Tag: Jack Miller III

Florida reserve QB graduates, no longer with team

After spending two seasons with the Florida football program, quarterback Jack Miller III has graduated and is no longer with the team.

Florida quarterback [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] won’t be a part of the Gators roster in 2024 after graduating and calling it a career, according to a report from Graham Hall of Swamp247.

Miller spent the first two years of his college career with the Ohio State Buckeyes behind future NFL quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields. He ran for a touchdown during his freshman year but did not attempt a pass. As a redshirt freshman, Miller played in the second half of four blowout wins for OSU.

He then transferred to Florida, where another future pro — Anthony Richardson — had the starting job. Miller missed the entire regular season with a thumb injury, but he made the only start of his career at the end of 2022 in the Las Vegas Bowl. He recorded a career-high 13 completions and 180 yards on 22 attempts.

Miller fell deeper down the depth chart in 2023. Graham Mertz transferred in to take over the starting job and Max Brown beat out Miller for the backup spot. He made no appearances as a result.

With Mertz returning for another season and five-star talent DJ Lagway enrolled, the path to playing time for Miller is almost non-existent at Florida. Rather than transfer as a graduate — he got his bachelor’s degree in education science in the fall — Miller will end his football career as a Gator.

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2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Quarterbacks

After losing Anthony Richardson to the NFL, Florida turns to Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz in 2023 at quarterback.

The 2023 college football season is almost here, and the Florida Gators depth chart is beginning to take shape as an Aug. 31 matchup with Utah looms. Kicking off our preseason positional coverage here at Gators Wire are the quarterbacks.

Following the departure of Anthony Richardson to the NFL, Florida was left with Jack Miller III and Max Brown at quarterback, so Billy Napier turned to the transfer portal to bring in former Wisconsin signal caller Graham Mertz.

Officially named the starting quarterback halfway through fall camp, Mertz is looking to be the next Gator great under center. He even has the No. 15 jersey to follow in the footsteps of Tim Tebow and Richardson.

Miller and Brown will compete for backup reps, which are bound to come in blowout situations, and there are a few walk-ons to cover as well. Here’s a look at every quarterback on the 2023 Florida football roster.

Billy Napier closing in on starting quarterback decision

Maybe we’ll know on Friday or possibly Thursday? A decision is imminent no matter what.

Florida football’s 2023 campaign is right around the corner and with the clock ticking on the impending season, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. have yet to make a decision on the most important position on the field: starting quarterback.

On Monday during his press conference, the second-year skipper was asked if a decision would be made by the end of the week — notably important because the team is scheduled to hold its first scrimmage ahead of the season on Thursday.

“Yeah, we’ve got three practices here. We’re reloading today, and then we’ll be prepping for the scrimmage. That’ll have a lot to do with it,” Napier answered. “But we’ve seen the body of work and it’s all going to matter. We’re right in the middle of that process and we do have competition. We’re looking forward to watching those guys for the next couple days.”

So far, it appears that Wisconsin Badgers transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] has the inside track for the starting role, but former Ohio State Buckeyes gunslinger [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] has also made his mark. Plus, Max Brown, who was a three-star talent in the 2022 cycle, is also in the mix but not likely to win out.

However, Mertz is most likely the front-runner, especially considering his pedigree coming out of the Big Ten as well as being the lone quarterback among the 16 captains named for regimen workouts. Napier will meet with the press again on Friday, and hopefully, have an answer for the fans and media then.

The Gators opened camp Sunday, July 30, and the team held its first practice of the 2023 season on Monday, July 31. Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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Billy Napier still deciding who will start at QB for Florida

Florida hasn’t named a starting quarterback for the 2023 season just yet, but Billy Napier should pick between Graham Mertz and Jack Miller soon.

Billy Napier didn’t have to struggle in Year 1 at Florida when it came to making a decision at quarterback, but 2023 is a different story.

Forty-two days from a season opener on the road against Utah, Napier has yet to name his starter, according to The Athletic. The options are Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz, a redshirt junior; Jack Miller III, a redshirt sophomore that transferred from Ohio State in 2022; and Max Brown, a redshirt freshman that did not play last season.

Bringing in Mertz led many to believe he’ll be the guy for Florida this year, but Napier is not committing to the former Badger yet. That’s not to say Napier is holding back praise when it comes to Mertz, though.

“I’ve been very impressed with Graham,” Napier said. “Graham’s a 32-start player, he’s played over 2,000 snaps at a really established program at Wisconsin. We went through an extensive process to make that decision. I think Graham’s an accomplished player, but more importantly, I’ve been impressed with the person, the leader. He has an incredible motor and work ethic …”

But Miller has stepped up in the offseason and will get a chance to compete for the starting job through fall camp.

