The start of the 2023 college football season lurks just around the bend but the recruiting grind continues 24/7/365 for Billy Napier and Co. The second-year head coach made a point of prioritizing prep prospects as a part of his plan to restore glory to the Orange and Blue, and so far, his staff has done a good job living up to those expectations.
Andrew Ivins of 247Sports released his 2024 freaks list on Thursday, in which he ranked the 50 most athletically gifted members of the 2024 recruiting cycle. Included on the list was a pair of Florida Gators, starting with five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], who landed at No. 17 in the rankings.
Lagway is a legitimate 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, and he’s a load to bring down in the pocket or open field. This summer, Lagway hit 20 mph while doing treadmill sprints on a 28-degree incline. There’s also a video of him from middle school where he’s destroying a chair with his mid-80s fastball. That’s freaky stuff.
Lagway represents one of the biggest lottery tickets in the entire 2024 cycle given his physical attributes. He threw for 2,081 yards and 24 touchdowns last fall at Willis (Texas) while adding 517 yards and seven more scores on the ground.
The other Florida commit earning a spot on the top-50 list was four-star wide receiver [autotag]Jerrae Hawkins[/autotag] who placed close behind at No. 19.
Hawkins, who was a regular on the podium as an underclassmen in the Mountain State, took first in the 60-meter dash at the Florida Indoor Championship in February before placing 3rd at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet in the same event a few months later. The chunk-play machine also had the fastest 40-yard-dash time (4.45 seconds) at IMG Academy’s annual pro day.
The passer-receiver connection bodes well for the future of Florida football as the program looks to bring the glory back to the Swamp. Unfortunately, Gators fans will have to wait until next season before they get to see these two potential stars out on the collegiate gridiron.
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