Tag: Jack Miller

CBS Sports ranks Florida’s Graham Mertz, other transfer quarterbacks

Mertz is among the transfer portal QBs looking to build their stock at their new school.

The NCAA transfer portal has become a de facto form of free agency for college sports in recent years, rapidly changing the landscape when it comes to the big three sports in particular. Football might be the most affected by the evolution of the game as demonstrated in recent years by the shuffling of big-name talent from season to season — particularly at the quarterback position.

CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah recently took a look at how the transfer portal quarterback class grades out heading into the 2023 season, ordering each cohort into tiers tied to their expectations. Here is what Jeyarajah had to offer on Florida’s [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], who is listed in the fourth and final tier of players who are looking to take the next step.

Mertz was touted as the most exciting quarterback recruit in Wisconsin history but was never able to put things together in four years with the Badgers. Now, he gets a fresh start under [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] at Florida.

The Gators are looking for answers at quarterback after [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] opted to leave for the draft after just one season as a starter. Mertz will have to win the starting job over former transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag], but two of the top three receivers and top tight end are both back to ease the transition.

Billy Napier’s program is in desperate need of a reliable signal-caller under center and it is yet to be determined if Mertz is capable of living up to the lofty expectations the Gator Nation holds on its starting quarterback. While it is still possible to bolster the QB room through the portal, it seems very unlikely at this point.

Hopefully, Mertz can answer the call and lead the Gators back to glory in 2023.

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CBS Sports’ one burning question heading into Florida’s spring game

Is Graham Mertz the guy who can lead the Gators to success next season?

Florida football’s annual spring Orange and Blue game is a little over two weeks away and following a second-straight losing season, this year’s Gators squad has no shortage of questions heading into the intrasquad matchup. Now that Billy Napier has more than a full year under his belt at the head of the program, however, things should be becoming a bit more clear.

Unfortunately, the Orange and Blue are dealing with a troublesome issue under center. With [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] now departed for the NFL draft and the [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] saga leaving the Gators empty-handed in the 2023 recruiting class, the biggest question for the team remains at the most important position on the field: quarterback.

CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee recently surveyed the Southeastern Conference for each member school’s most pressing issue heading into April, including the question of whether transfer QB [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] is the guy to lead Florida to its first winning record in three seasons or not. Here is Sallee’s take on the topic.

Is Graham Mertz the guy? Anthony Richardson chose to leave for the NFL after one year as the Gators’ starter, and coach Billy Napier hit the transfer portal and lured Graham Mertz way from Wisconsin. Mertz signed with the Badgers with a lot of hype coming out of high school but failed to live up to expectations in Madison. If Mertz does take over as QB1, how will the offense change? Richardson was a monster on the ground, but Mertz doesn’t have that weapon in his arsenal. [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] is hot on Mertz’s heels this spring, but Napier has another transfer portal window that opens on May 1 to go shopping if he so chooses.

Florida’s annual Orange and Blue game is scheduled for Thursday, April 13, with a 7:30 p.m. EDT kickoff time inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.

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Florida has one of college football’s 12 most lethal rosters in 2023

Florida has a ton of talent on its roster heading into the 2023 season, but that doesn’t guarantee success.

The Florida Gators finished tied for 12th in 247Sports’ recent list of the most lethal rosters heading into the 2023 season.

247Sports’ Brad Crawford used the site’s team composite ranking to rank the teams. He took the average position of the team’s finish over the past five years and Florida finished with a 12.4 average, the same as Michigan.

Florida finished 14th in the country during the most recent cycle. Losing five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada hurt a class that had a chance to break the top 10. Florida’s first class under Billy Napier in 2022 ranked No. 18 overall, and Dan Mullen brought in the No. 12 class in 2021 and the No. 9 class in 2019 and 2020.

“When Florida is winning national titles, the Gators are one of the nation’s elite recruiting teams,” Crawford wrote. “And while this program has a top-12 roster based on talent heading into coach Billy Napier’s second season, there are certainly depth concerns that the coaching staff must contend with following a disappointing 6-7 finish under the new regime.”

