While the Florida Gators lose team members left and right to the transfer portal, there is one prominent name who said he’ll be sticking around for the 2024 season.
Quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] announced on Monday afternoon that he’ll be returning to be the starting quarterback and he exclaimed that he’s coming back with a winning mindset.
Mertz said it was a difficult task to ponder between returning for another year of college ball or following his dream and entering his name for the NFL draft.
“Obviously, you grow up your whole life playing this game wanting to go to the NFL, and I had the choice between the two,” Mertz said. “And I think in the end being able to come back and be with this team for another year, I mean, I care about this place so much.
“Them taking the step and making the choice and getting me here, it was everything for me,” Mertz continued. “I feel like I owe this place everything I got. I feel like I’ve said that a couple times up here, but I truly mean that. So, once I looked at all the options and kind of weighed everything out, just like I said in my post, unfinished business. I think that’s kind of the theme for me. A lot of stuff left on the table, and I want to win.”
Mertz will certainly be looking for redemption next season, as 2023 was the first time he’s held a losing record.
The redshirt junior got his season cut short after suffering a fracture in his right collarbone during the losing contest against the Missouri Tigers. Freshman backup Max Brown took over the starting role but came up short in the final game of the year against the Florida State Seminoles.
Mertz said that one-on-one conversations with UF head coach Billy Napier was one of the few driving forces keeping him in Gainesville for his fifth year of eligibility.
“I was just reflecting with Coach (Napier) in our meeting about my timeline here, and I felt like it went by so quick,” Mertz said. “Obviously, the season didn’t go the way we wanted it to, and I think that was kind of the main driving force in that.”
Mertz finished the 2023 season with remarkable numbers, completing 73% of his passes for 2,903 yards, on top of 20 touchdowns and only throwing three interceptions.
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