D.J. Lagway of
Willis (Texas) has been named the 2023 MaxPreps National High School Football Player of the Year. The five-star quarterback prospect joins the likes of Derrick Henry (2012), Kyler Murray (2013, 2014), Bryce Young (2019) and Caleb Downs (2022) as winners of the honor over the past decade.
Lagway led Willis to its best season in school history going 12-1. The lone loss came against the eventual Class 6A Division 2 state champs DeSoto (Texas) in the third round of the playoffs. The Wildkats won their first district title since 2002.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior quarterback broke the Class 6A single-season state record with 58 touchdown passes. He finished with 4,631 yards and completed 72.1 percent of his attempts. On the ground, he 975 yards and 15 touchdowns.
In a 60-52 win over The Woodlands to clinch the program's first district title in 21 years, Lagway completed 29 of 35 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns to go with 13 carries for a season-high 220 yards and three more scores.
Lagway opened the season completing 21 of 23 passes for 436 yards and eight touchdowns in a 52-21 win over Rudder (Bryan). It was one of three games he had throwing for more touchdowns than incomplete passes. He completed 14 of 17 passes for 338 yards and eight touchdowns in a 75-14 win over Cleveland. Two weeks later, he completed 26 of 30 passes for a season-high 543 yards and five touchdowns.
In three playoff games, Lagway accounted for 1,455 yards of total offense and 15 touchdowns. In a 65-31 loss against nationally-ranked DeSoto he threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns to go with 15 carries for 112 yards and another score.
Regarded as the No. 2 quarterback in the Class of 2024 on
247Sports, Lagway committed to Florida last December.
Lagway is the seventh player from Texas to win the MaxPreps National Player of the Year and first since 2021 when Cade Klubnik of Westlake (Austin) won it. He joins Riley Dodge of Southlake Carroll (Southlake), Garrett Gilbert of Lake Travis (Austin), Kyler Murray of Allen and Klubnik as quarterbacks from the Lone Star State to take home the honor.
Past MaxPreps National Players of the Year
2006 — Riley Dodge, QB, Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
2007 — Terrelle Pryor, QB, Jeannette (Pa.)
2008 — Garrett Gilbert, QB, Lake Travis (Austin, TX)
2009 — Dillon Baxter, ATH, Mission Bay (San Diego)
2010 — Dano Graves, QB, Folsom (Calif.)
2011 — Johnathan Gray, RB, Aledo (Texas)
2012 — Derrick Henry, RB, Yulee (Fla.)
2013 — Kyler Murray, QB, Allen (Texas)
2014 — Kyler Murray, QB, Allen
2015 — Derrick Brown, DL, Lanier (Sugar Hill, Ga.)
2016 — Tate Martell, QB, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
2017 — JT Daniels, QB, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2018 — Bru McCoy, ATH, Mater Dei
2019 — DJ Uiagalelei, QB, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) / Bryce Young, QB, Mater Dei
2020 — Jaxson Dart, QB, Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)
2021 — Cade Klubnik, QB, Westlake (Austin, Texas)
2022 — Caleb Downs, S, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.)
