Tag: Graham Mertz

Former Badgers QB sticking around college football for 2024

Former Badgers QB sticking around for final year of eligibility

After the 2022 college football season, former Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz announced that he was transferring to Florida and he is staying in Gainesville for another season.

In his first season with the Gators, Mertz produced 2,903 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, both of which were career highs for him through five years of collegiate action.

He suffered a broken collarbone at the end of the season and he was forced to sit out of the team’s regular season finale versus Florida State and Florida finished the year with a 5-7 overall record.

Mertz will look to make the most of his final season of eligibility in 2024.

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Florida QB Graham Mertz announces return to program

The Florida Gators will get Graham Mertz back for another season. The quarterback announced his return on Thursday.

Florida quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] is returning to Gainesville for his final year of college eligibility.

The Wisconsin Badger turned Gator announced his much-anticipated return on Thursday. Mertz started every game except the Florida State matchup in Week 13 due to a fractured collarbone suffered the week prior. He still managed to put up career numbers through 10 games.

Mertz finished 2023 with 2,903 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with just three interceptions. If the touchdown-to-turnover ratio isn’t impressive enough, Mertz finished the year with a .729 completion percentage — the  No. 5 mark in the nation.

Florida will welcome five-star quarterback DJ Lagway to Gainesville in the spring, but Mertz is still the clear starter heading into 2024. He wouldn’t return without some guarantee and should be a draft name that’s talked about plenty.

Mertz’s return is hardly a surprise. Reports of redshirt freshman Max Brown’s transfer all but guaranteed a sixth year of college ball for No. 15. Hopefully, he can lead Florida to its first winning season in four years.

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Billy Napier provides an update on QB Graham Mertz

Florida will be without quarterback Graham Mertz when it hosts Florida State this week. Head coach Billy Napier loosely outlined his recovery plan on Monday.

Florida finished Saturday’s game against Missouri without quarterback Graham Mertz under center, and Billy Napier provided an official update on him both after the game and on Monday.

Mertz was X-rayed immediately after walking off the field, revealing a collarbone injury that should sideline him for the rest of the season. He returned to the sideline in a sling to finish watching the game and Napier left the door open for a return, but a second X-ray on Sunday confirmed that Mertz’s season was over.

“We took another image yesterday. We felt good about that image,” Napier said. “We’re going to basically go in a two-week period here where we’re going to give it a chance for the fracture to start the process of growing back and then we’ll reevaluate things.

“In the meantime, we’re going to do exhaustive research on like cases in college football and in the National Football League, relative to players that have been through similar injuries. Just making sure we’re giving him the best map for him going forward with the rest of his career.”

Mertz finished the season just 97 yards shy of 3,000 yards. He threw 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions, two of which were off a receiver’s hands. Mertz was one of the most accurate quarterbacks all year long, finishing Week 13 inside the top five for completion percentage (73%).

The Gators will turn to redshirt freshman Max Brown, who has played one whole quarter of college football so far. Florida State will also use a backup at quarterback, though, so both teams are playing unfamiliar games.

“(Brown)’s been working hard since the first day he got here,” Napier said. “He’s improved. I think the players, he’s got good connection and camaraderie with the players. They see him every day. They know who he is and what he’s capable of.”

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QB Graham Mertz breaks Tim Tebow’s record in loss to LSU

Graham Mertz made Florida history on Saturday, breaking Tim Tebow’s record of 203 pass attempts without an interception.

On Saturday, Florida quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] set the program record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception, passing [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag]’s mark of 203, according to Swamp247.

Mertz might not be a Heisman contender, but he’s worked his way back into being a pro prospect. He’s one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football, and he hasn’t thrown an interception since the Kentucky game.

Missouri’s Brady Cook currently holds the SEC record with 345 consecutive snaps. His streak came to an end against LSU earlier in the year. At his current pace of 33.7 attempts per game, Mertz would have to return for another year at UF to break that record.

Florida only has two more games left on the regular season schedule, and the loss to Arkansas put bowl eligibility in serious doubt. If the Gators can upset No. 11 Missouri or No. 4 Florida State, Mertz will get to play three more games. He’ll be breaking his own record until he throws another interception.

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Florida Gators lead Wolken’s Week 10 Misery Index after Arkansas upset

Florida started the season with five wins in seven games but now has back-to-back losses, including an overtime stunner at home to Arkansas.

