Lagway news overshadows a day with 3 others choosing the portal

(Photo by Chris Spears)

Transfers. We knew there would be some as soon as Florida dismissed Billy Napier. We knew there would be more whether the new coach was Lane Kiffin or the eventual new coach, Jon Sumrall. And now, the door to the Heavener Center has begun to revolve and we can only guess how many will elect to seek newer, greener pastures and how many will elect to give the new coach a shot.

You almost wouldn’t know it by the reactions to the announcement that quarterback DJ Lagway is in the portal, but there were three others and they are significant talents. Safety Jordan Castell, Florida’s third leading tackler, is the loss of a veteran with 209 career tackles and three interceptions to his credit. It’s never easy to replace a 3-year starter. Tight end Amir Jackson, a redshirt freshman who was a highly regarded 4-star prospect out of high school, has ‘tweener size (6-4, 235) for a tight end, but has outstanding speed. Running back KD Daniels got rave reviews from those who saw him in practice, but he spent two seasons watching Jadan Baugh emerge as the kind of back who will be a first rounder someday.

Castell, Jackson and Daniels are all talented enough to wind up as a good fit in some other system, but none of them are irreplaceable. They may very well prove to be the trickle before the flood given the fact that there is only one portal opportunity now, unlike the past where there was a second one after spring. With Sumrall splitting time between coaching the Gators and prepping Tulane for its Saturday College Football Playoff encounter with Ole Miss in Oxford, we may see many more elect to go the portal route once he’s in Gainesville on a full-time basis.

And, even though Tulane is a 17.5-point underdog to Ole Miss, no one should be particularly shocked if the Green Wave were to spring the upset. Lane Kiffin, after all, won’t be on the Ole Miss sideline so we don’t know how hard the Rebels will play nor how well they can focus given the loss of the head coach to LSU.

So, it’s a matter of holding your breath to see what happens next with the Gators.

Meanwhile there is the case of Lagway electing to bolt. Writes Chris Hummer of CBS Sports: “Lagway’s initial meeting with the new Florida staff did not go well, per multiple sources. New Florida head coach Jon Sumrall questioned who Lagway is as a football player. The new staff opted to challenge the high priced quarterback, pushing him on his competitiveness and work ethic.”

Hummer reports that another source said, “He didn’t care about the money. He didn’t care about them bringing someone else in. He just wanted to hear you have the ability and we want to coach it out of you.”

It is never easy to lose a former 5-star talent. During his two years as a Gator, Lagway threw 28 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions. When he was good, he was very, very good, capable of throwing what seemed to be laser-guided deep balls that only his receiver could catch. When he was bad, he was really bad as a 5-interception game against LSU and a 3-interception fiasco against Kentucky will attest.

Perhaps the best thing we can do is wish him well and hope the new coach wherever that may be can coach the best out of him. And, while wishing that the best version of DJ is yet to come, wish that Jon Sumrall finds the right quarterback fit for the Gators moving forward.

WHERE TO FOR DJ?

Here are five potential landing spots:

1. James Madison: He knows Billy Napier and the offense. It’s not the SEC but JMU is a high profile program that is in the College Football Playoff. Maybe the Sun Belt is a good place to regain the luster.

2. Clemson: Cade Klubnik is done after the bowl game. Dabo has won a couple of national championships.

3. Florida State: Watch this one. FSU will need a QB and DJ’s girlfriend plays softball at UF. FSU is a high profile softball program that has an NCAA title (2018) and two other appearances in the championship series.

4. Miami: Mario Cristobal has done quite well with transfer QBs Cam Ward and Carson Beck. Beck moves on to the NFL after the playoff.

5. Texas Tech: It’s Texas and DJ is from Texas. The Red Raiders have cash and will spend it. They also seem to win big no matter who’s the QB. Finally, DJ’s girlfriend is also from Texas and Texas Tech has spent big to turn softball into a championship-level power.  

JAKE SLAUGHTER SECOND TEAM AP ALL-AMERICAN

It is a tribute to just how good Jake Slaughter is that he made second team All-American (Associated Press the latest) despite the Gators going 4-8. Slaughter gave up only one sack, one quarterback hit and two quarterback hurries all season long. Slaughter graded 87.1 percent on pass blocking. A first team All-SEC selection, Slaughter also made second team All-America for Walter Camp Foundation, The Athletic, USA Today and On3.

SEC FOOTBALL

Alabama: There is no question that Kalen DeBoer is the No. 1 choice at Michigan to replace fired Sharrone Moore, but Rick Neuheisel of CBS Sports says that DeBoer is happy in Tuscaloosa and will remain Bama’s head coach.

