“The Best Thing to Ever Happen”: DJ Lagway Opens Up About Powerful Bond With Ex‑Gators QB Graham Mertz, Now in Houston
When DJ Lagway looks back on the unforgettable 2024 season, there’s one truth he can’t deny: Graham Mertz was the best thing that ever happened—not just to his football career, but to him as a person.
As Florida’s high‑profile freshman quarterback, Lagway entered Gainesville with national hype: a five‑star recruit, former Texas single‑season passing leader, and Mr. Texas Football. He came to learn, work, and eventually thrive under an older QB who had already lived many football years.
Then the injury happened. When Mertz tore his ACL late in the overtime loss at Tennessee in October 2024, his college career—and Florida’s veteran leadership—came to an abrupt end. But Mertz didn’t fade. He transformed himself into Lagway’s mentor, motivator, and emotional lifeline during the season’s most intense stretch.
“Whatever you need—life, what I see on the field—I’ll do it,” Mertz told Lagway amid his rehab. And he meant it: on sidelines, in film rooms, even walking through the meeting halls with a headset still clinging to his ear
Lagway remembers every detail: the countless late-night video sessions, the roommate road trip convos (both self-professed neat freaks), the encouragement when interceptions stung, and the constant message that he had Mertz’s back too. In many ways, Mertz gave him the wisdom to lead under pressure—and the confidence that he belonged.
When Lagway took full command of Florida’s offense—his first start yielding 259 passing yards and dynamic leadership—he gave credit where it was due. “Watching Graham run meetings, staying present—it was everything I needed,” he later said, calling the experience “the best thing to ever happen” to his growth.
Today, with Mertz wearing Texans gear in Houston and Lagway still finding his trajectory at Florida, the bond remains. Lagway speaks of Mertz as more than a QB coach: a brother, a guide, a catalyst. When the young signal‑caller faces doubt or a tough game plan, he imagines Mertz whispering: “I saw it happening. Go show them.”
In this way, the bond transcends turf. It’s as real as a locker room pep talk, as powerful as a game-winning drive. DJ Lagway may succeed in Gainesville—as he did during the 2024 season and beyond—but he knows he didn’t get there alone. Graham Mertz gave him more than plays—he gave him belief.
And for Lagway, that gift remains the best thing to ever happen.