“It has caused Jack to respond. Jack’s had an incredible offseason, and he’s in position for a great camp. And we’ve been really pleased with the young player, Max Brown.”

At a certain point, Napier will have to decide between the two, but the situation remains in the air for now. Whoever it is will have to fill the shoes of Anthony Richardson, who went fourth in the NFL draft despite lackluster numbers as a Gator.

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How concerning is Florida’s QB situation?

Florida just had a quarterback go in first four picks of the NFL draft. So where does that leave them heading into the 2023 season?

The Florida Gators must replace a quarterback who was just picked fourth overall in the NFL draft, and the options right now are Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz and Jack Miller III.

Neither wowed fans during the spring game, and ESPN has both Mertz and Miller in the 5A tier, which is defined as players with a high ceiling and a low floor. Other players in the group include Texas A&M‘s QB corps, Texas‘ Quinn Ewers, UCLA freshman Dante Moore and former Florida commit Nick Evers, who is with Oklahoma, among others.

Some of those names could end up being great, but Florida is far from having an Anthony Richardson type under center in 2023. Mertz is expected to win the job if Billy Napier doesn’t add anyone else to the team — and it looks like he won’t.

“Against top-40 defenses last season (by defensive efficiency), Mertz completed 54% of his throws, averaged 6 yards-per-pass, threw five TDs to seven picks and had a 49.1 Total QBR,” ESPN staff writer David Hale wrote. “Wisconsin finished 0-5 in those games.”

Losing Richardson after just 13 starts undoubtedly hurt Florida, but no one is turning down that kind of money. Florida could be in a better position heading into the 2023 season under center, but there is just as much opportunity for Mertz and Miller to boom as there is to bust.

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Twitter Reactions: Low-scoring Orange and Blue Game draws mixed reviews

It was a low-scoring affair in Gainesville on Thursday as Team Orange took down Team Blue in the Gators’ spring game. Here’s how social media reacted throughout the night.

Florida’s 2023 Orange and Blue game didn’t generate a ton of confidence in the new-look offense, especially at quarterback, as the game was decided on a 46-yard field goal from [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] with no time left on the clock. Team Orange won, 10-7.

The spring game is always an interesting night for any college football team. Expectations are set for the coming season, but most fans know that what’s seen in April is rarely what you get in September.

All eyes were on Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], who is considered the favorite to start at quarterback over [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag], but neither signal-caller shined early. Both found a receiver for a score in the second quarter, but Mertz won the night finishing 18-29 for 244 yards over Miller’s 10 of 20 for 141 yards.

Billy Napier praised his defense in an attempt to make a rather boring exhibition appear more fruitful than it was.

“A lot of young players getting an opportunity to play,” Napier said when asked of his thoughts on the game during the fourth quarter. “New players, alright? Overall, the defense made it a lot harder. You certainly have to be pleased with that given where we’re at as a team. Unbelievable experience for this group. Great film to teach and learn from.”

It wasn’t the greatest or most inspiring spring game any team has ever put together, but Florida has the pieces to build a better team than it had a year ago. Losing [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] hurt, but the defense has taken a step forward, and the running game should still be strong even if it wasn’t on full display tonight.

Here’s how fans and experts reacted throughout the night.

Florida’s offensive line a key focus for ESPN heading into 2023

Florida’s offensive line was a major reason the team wasn’t a complete disaster in 2022, and now the Gators have to replace four starters in the trenches.

Florida’s offensive line was among the best in the SEC and college football a season ago. Unfortunately, the Gators are replacing four starters on the offensive line after losing a pair of seniors to the NFL draft and two more to Southern California via the transfer portal.

UF will have center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] returning, but gone are left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag], left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag], right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] and right tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag]. Replacing those four is the top storyline of Florida’s spring, according to ESPN’s Chris Low and Hary Lyles Jr., who dove into each SEC program at the start of spring ball.

The Gators brought in three transfers on the offensive line over the offseason. Alabama‘s [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. and former five-star Kentucky signee [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] should get a shot to play tackle for Florida along with a returning [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag], and Baylor transfers [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] should step immediately into one of the vacant starting guard spots.

While it is almost a complete turnover in the trenches, Florida fans should still feel confident, according to Low and Lyles.

“The Gator faithful should feel confident in the abilities of offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] to get this group together, given their track record with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s great offensive lines at Louisiana, which produced multiple NFL draft picks,” the ESPN story read.

