah
Sarratt
Indiana
Senior
WR
Mark
Gronowski
Iowa
Senior
QB
Rocco
Becht
Iowa State
Junior
QB
Alonza
Barnett III
James Madison
Junior
QB
Avery
Johnson
Kansas State
Junior
QB
Dylan
Edwards
Kansas State
Junior
RB
Miller
Moss
Louisville
Senior
QB
Isaac
Brown
Louisville
Sophomore
RB
Garrett
Nussmeier
LSU
Senior
QB
Caden
Durham
LSU
Sophomore
RB
Carson
Beck
Miami
Senior
QB
Justice
Haynes
Michigan
Junior
RB
Darius
Taylor
Minnesota
Junior
RB
Ahmad
Hardy
Missouri
Sophomore
RB
Blake
Horvath
Navy
Senior
QB
CJ
Bailey
NC State
Sophomore
QB
Dylan
Raiola
Nebraska
Sophomore
QB
Jeremiyah
Love
Notre Dame
Junior
RB
Parker
Navarro
Ohio
Senior
QB
Jeremiah
Smith
Ohio State
Sophomore
WR
John
Mateer
Oklahoma
Junior
QB
Jaydn
Ott
Oklahoma
Senior
RB
Makhi
Hughes
Oregon
Junior
RB
Maalik
Murphy
Oregon State
Junior
QB
Anthony
Hankerson
Oregon State
Senior
RB
Drew
Allar
Penn State
Senior
QB
Nicholas
Singleton
Penn State
Senior
RB
Kaytron
Allen
Penn State
Senior
RB
Eli
Holstein
Pitt
Sophomore
QB
Desmond
Reid
Pitt
Senior
RB
Kevin
Jennings
SMU
Junior
QB
LaNorris
Sellers
South Carolina
Sophomore
QB
Braylon
Braxton
Southern Miss
Senior
QB
Josh
Hoover
TCU
Junior
QB
Arch
Manning
Texas
Sophomore
QB
Quintrevion
Wisner
Texas
Junior
RB
Marcel
Reed
Texas A&M
Sophomore
QB
Le’Veon
Moss
Texas A&M
Senior
RB
Behren
Morton
Texas Tech
Senior
QB
Tucker
Gleason
Toledo
Senior
QB
Jaden
Nixon
UCF
Senior
RB
Nico
Iamaleava
UCLA
Sophomore
QB
Jai’Den
Thomas
UNLV
Junior
RB
Devon
Dampier
Utah
Junior
QB
Owen
McCown
UTSA
Junior
QB
Diego
Pavia
Vanderbilt
Senior
QB
Chandler
Morris
Virginia
Senior
QB
Kyron
Drones
Virginia Tech
Senior
QB
Terion
Stewart
Virginia Tech
Senior
RB
Demond
Claiborne
Wake Forest
Senior
RB
Demond
Williams Jr.
Washington
Sophomore
QB
Jonah
Coleman
Washington
Senior
RB
Jahiem
White
West Virginia
Junior
RB
Maverick
McIvor
Western Kentucky
Senior
QB
Jalen
Buckley
Western Michigan
Junior
RB