Arkansas: New head coach Ryan Silverfield is hiring Clint Trickett as his offensive coordinator. At Jacksonville State, Trickett’s offense ran for 258 yards and threw for 161.2 per game.

Auburn: Stud defensive end Keldric Faulk is declaring for the NFL Draft … New head coach Alex Golesh has added Larry Porter to his staff to coach the running backs.

Georgia: Brett Thorson, who averaged 45.24 yards per punt, was the winner of the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter.

Kentucky: New head coach Will Stein has hired Jay Bateman as his new defensive coordinator. At Texas A&M, Bateman produced a defense that is ranked No. 19 nationally (309.8 yards per game) and is tied for the national lead in sacks (41) … Stein is also hiring Oregon offensive line assistant and run game coordinator Cutter Leftwich, UT-San Antonio wide receivers coach Josh Price and Houston safeties coach Josh Christian-Young.

LSU: Lane Kiffin is hiring former Florida special teams coach Joe Houston. Kiffin is retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker. He is bringing Charlie Weis Jr. with him from Ole Miss to be the offensive coordinator.

Mississippi State: Bush Hamdan, most recently the offensive coordinator at Kentucky, has been hired as the associate head coach for offense.

Missouri: Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore is the new head coach at Washington State. Mizzou’s 2025 offense averaged 32.2 points per game and 429.3 yards. Mizzou had the No. 8 rushing offense (234.08 yards) in the nation.

Oklahoma: Placekicker Tate Sandell won the Lou Groza Award. Sandell hit 23-24 on field goals in 2025.

Ole Miss: John David Baker, who spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina, is the new OC at Ole Miss. ECU averaged 464.7 yards per game in 2025, 280.7 yards passing and 184 on the ground.

South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers is negotiating an NIL deal that will bring him back for his redshirt junior year. Sellers threw for 13 touchdowns and ran for five in 2025 … Kendall Briles is the new offensive coordinator.

Tennessee: The Vols have hired former Ohio State and Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. His 2024 Ohio State defense was No. 1 nationally (254.6 yards per game). Penn State gave up 334.3 yards and 21.4 points in 2025.

Texas: Former Florida assistant head coach Jabar Juluke is the new running backs coach at Texas.

Texas A&M: With Jay Bateman leaving to become the defensive coordinator at Kentucky, HBC Mike Elko promoted Lyle Hemphill as the new DC. Hemphill was the associate head coach at A&M in 2025. He worked for Elko previously at Hofstra and Duke.

Vanderbilt: A day after finishing second to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in the Heisman Trophy voting and writing on social media, “F*** all the voters!” QB Diego Pavia issued an apology.

AS THE PORTAL TURNS

Alabama: WR Aeryn Hampton

Arkansas: OT Shaq McRoy; CB Keshawn Davila; LB Tavion Wallace

Auburn: CB A’mon Lane-Ganus; WR Horatio Fields; WR Perry Thompson; CB Raion Strader; EDGE Antonio Coleman; RB Damari Alston; LB Caleb Wheatland; TE Hollis Davidson; WR Malcolm Simmons; OG DeAndre Carter; OT Favour Edwin; WR Cam’Ron King

FLORIDA: QB DJ Lagway; S Jordan Castell; TE Amir Jackson; RB KD Daniels; WR Muizz Tounkara; DL Tavorise Brown

Georgia: TE Pearce Spurlin III; CB Daniel Harris

Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson; EDGE Steven Soles

LSU: RB Ju’Juan Johnson; DL Ahmad Breaux; CB Ashton Stamps; WR Jelani Watkins; WR Khylan Billiot; DL Sydir Mitchell; RB Kaleb Jackson

Mississippi State: S Tony Mitchell; DL Terrance Hibblier Jr.; S Stonka Burnside; OG Brennan Smith; OT Jimothy Lewis Jr.

Missouri: RB Marquise Davis; RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleb Flagg; OG Nick Sharpe; TE Michael Smith; WR Josh Manning

Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson

South Carolina: PK Peyton Argent; LB Jaron Willis; WR Emazon Littlejohn; DL Zavion Hardy; LB Jaron Willis; OT Mac Walters

Tennessee: EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter; LB Brenden Anes; S Macus Goree

Texas: OG Connor Stroh; CB Santana Wilson; WR Aaron Butler; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens; PK Will Stone; RB Jerrick Gibson; S Derek Williams Jr.; CB Wardell Mack; DL Melvin Hills; LB Liona Lefau

Texas A&M: LS Shea Freibaum

Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey; TE Maurice Veney