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Heavily hyped quarterbacks at Florida, Texas haven’t elevated offense

AP photo by Lynne Sladky / Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) is pressured by Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, second from left, and defensive back Zechariah Poyser, right, on Sept. 20 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
AP photo by Lynne Sladky / Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) is pressured by Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, second from left, and defensive back Zechariah Poyser, right, on Sept. 20 in Miami Gardens, Fla. AP photo by Lynne Sladky / Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) is pressured by Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, second from left, and defensive back Zechariah Poyser, right, on Sept. 20 in Miami Gardens, Fla.

By MARK LONG / The Associated Press 5 min read

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning and Florida Gators counterpart DJ Lagway opened the season as Heisman Trophy hopefuls, even considered front-runners by some.

The highly touted players with TV commercials, endorsement deals and probably as much name, image and likeness money as anyone in college athletics right now were supposed to be the next great ones at their schools.

Can’t-miss prospects? Sophomore superstars? Future first-round picks in the NFL draft?

A month into the 2025 season, the first one each has entered as his team’s starter, Lagway and Manning are two of the most disappointing players in the Southeastern Conference, prompting some to wonder if their performance will ever match their pedigree.

They will share the spotlight Saturday when the ninth-ranked Longhorns (3-1) open SEC play at reeling Florida (1-3, 0-1) in the Swamp, with each team returning to action after an open date last weekend. It’s a matchup that features the nation’s top quarterback recruit in 2023 (Manning) and the top quarterback recruit in 2024 (Lagway).