After an injury-riddled career at Florida, quarterback DJ Lagway is seeking a fresh start at Baylor. He’s declared himself to be in prime physical condition, but his arrival coincides with head coach Dave Aranda finding himself squarely on the hot seat.

“I’m in the best shape of my life, man,” said Lagway on the 365 Sports podcast. “This is the best I’ve felt since high school. The strength staff, nutrition staff, and even the health staff have done a tremendous job in having a plan for me. My body’s feeling really good right now.”

The spring of the 2025 season had other plans for DJ Lagway. He was limited throughout spring practice as he fought a shoulder injury after undergoing hernia surgery. It was a nagging one that he carried from the 2024 season. 

“He’s frustrated,” then- head coach Billy Napier said. “Obviously, he wants to play. Nobody likes to play more than that guy.”

DJ Lagway’s time at Florida was a constant war of attrition, with a nagging high school shoulder issue giving way to a calf strain and a costly hamstring injury that sidelined him at a crucial moment in 2024. A strained hamstring against Georgia sidelined him during the Texas face-off. 

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‘Despite his past injuries, Lagway showed flashes of his potential in the 2025 season, highlighted by a 287-yard, five-touchdown performance against LSU. In Week 4’s loss to No. 2 Miami, Lagway’s walking boot made a comeback. CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson reported it was for foot soreness.

Now that Lagway is feeling confident about his health, it brings attention to CBS Sports’ list of 10 college football players ready for a bounce-back season. 

DJ Lagway came into last year hyped as a top signal-caller. However, his highlight season got derailed as he tossed 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Along with it came the Billy Napier firing hoopla. In Baylor, Lagway lands in a quarterback-friendly setup under offensive master Jake Spavital. But will history repeat itself with head coach Dave Aranda landing in the hot seat?

Heat rises for DJ Lagway’s head coach, Dave Aranda

Hired six years ago, Aranda arrived with a track record of dominant defenses, the kind he ran at Wisconsin and LSU. Baylor closed the last season with an explosive offensive surge, ranking in the top six nationally in points, yards per play, and total yards over October and November in 2024. The Bears became the only program to dominate all three metrics.

For a quarterback like DJ Lagway, who is desperate for a stable environment to resurrect his career, Aranda’s roller-coaster tenure at Baylor, swinging from a 12-win season to a combined 13-12 record over the last two years, presents both an opportunity and a significant risk.

This situation is a big red flag for Lagway, who is hoping to flip his luck. Once riding high after a 12-win 2021 season, Aranda now joins Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell and Shane Beamer on college football’s hot seats in 2026, according to CBS Sports. DJ Lagway’s program has seen just one winning campaign and a 15-21 Big 12 record since 2021. Even though Aranda is burdened with a 36-37 record, he has taken all the precautionary actions to help Lagway. 

The addition of Kentucky transfer Hardley Gilmore, a reliable receiver who hauled in 28 catches as a sophomore, is a move designed to immediately reduce DJ Lagway’s pressure in the pocket. So, this recruiting move reduces his pressure in the pocket. Will that be enough for Lagway to help Aranda come out of the hot seat?