Tag: Graham Mertz

Florida’s defense among best in upcoming EA College Football video game

Rankings weeks continues in anticipation of EA College Football 25’s release, and we now know Florida is a top-25 defensive team in the game

As part of its ongoing rankings week showcase, EA Sports released a list of the top 25 offensive and defensive teams in its upcoming college football video game, and the Florida Gators just made the cut at No. 25 on the defensive list.

The Gators’ defensive rating will be an 84 (out of 99) at the game’s launch, tying the program with Colorado, Kansas State, LSU, Louisville, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and potentially more.

Unfortunately, [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag]’s return to The Swamp didn’t get Florida’s offense into the top 25. While we don’t know what the team’s offensive rating will be, it won’t be higher than an 83.

Several of the nation’s top teams appear on both lists, giving an idea of what their overall ratings will be in the game. For example, Georgia is ranked first in offense and second and defense with a pair of 94s. The Bulldogs should be rated 94 overall, using basic math.

Florida’s number is a little harder to compute, but a low-80s rating feels likely. It certainly won’t be above the 84 mark the defense earned, but the offense is returning enough weapons to keep Florida from slipping into the high-70s.

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Does Football Power Index get Florida Gators 2024 projection correct?

The FPI rankings appear to have Florida football’s 2024 outlook correct, according to the eye test.

ESPN recently released its Football Power Index — a power rating that tracks each team’s strength relative to an average Football Bowl Subdivision school — for all 134 FBS teams in 2024. In the data, programs are rated on offense, defense and special teams.

Among those listed are the Florida Gators, who landed at No. 20 overall despite a projected .500 regular-season record. However, the strength of schedule facing [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. is among the most formidable in the nation which earned the Orange and Blue the highest ranking for a 6-6 projection.

The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez took a look at the Southeastern Conference’s status in the FPI rankings, in which Florida sits at No. 11 among its league peers. Much of the reason for the Gators’ strong strength of schedule is the brutal gauntlet that the SEC has to offer.

So do the numbers pass the eye test? Martinez thinks so, verifying the projections as accurate.

“Quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] should be solid in his second season with Florida, and Arizona State transfer [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag] will form a good receiver duo with [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag],” Martinez begins.

“The Gators should also improve defensively with numerous returners and transfer pickups such as South Carolina linebacker [autotag]Grayson Howard[/autotag] and Washington safety [autotag]Asa Turner[/autotag]. But Florida’s tough schedule will prevent it from cracking the top 10 of the standings.”

The SEC rankings are headed by the Georgia Bulldogs in the top spot, followed by the Texas Longhorns, Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Volunteers, Missouri Tigers, LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Ole Miss Rebels and Auburn Tigers to round out the top 10.

Florida’s 2024 season opener

The Gators open up the 2024 schedule against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Former Wisconsin quarterback notches NIL deal with Mercedes-Benz dealership

Former Wisconsin Badger notches NIL deal with Mercedes-Benz dealership

It’s a new era in collegiate sports and athletes are now reaping the benefits of their name, image and likeness. That is most recently seen with Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz, who inked a partnership with Mercedes-Benz of Gainesville on Monday.

Mertz is entering his second season as the starting quarterback at Florida under head coach Billy Napier after spending the first four years of his college career with Wisconsin.

He produced 2,903 passing yards and 20 touchdowns through the air in his first campaign with the Gators, both of which were career highs for the quarterback.

In terms of the deal with Mercedes-Benz, it’s the second agreement that Mertz has struck with a car dealership in the last two years, also inking a partnership with Essential Motors NJ in February of 2023.

Over in Madison, the Badgers will be entering their second straight season with a new starting quarterback, choosing between grad-transfer Tyler Van Dyke (Miami-FL) and redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke.

Pair of Gators on The Athletic’s All-‘Wait, They’re Still Playing College Football?’ team

The Gators have a pair of elder statesmen among their offensive and defensive ranks.

The COVID pandemic of 2020 still has lingering effects on college football after the NCAA granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility following the pandemic-shortened season. Among the ramifications of the decision is extended collegiate careers for a few gridiron warriors.

The Florida Gators are one of the programs that have benefitted from this extension entering the 2024 campaign with a pair of former transfer portal acquisitions who look to make a mark in the twilight of their amateur eligibility.

Quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], formerly of the Wisconsin Badgers, and safety [autotag]Asa Turner[/autotag], formerly of the Washington Huskies, are the two players The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel and Max Olson singled out in their All-“Wait, They’re Still Playing College Football?!” Team — both of whom started their collegiate careers in 2019.