The problem with using this metric to rank teams is that transfers come and go, and the bulk of the Mullen classes has moved on from the program in one way or another. The class of 2020 features some team leaders, such as receiver [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag], but much of the class has transferred out or declared for the upcoming draft.

Florida also added a ton of transfer over the past two offseasons. Quarterbacks [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag], running backs [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Cameron Carroll[/autotag], receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag], offensive linemen [autotag]Damieon George[/autotag], [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] and Micah Mazzccua, defensive linemen [autotag]Caleb Banks[/autotag] and [autotag]CamRon Jackson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag]  and cornerback [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] could all play significant roles for the team next season.

Florida could end up playing like a top-12 in the country by the season’s end, especially if the transfers help make up for the talent lost over the past few years, but it’s unwise to think of the Gators as a top-12 program in terms of actual talent heading into the season.

There’s been too much turnover in the program over the past couple of years for this metric to work for the Gators. A team like Michigan has a much better chance of living up to the expectations created by this list.

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Napier speaks about bringing in transfer QB Graham Mertz

24 different quarterbacks were under consideration before Florida landed on Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz.

Billy Napier has done a great job of bringing in talent over the last two cycles to shape the Gators’ roster in his image and he has been able to do that at almost every position. Except for Napier’s one Achilles heel, which has been the quarterback position. But when you break it down, it really isn’t his fault.

Napier was given a gift from [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] when he inherited [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] as his starting quarterback. However, since the end of the 2022 season, the Gators’ quarterback room has been a revolving door of players exiting and entering for different reasons. Richardson declared for the NFL draft, [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] was arrested and dismissed from the program, former 2023 commit Marcus Stokes has his offer revoked after a video of him using a racial slur emerged, and everyone is familiar with the [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] saga that ended with Rashada enrolling at Arizona State.

Needless to say, Napier has been dealt bad hand after bad hand with his quarterback room.

That brings us to Wisconsin transfer quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag]. When speaking about the process that led to bringing Mertz to Gainesville, Napier said that the program evaluated 24 different quarterbacks. The Rashada situation seems to have been independent of bringing in a signal caller from the transfer portal, as Rashada would have given the Gators four scholarship quarterbacks. That number is consistent with other FBS programs’ quarterback rooms.

The Orange and Blue are now left with just three scholarship quarterbacks, two of which arrived in Gainesville via the transfer portal. While Gator Nation waits for [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] to arrive on campus in 2024, Napier will have to bring in another transfer, just to have enough depth to feel comfortable throughout the season. Napier even said as much, mentioning that the Gators would look for another signal caller when the portal opens up again in May.

Regardless of who Florida decides to bring in, the starting job for 2023 is expected to be a two-man race between Mertz and former Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag]. Miller was the starter in Florida’s 30-3 loss to Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

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Florida drops outside top 10 in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings

After the departure of Jaden Rashada, the Florida Gators have dropped outside the top ten in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings.

The Florida Gators have dropped outside of the top 10 in ESPN’s ranking of 2023 recruiting classes. The Orange and Blue’s incoming class rank went from No. 9 to No. 11, largely due to [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s departure from Florida’s class.

The Gators had been hovering around the top 10 of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. This was a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation, pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

The Gators were able to sign most of their 2023 commits during the early signing period in December. After the Rashada situation, Florida’s quarterback situation started to look murky, with [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] the lone scholarship quarterback from 2022 to remain on the roster. The arrival of [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] from Wisconsin creates some competition for the starting role.