Low and Lyles also pointed a newcomer on the team to watch and chose to pick a player that will be behind the offensive line transfers mentioned above. Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] will be competing with [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] for the starting quarterback job, and his experience in the Big Ten might give him the upper leg. Both he and the offensive line need to excel for Florida to have a bounce-back year.

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Florida announces kickoff time Orange and Blue Game

Fans knew that the Orange and Blue Game would be played on Thursday, April 13, but now the team has announced a kickoff time for the spring game.

Florida will play its annual Orange and Blue Game at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 13, according to an announcement from the team.

Fans already knew that the Gators would be playing their spring game on a Thursday for the second year in a row, but the kickoff time is new information. The program is slowly trickling out details about the game as spring approaches.

Next up, UF will release streaming information for the game. The announcement does say that the game will be streamed on an ESPN platform, which means a subscription could be necessary to watch the game remotely.

Attending the game in person won’t cost fans any money, though, and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium has enough seats to house anyone who wants to come. The 2022 game was the first that was open to the public in three years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The game serves as a good look at the roster for the upcoming season, but it is also a big recruiting night. Napier moving the game to a weeknight puts Florida in a position where there’s less competition for recruits since most schools play on Saturdays.

The big focus will be on Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] as they square off to compete for the starting quarterback job in 2023.

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Gators add former UConn quarterback as preferred walk-on

Florida found another quarterback to add to the roster before spring camp begins. Welcome to the Swamp, Micah Leon!

Florida is adding former Connecticut and NC State quarterback [autotag]Micah Leon[/autotag] to the roster as a preferred walk-on, according to All Gators’ Zach Goodall.

Leon most recently played for the Connecticut Huskies from 2019-2021 before entering the transfer portal for a second time. He started his college career at North Carolina State as a walk-on but transferred from there after redshirting in 2017 and riding the bench in 2018.

He never ended up getting much playing time at UConn despite coming in on scholarship. Leon made just one appearance for the Huskies in 2021, but he did complete 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 62 yards.

In high school, Leon spent time with American Heritage Del Ray Stallions during an FHSAA 3A state championship run. He transferred to Boca Raton High to serve as a captain for the Bobcats his senior year and finished the season with 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air while adding 555 yards and another 11 touchdowns on the ground.

This will be his final season of eligibility, which could give him a leg up on UF’s other walk-on quarterbacks, freshmen [autotag]Parker Leise[/autotag] (IMG Academy) and [autotag]Jordan Gile[/autotag] (Chattanooga Christian School). Leise is already on campus, and Gile is a commit.

Florida will have Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], former Ohio State quarterback [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] and redshirt freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] to handle the bulk of the snaps under center this year.

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The Athletic ponders each SEC team’s biggest spring practice question

The Athletic has published the biggest question for each SEC team ahead of spring practices.

For most college football teams, the spring semester is typically reserved for introspection and self-scouting. Every team’s deficiencies are different, and the off-season allows for early enrollees to join the team and begin to transition from high school to the college game. The Athletic has taken a look at all fourteen SEC programs and determined the biggest question that each team has going into the spring.

For the Orange and Blue, the list of things to improve upon seems to be just as long as it was last year ahead of [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s first season in charge. Since the end of the 2022 season, the Gators have had a lot of player turnover. This was to be expected as building the roster in Napeir’s image was bound to take a few seasons, at least.

Here is what The Athletic’s G. Allan Taylor had to say about what the Gators’ biggest question is this spring:

Can the defense find answers to solve a brutal three-year stretch?

In the final two seasons under coordinator [autotag]Todd Grantham[/autotag] and one under [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag], the Gators’ defense has ranked eighth or worse in the SEC in points and yardage allowed. Last season it plummeted to dead last in third-down stops. The response was importing two defensive line transfers and three more at linebacker. Watch to see how [autotag]Cam’Ron Jackson[/autotag] (Memphis) and [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag] (Ohio State) acclimate, along with the pecking order Toney establishes for three new starters at the safety spots.

You, the reader, would be forgiven if your immediate guess was the quarterback room. To be honest, that was my first thought before reading Taylor’s assessment of the defense. While the quarterback room has undergone a lot of change recently, Napier has said that they will be looking to add another player to the room, joining the competition between Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and Las Vegas Bowl starter [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] — the latter also a former Buckeyes transfer.

Defensively, the situation is not as clear. Toney was publicly questioned at times last season for the reasons Taylor outlined, but it’s not really fair to judge Toney for mistakes made by individual players, especially when Toney didn’t bring in most of the guys on the field last season.

The upcoming Orange and Blue spring game will be played on Thursday, April 13. We’ll have to wait until then to get our first look at how the new additions to the team have adjusted to Napier’s expectations.

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