QB Graham Mertz

“This October will mark seven years since the top-100 recruit filled Wisconsin fans with euphoria, becoming that program’s highest-rated QB commit since … ever?

“Unfortunately, his four-year career in Madison was filled with more mediocrity than glory, but given a fresh start in Gainesville, he improved dramatically last year (72.9% passing, 20 TDs, 3 INTs). Mertz is back for what will likely be his fifth consecutive season as a college starter.”

S Asa Turner

“Turner was a true freshman starter at Washington during Chris Petersen’s final season and started 28 of 43 games during his five seasons with the Huskies.

“He’s back for one more, this time in the SEC with the Gators, thanks to an interesting technicality: Turner played in four regular-season games in 2023 and was able to count it as a redshirt season — even though he returned from injury in time to play in the Pac-12 title game and both CFP games.

“Yep, that’s right, a seven-game redshirt. Don’t think we’ve ever seen that before.”

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Florida’s incumbent starter among PFF’s top QBs in 2025 NFL draft

Graham Mertz is one of PFF’s top 10 quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft. Of course, there is still a lot of football to play before then.

Florida football has a tough road ahead of it in 2024 but the good news is that they were able to bring back starting quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag]. While far from perfect, the former Wisconsin Badger has proven to be an ample bridge to the future in the QB room.

Of course, the Gator Nation is champing at the bit to see five-star freshman [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] in action, but the stability that Mertz and his high-percentage accuracy bring under center cannot be understated. In fact, his leadership will be absolutely critical in the team’s efforts to snap a three-year losing record streak.

If the redshirt senior can put together another solid campaign this fall, he could very well hear his name called during the 2025 NFL draft next spring. Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema has the Gators gunslinger among his top 10 quarterbacks in the draft.

Joining Mertz in the top 10 are Connor Weigman (Texas A&M Aggies), Carson Beck (Georgia Bulldogs), Shedur Sanders (Colorado Buffaloes), Jalon Daniels (Kansas Jayhawks), Jalen Milroe (Alabama Crimson Tide), Quinn Ewers (Texas Longhorns), Jaxon Dart (Ole Miss Rebels), Donovan Smith (Houston Cougars) and Noah Fifita (Arizona Wildcats).

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Former Wisconsin quarterback one of the top 2025 NFL draft QB prospects

What would your reaction be to Graham Mertz getting drafted?

Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz was ranked No, 4 overall in ProFootballFocus’ recent ranking of the 2025 NFL draft’s top 10 quarterback prospects.

The ranking came from PFF lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema. It listed the former Badgers along with Texas A&M’s Connor Weigman, Georgia’s Carson Beck, Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders, Kansas’ Jalon Daniels, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Houston’s Donovan Smith and Arizona’s Noah Fifita.

Related: Ranking the highest rated recruits in the history of Wisconsin football

Mertz is entering his second season with the Florida Gators after transferring from Wisconsin at the end of the 2022 season. His 2023 campaign in Gainesville included 2,903 passing yards and 20 touchdowns over 11.

Unfortunately for Mertz, he suffered a broken collarbone toward the end of the year and missed the team’s regular season finale against Florida State. The Gators finished the year with a 5-7 overall record.

The Overland Park, Kansas native will likely finish his collegiate career after the 2024-25 season, which will be his sixth at the NCAA Division I level.

Mertz started 32 games at quarterback for the Badgers from 2020-2022 and left Madison his with a 19-13 overall record as a starter, tied for sixth-best in program history.

Wisconsin graduate transfer Tyler Van Dyke (Miami-FL) is poised to start for UW this fall with redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke projected to play second fiddle. This will be offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s second season with the Badgers employing an air raid-style offense.

It will be worth monitoring how Mertz’s production compares to Van Dyke once the season kicks off this fall.

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DJ Lagway among CBS Sports’ marquee true freshman expected to play

It is more likely than not that DJ Lagway will see some playing time this coming fall.

The Florida football program took a huge step during the 2024 recruiting cycle with the addition of five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag].

Lacking a true standout at the most important position on the field since [autotag]Kyle Trask[/autotag] — even [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] struggled during his tenure — the Gators are counting on the Lone Star State product to bring the program back to respectability. Lagway will start the season as a backup on the depth chart, but once things begin anything can happen.

CBS Sports writer Cooper Petagna took a look at the top five marquee true freshmen from the last class and ranked them in order of their likelihood of seeing playing time this fall. Lagway came out ranked second under the heading, “More likely than not (to play).”

“On paper, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and the Gators appear to be in a very comfortable position at the quarterback spot as [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and his wealth of experience return to Gainesville with hopes to build on an encouraging first year in the Swamp,” Petagna begins.