The Florida Gators might have a winning record, but the pulse of the fanbase might not reflect that right now. At least, not according to USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken, who had Billy Napier’s squad atop his Week 10 Misery Index.

The Gators lost at home to Arkansas, a team that was on a six-game losing streak, in overtime after kicker Trey Smack pushed a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right in the closing seconds of regulation. It was the Razorbacks’ first-ever win in Gainesville.

Florida is now 5-4 on the season, but the Gators have lost back-to-back games. With a closing stretch of LSU, Missouri, and Florida State, three teams a combined 22-5 on the season, bowl eligibility no longer seems assured for a team that started 5-2.

Wolken touched on an anecdote from Napier’s days at Louisiana-Lafayette when he asked his players to donate $50 dollars to the athletic department, citing it as an example of how the newest Florida coach loves saying the right thing but insisting his execution always leaves something to be desired.

“What’s Florida’s identity? What are the Gators actually good at? And why is Napier clinging to his offensive play-calling duties when the offense hasn’t been very effective?” Wolken wrote.

When you compare the Gators to their biggest rivals like Georgia looking for a third consecutive national title or Florida State’s playoff aspirations, it’s easy to see why a winning record might not have a winning feeling in Gainesville.

Arkansas at Florida: Players To Watch on Saturday

Arkansas will try to snap its six-game losing streak Saturday in the Swamp.

Reeling from a six-game losing streak, Arkansas (2-6, 0-5 SEC) will have a new play-caller to replace the ousted Dan Enos, as wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton was elevated to offensive coordinator following the Hogs’ 7-3 Homecoming loss to Mississippi State on Oct. 21.

It will be the former Ohio State quarterback’s first shot at coordinating at the Division I level, but the team seems to have embraced the change over the recent bye week. After Guiton spent four seasons under former Arkansas OC Kendall Briles, it is likely that the offense will revert, and look similar to what it has the previous three seasons.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson will probably have more freedom to improvise at a faster tempo, and should get a boost by the probable return of All-SEC running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders to the backfield.

Florida (5-3, 3-2 SEC) has split its last four games and is coming off of a 43-20 loss to No. 1 Georgia, but has ridden the arm of junior quarterback Graham Mertz all season long.

Here are 11 players to watch in Saturday’s showdown in Gainesville:

Behind Enemy Lines with Gators Wire’s Adam Dubbin

We go Behind Enemy Lines with Gators Wire’s Adam Dubbin in preparation for Saturday’s 11 a.m. kickoff from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Arkansas and Florida haven’t met on the gridiron since the SEC-only COVID season of 2020 in Gainesville.

The Gators won that meeting 63-35, playing their former quarterback, Feleipe Franks, who had transferred to Arkansas following the 2019 season after sustaining an injury, and Kyle Trask had replaced him.

Florida comes into Saturday’s game with Arkansas smarting from a 43-20 defeat at the hands of two-time defending national champion Georgia in its annual rivalry game.

Arkansas, meanwhile, enjoyed a bye after losing six consecutive games following a 2-0 start.

The Razorbacks of course changed offensive coordinators after the 7-3 loss to Mississippi State its last time out, so this will be the first time fans will get to see Kenny Guiton at the controls of the offense.

We caught up with Adam Dubbin of Gators Wire this week to get his thoughts on Florida and the game.

Florida QB Graham Mertz named to Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2023

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz was named to the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2023 Tuesday. He’s now a quarterfinalist for the award.

Graham Mertz has exceeded the expectations of many as a Florida Gator this year, and he’s being recognized for his performance this season by the Davey O’Brien Award committee.

Mertz was named to the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2023 on Tuesday, a promotion from the Midseason Watch List he also made. The Class of 2023 includes approximately 35 players that will remain in the running for the award of the same name.

The O’Brien Award calls this the quarterfinal round of voting. Semifinalists will be announced on Tuesday, November 14.

Mertz could make it through to the next round with a strong finish to the season. Through eight games and nine weeks, Mertz ranks first in the SEC in completions (195) and completion percentage (75.88), third in attempts (257), fourth in passing yards (2,127) and touchdowns (14) and sixth in quarterback rating (161.81). He’s also tied for the fewest interceptions (2) with Texas A&M’s Conor Weigman.

