Rivalries are a big deal down in the south, especially as it relates to college football. That’s especially true in Florida, where there are several big-time college football programs all trying to claim their dominance in just one state.
There are some great in-state rivalries in Florida. Chief among them is the rivalry between Florida and Florida State, which soon-to-be second-year quarterback DJ Lagway recently revealed is alive and well.
In fact, he told college football legend Robert Griffin III on the “Outta Pocket with RGIII” podcast that the Gators give players a “seminar” on their rivalries when they show up in Gainesville.
“Coming in they give you a little seminar about all the rivalries. Like an hour or two video about different rivalries. Different moments of the games and stuff. So, it gets you real fired up,” Lagway said (h/t On3). “So, I’ve got a deep hatred for Florida State.”
Lagway was a highly-touted freshman quarterback last season and started at Florida as a backup for Graham Mertz. When Mertz was lost for the season with injury, the Gators gave the former five-star his chance, and he went 6-1 in his seven starts and was a massive part of Florida’s turnaround in 2024. In fact, he may have even saved head coach Billy Napier’s job.
Speaking of Florida State, Lagway did lead the Gators to a 31-11 win over FSU to end the season. He threw for 133 yards and two touchdowns in that game with one interception.
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