“That being said, Lagway is simply too gifted to and too important to Napier’s future to keep off the field as he enters the fray and what is considered to be a make-or-break season for the Gators.”

Demographics

“Listed at 6-foot-3 and north of 240 pounds on Florida’s spring roster, Lagway is coming off a senior season at Willis High School where he set the Texas Class 6A single-season record for touchdown passes all while leading the program to its best record in over 60 years and their first trip to the regional semifinals in almost three decades,” he continues.

“A proven winner, it’s not only the true freshman’s intangibles that should be noted but his dual-threat capabilities too that should allow Napier and his staff the creativity to use the five-star signal caller in a way that should remind most Florida fans of the Anthony Richardson era.”

Florida’s opening game

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Where ESPN ranks Florida football’s QB room ahead of 2024

The Gators are in the same tier they were last season per ESPN despite the addition of DJ Lagway.

ESPN’s David Hale released his rankings for all 134 FBS quarterback rooms divided into tiers ahead of the 2024 campaign on Tuesday. In it, he placed the Florida Gators — headlined by [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] — into Tier5a, which also happens to be the same spot they were heading into 2023.

“We’re still in the very early stages of properly evaluating the impact of the transfer portal on QB play around the country, but last year’s numbers tell a pretty clear story,” Hale begins.

“There were 113 FBS quarterbacks who started at least eight games. That group can be separated into three distinct categories: homegrown talent, first-year transfers and transfers who had been on campus for more than one season.

You will notice a stark difference between the three categories in the data below:

  • Homegrown talent (48 QBs): 60.0 Total QBR, 61.9% completions, 2.2-to-1; TD:TO ratio, 6.8 yards per dropback
  • First-year transfers (36 QBs): 58.1 Total QBR, 62.1% completions, 1.9-to-1; TD:TO ratio, 6.4 yards per dropback
  • Multiyear transfers (29 QBs): 70.0 Total QBR, 65% completions, 3-to-1; TD:TO ratio, 7.4 yards per dropback

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ Haynes King and Zach Pyron, Virginia Tech Hokies’ Kyron Drones and Collin Schlee, and Oklahoma State Cowboys’ Alan Bowman and Garret Rangel also joined the Orange and Blue in the tier.

This contradicts Pro Football Focus‘ outlook on Florida’s QB corps, which it ranked No. 7 in the country at the end of spring.

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This Florida football transfer could make an instant impact in 2024

Badger hopes to follow in the footsteps of another former ASU standout who worked his way up to a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The college football transfer portal has become a cornerstone of roster build in the modern game, serving as a de facto free agency system for collegiate athletes.

CBS Sports’ Will Backus recently took a look at the Southeastern Conference in search of transfers he believes will make an instant impact with their new teams. For the Florida Gators, he singled out wide receiver [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag], who had previously played for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

“Badger has flown under the radar despite leading Arizona State in receiving in consecutive seasons, with 1,579 yards and 10 touchdowns receiving in that span,” Backus notes. “He should emerge as a go-to target for equally underrated Florida quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] in an offense that sorely needs dynamic options outside of [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag].”

What Backus did not mention is that Badger hopes to follow in the footsteps of another former ASU standout, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. After two seasons in Gainesville, the prolific pass-catcher worked his way up to a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

There is little doubt that played a role in his decision to don the Orange and Blue.

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Florida’s incumbent QB leads one of PFF’s top QB rooms entering 2024

Florida’s quarterback room is among the top 10 in the nation according to PFF.

Florida football has a long history of producing top college quarterbacks though the program hit a bit of a rough patch in recent years. However, things appear to be trending back upward.

The emergence of [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] as a legitimate option under center as well as the addition of five-star prospect [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] has given the team a boost under center. According to Pro Football Focus writer Max Chadwick’s quarterback room rankings ahead of the 2024 campaign, the Gators land at No. 7.

“Graham Mertz enters his sixth season overall and second under center for Florida,” Chadwick begins. “Last year, the former Wisconsin quarterback’s 1.4% turnover-worthy play rate was the country’s third-best mark, and his 77.9 passing grade was a career-high.”

The new recruit’s clout along with a capable third-stringer also played a role in the ranking.

“Expectations are high for his backup, true freshman DJ Lagway, who was the top quarterback recruit in the 2024 class. The third-stringer will be Clay Millen, who started for Colorado State in 2022. His 7.3% big-time throw rate that year ranked eighth among all signal-callers in college football.”

The Mertz amassed 2,903 passing yards and 20 touchdowns over 11 games during his first year under [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], recording career-best numbers across the board. However, despite his impressive completion percentage, he was often lacking in the downfield game.

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.