If Mertz can lead the Gators over LSU, Missouri and/or Florida State, he could get the nod from the O’Brien Award committee at least one more time.

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Pair of Gators make ESPN’s midseason CFB newcomers re-rank

ESPN is updating its rankings of the top 50 freshmen and transfers in college football this season, and two Gators are now on the list.

Just ahead of the 2023 college football season, ESPN put together a list of the top 50 transfers and freshmen in college football, ranking the best “newcomers” in the sport before any of them played a down with their new squads.

Now that everyone has settled into their new digs, ESPN Staff Writer Tom VanHaaren is revisiting the list, and there are two Gators on the latest re-rank.

Safety Jordan Castell, who has been a starter from Day 1, is in the No. 46 spot and quarterback Graham Mertz, who transferred from Wisconsin, is No. 47 on the list. Both were unranked on the list in the preseason

Castell was the No. 139 overall recruit on the ESPN 300 and looks like the future leader of the secondary. He’s one of four Division I freshmen safeties with a defensive rating above 70.0 and is the second-best pass-rushing safety in his class so far, according to PFF.

“Castell was an important addition to Florida’s 2023 recruiting class as the staff was looking for help on defense,” VanHaaren wrote. “Castell was the No. 10 safety in the class. He has played in all seven games this season, starting six and is second on the team in total tackles with 32. He has 1.5 tackles for a loss and a pass breakup in his first season for the Gators.”

Mertz joined the team via the transfer portal over the offseason, and even the most hardcore Gators fans found it hard to believe that he would be among the conference’s best signal callers. But eight weeks into the season, Mertz is on pace for a career year and seems like the most reliable piece of the offense.

“Mertz has improved his numbers, completing 76.2% of his passes, good for No. 3 among all FBS quarterbacks, and has 1,897 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the more impressive stats for Mertz is that he leads all quarterbacks in off-target percentage with just 4.6% of his attempts off-target. At this point in the season last year, Mertz completed 63.5% of his passes and had thrown for 1,427 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.”

There is one Gator who made the preseason list but is no longer on it. Wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson III rounded out the top 50 coming into 2023, but missing a few games to injury seems to have overshadowed a strong start to his career.

When healthy, Wilson is one of Mertz’s favorite (and most reliable) targets. If there is an end-of-the-year update to these rankings, Wilson could find a way back on.

Also worth mentioning is former Florida defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland at the No. 22 spot on the list. He transferred to Virginia Tech over the offseason and has thrived so far as a Hokie. He has seven sacks and 25 pressure so far this season.

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‘Fundamentals’ main target of improvement for Florida during bye week

The Florida Gators are gearing up to face the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, team says they focused on fundamentals during the bye week.

The Florida Gators are returning to full force this week as they prepare to face their biggest challenge of the season, the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.

Head coach Billy Napier and Co. were studying up during the bye week and working out some extra aspects of their game. The second-year head coach said the topic of the week was Florida’s fundamentals.

“I thought huge emphasis on the fundamentals last week,” Napier said. “I thought we got good quality work, including Thursday, I thought it was a really good workday. Then, I just think in general we played seven games. There’s not only a physical break here but there’s a mental break as well.”

Junior quarterback Graham Mertz agreed with the sentiment and even took time to get a few one-on-one throwing sessions with senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.

“Anytime you get to this point in the season,” Mertz said. “You’ve got to really dive back into the fundamentals of what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, because you can lose that in the season, because it’s just constantly going. On my end, footwork, timing, understanding the holistic approach of playing quarterback. Everybody kind of dove into that in their position room.”

Pearsall said his main focus was getting rest and relaxation. The senior took time to get some extra sleep and did his best to take care of his body, all while spending his free time in the film room.

The Mertz-to-Pearsall connection has been a highlight for the Gators’ offense, creating 619 yards in the air and averaging over 14 yards a catch. Pearsall is averaging 88 yards a game in 2023.

Mertz, on the other hand, is proving he can be more than a dink-and-dunk quarterback and had a career performance against the Gamecocks, completing 30 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns.

If the fundamentals improved over the BYE and the kinks are out of Graham Mertz’s system, who knows what kind of damage the Gators can do on Saturday in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

The Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs are set to kickoff in Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The matchup will be broadcast on CBS Sports.

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