FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECEMBER 22, 2023

WILLIS HIGH SCHOOL QB DJ LAGWAY ANNOUNCED AS 2023 MR. TEXAS FOOTBALL

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the leading publication for all things football in Texas, and the TaxAct Texas Bowl are proud to announce Willis High School QB DJ Lagway as the recipient of the 2023 Mr. Texas Football High School Player of the Year Award presented by Kroger.

Lagway will be honored on the field at the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, featuring the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Mr. Texas Football annually recognizes the most outstanding high school football player in the state of Texas. As a longtime partner of the TaxAct Texas Bowl and a proud supporter of Texas high school football, Kroger is proud to team up with Mr. Texas Football as the award’s presenting partner this year.

One of the state’s most dangerous signal-callers, Lagway smashed records at the controls of the high-powered Willis attack, throwing for 4,631 yards and a Class 6A-record 58 touchdowns on better than 72 percent passing. He was also a threat on the ground, running for 975 yards and 15 touchdowns. All told, Lagway accounted for a staggering 5,606 yards of total offense and 73 scores in just 14 games, leading Willis to the third round of the playoffs for just the second time in the program’s 95-year history.

Verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators, Lagway is rated as a Dave Campbell’s Texas Football four-star prospect and the top quarterback in the Class of 2024.

Former winners of the award include 2018 Heisman Trophy winner and current Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (2013-2014, Allen), 2012 Heisman Trophy winner QB Johnny Manziel (2010, Kerrville Tivy), former Texas Longhorns RB Johnathan Gray (2011, Aledo), former Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Jacquizz Rodgers (2007, Lamar Consolidated), current Ole Miss Rebels QB Spencer Sanders (2017, Denton Ryan) and former Dallas Cowboys QB Garrett Gilbert (2008, Lake Travis). Most recently, Timpson’s Terry Bussey took home the award in 2022.

The TaxAct Texas Bowl will continue its annual tradition of pinning the Big 12 against the SEC, with tickets available at TaxActTexasBowl.com.

For more information on the Mr. Texas Football Award, visit TaxActTexasBowl.com or TexasFootball.com.

About the TaxAct Texas Bowl

The TaxAct Texas Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events and managed locally by Lone Star Sports & Entertainment. The Bowl annually showcases teams from the Big 12 and the SEC, two of the country’s premier athletic conferences. Through the years, the TaxAct Texas Bowl has been a tremendous success both on and off the field. Since 2014 the game is the most attended Bowl in the country outside of the “New Year’s 6” games.  The bowl has also generated an average of $40 million annually for the Houston economy and has contributed over $2.3 million in financial support to DePelchin Children’s Center, The Bowl’s official charitable beneficiary and one of the oldest children’s organizations in the city.

About Dave Campbell’s Texas Football:

For more than 63 years, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has been “the bible” to millions of football fans across the Lone Star State. The annual summer edition of the magazine remains a rite of passage for all Texans, previewing every football team in the state — from the rabid world of Texas high school football, through the college ranks, and into the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans. Over the course of six decades, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football remains the undisputed leader in Texas high school football, Texas college football and more.

TexasFootball.com is the online home of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, covering high school football, college football and recruiting across the Lone Star State. From thought-provoking commentary to videos to podcasts to its daily live show, nobody covers football in Texas like TexasFootball.com.

About Kroger

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.