It was a less than ideal start to quarterback DJ Lagway’s tenure at Baylor against Auburn. Not only did Lagway get off to a slow start, but the Baylor quarterback sustained an injury to his right ankle.
It is unclear when Lagway sustained the injury, but the quarterback took the field late in the second quarter with his ankle heavily taped. Lagway was seen limping in between plays showing the ankle appears to be offering the signal-caller extreme discomfort.
This came after Lagway had a careless fumble as well as an interception early in the first half. Lagway was able to bounce back with a late touchdown pass before halftime to help score Baylor’s first points of the game.
Here’s what you need to know about the Auburn-Baylor game amid Lagway’s injury.
Baylor Adjusts Game Plan vs. Auburn Amid QB DJ Lagway’s Injury
Lagway was helped into the locker room by teammates at halftime as Baylor trailed Auburn 10-7. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda hinted that the team planned to rely heavily on Lagway’s rushing ability against Auburn.
Now, the Bears will need scrap the team’s original game plan and adjust to Lagway’s injury.
“He’s fighting through it,” Aranda told CBS at halftime regarding Lagway’s injury. “I think that some of the running that we had going into the game, we’re trying to find where the game plan goes there.
“But throwing wise, he’s stepping into throws. He’s battling through. The guys are seeing him battle through,” Aranda added.
“… We’re going to need to adjust (the offense) some more. Some of the screens and some of the quick-hitting passes were adjustments to make for the QB-run game. It was going to be a big part of this.”
Baylor QB DJ Lagway’s NIL Value Is Projected at $2 Million Amid Florida Exit
Baylor has a lot riding on the former Florida quarterback being able to bounce back from an underwhelming 2025 campaign with the Gators. On3 projects Lagway’s NIL value at $2 million, but most college football player’s deals are not made public.
“Yeah, I’d say really just the coaching staff, and just the atmosphere and just really the — I feel like the resources that are provided here for the quarterback experience,” Lagway remarked in February during an interview on “The Sic ‘Em Podcast,” per Sports Illustrated. “I’d say just Coach Aranda and Coach Spav (offensive coordinator Jake Spavital)
“Just the way, especially on the offensive side, the way Coach Spav dials it up, you know, and just seeing what Sawyer (Robertson) did in the previous two years was definitely eye-catching to me. So I’m excited to continue to learn this offense and continue to get better.”
Florida Replaces Baylor QB DJ Lagway With Ex-Georgia Tech QB Aaron Philo
Florida hit the reset button this offseason as well by hiring new head coach Jon Sumrall. The new Gators coach plucked former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo out of the transfer portal to replace Lagway.
Philo’s projected NIL value is $1 million, per On3. This is nearly half of Lagway’s projected earnings.
Baylor QB DJ Lagway Dealt Unfortunate Injury News vs. Auburn Amid $2 Million NIL Deal