Willis High School quarterback Derek (DJ) Lagway Jr. has risen to elite status over the past month, becoming the No. 1 Dual-Threat QB in the country and Top 20 player overall.
The Class of 2024 QB has already attracted attention from powerhouse programs such as Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State, Penn State, Florida, Texas A&M and LSU to name a few, and has started his tour of unofficial visit, which brought him to the Southeast last week.
This past weekend, Lagway visited Georgia Tech, Georgia, South Carolina and Clemson. Clemson and Georgia have been powerhouses in college football the past five years and have two of the best coaches in the game -- Dabo Sweeney and Kirby Smart.
I was able to catch up with Lagway and ask him what stood out about his recent visits. What was it like talking with and hanging out with both coaches? "I had a great time meeting them and learning things about their programs," he said.
Lagway also visited South Carolina and Georgia Tech and mentioned how cool the facilities and campuses looked. Both staffs really welcomed him in and he had great respect for both programs.
One of Lagway's best memories from his unofficial visits was talking football with Dabo Swee. He even mentioned that Sweeney welcomed him to his home. That meant a great deal to him, saying that "no coach has ever done that" with him.
Lastly, I asked Lagway about the best part of the trip... The Visit Pictures. Lagway said that Georgia Tech had the best photos, mentioning the amazing backgrounds and props they use made the pictures really cool.
Lagway has more visits planned in the next few weeks, and I expect his recruitment to keep picking up as he heads into his junior season next fall.