Lane Kiffin talks Florida QB DJ Lagway ahead of UF-Ole Miss

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Florida football fans desperately want Lane Kiffin to be the next head coach of the Gators, but he's still with Ole Miss for now. Kiffin has toed the line, answering questions about several high-profile job searches in college football, but as Week 12 matchup against UF presented a unique opportunity for him to comment on quarterback DJ Lagway.

If Kiffin does make the jump from 'Sip to the Swamp, he would coach Lagway for at least one year. With that door at least cracked open, most coaches are going to pick their words carefully — even more so in this case, considering Lagway's SEC-leading 12 interceptions.

Lagway has struggled this year, with many chalking it up to a lack of practice over the offseason. The narrative goes that Lagway wasn't prepared to start the year, but he's improved with each passing week.

Except, Kiffin doesn't buy it.

"I don't know growth. I don't know that I've seen growth," Kiffin said. "I do know this: I watched the guy beat us last year and play great and have one of the highest yards per completion of any player in the country last year."

One of the reasons Florida fans love Kiffin so much is that he calls like he sees it, somewhat reminiscent of legendary Gators coach Steve Spurrier.

He's right.

Lagway has been inarguably worse in 2025 than he was in 2024. Maybe it's the week-in, week-out grind of being an SEC starter for the entire season, or maybe it's a lingering injury that hasn't been discussed in depth. Whatever the issue, Kiffin has hit the nail on the head. Lagway is capable of being one of the top quarterbacks in the country, but he's not that guy right now.

"I know the guy can play as well as anyone in the country at times and we gotta make sure that's not against us Saturday night," he said. "… They were ahead of Georgia in the fourth quarter. They kind of pretty easily beat Texas, a really good Texas team. Nobody else has done that in the way that they did."

Kiffin also praised Florida running back Jadan Baugh, calling him "one of the best in the country," and noted the abundance of talent the Gators have on defense.

The Rebels host the Gators Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. in Oxford, Mississippi.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football Lane Kiffin comments on DJ Lagway

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