Here is what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about including the Gators in his latest 2023 class ranking:

Billy Napier has taken advantage of in-state talent with several Sunshine State pickups, assembling a strong secondary from that pool. The Gators have added several ESPN 300 DBs, including CBs [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who has good feet and brings a tough, scrappy demeanor. [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag], who stayed on even after committing to the previous staff, projects to defensive back and can be a versatile player with his quickness and ball skills. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], listed as an athlete, projects to WR and is a player who tests very well, which will translate to his play on the field. Adding more potential firepower to their passing attack is [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], a lengthy target with big-play speed. [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is a nice addition to the trenches, as he has been a multiyear starter at IMG Academy and should come in ready to compete for playing time. The Gators also flipped ESPN 300 OG [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a powerful and flexible big man who could work his way into the two-deep quickly, from Florida State. It is hard to win the SEC without being strong along the defensive front, and Collins leads a talented group of defensive linemen. Napier showed what he can do with a full cycle to work assembling one of the top classes in the country, but a late split with ESPN 300 QB Jaden Rashada still leaves a need under center.

The official national signing day is scheduled for Feb. 1, with most of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Gators’ 2023 quarterback status one of biggest stories to follow

The Gators are not alone in their QB issues but things might be worse in Gainesville than elsewhere.

Things have been rough for the Florida football program of late, especially at the most important position on the field: quarterback. With [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] departing to the NFL draft along with the drama that has followed a pair of Gators commits, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. cannot be feeling too confident right now.

However, the Orange and Blue are not the only program undergoing turmoil with their signal-caller corps as they join four other schools in Sports Illustrated writer Richard Johnson’s list of top undetermined QB situations heading into 2023. Here is what he has to offer on Florida, which will come across as rather obvious.

There may not be a more unclear quarterback situation in the country than what Anthony Richardson leaves behind at Florida. As the [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] saga continues behind the scenes, the Gators have Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and bowl game starter [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] on the depth chart. That’s a relatively bare cupboard unless Florida plans to hit on someone in the spring transfer portal cycle.

Not only have the Gators faced the above-mentioned attrition under center, but they also lost [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] after he was charged with possession of child pornography as well as [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag], who was dismissed from the program after a video of him using a racial slur surfaced on social media. Suffice it to say, it has not been a great few months in Gainesville.

Florida fans will get their first chance to assess the quarterback situation for themselves if and when the Gators play in their annual Orange and Blue game, for which a date and time has yet to be set.

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Florida releases Week 6 depth chart, Trey Dean returns from injury

The Florida Gators have released their depth chart for their Week 6 game against the Missouri Tigers, with multiple players showing improvement with their injury status.

The Florida Gators have released their depth chart for their Week 6 game against the Missouri Tigers.

Notable changes from last week include the return of safety [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag] III from his lower-body injury and quarterback [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag]’s upgrade from out to questionable. Dean is listed as a starter and Miller, according to On3’s Nick de la Torre, was a limited participant in practice for the first time this season.

Miller’s inaction was due to a thumb injury he suffered in the preseason. Because of his absence, the backup quarterback position has been up in the air, with [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] being the team’s unquestioned starter.

Last week, redshirt freshman quarterback Jalen Kitna was thrown into the game for a few plays after Richardson came out of the game to get his ankle looked at. After showing promise with the starter sidelined for a few plays, Kitna was given the nod to play most of the second half, after the Gators’ victory was secured. He went 8 of 12 with 152 passing yards and a beautiful 62-yard TD throw to freshman wide receiver [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag].

Notably, [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] is listed as the starting linebacker and not on the injury report. Miller has been dealing with an injury all season, with ESPN’s broadcasters saying the injury was a fractured bone in his foot. This is a good sign for the Gators, as Miller’s presence is vital to the success of the defense.

The Gators will take on the Missouri Tigers in their annual homecoming game on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for noon EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

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Report: Florida QB Jalen Kitna out following ‘small procedure’

One of Florida’s quarterbacks is dealing with an injury, but Billy Napier is describing it as a minor setback.

The Gators will be without third-string quarterback [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] for an indefinite amount of time, according to [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s comments to reporters on Tuesday. Swamp247 got an update from the first-year head coach, and the damage, fortunately, sounds minor.

“I would say Kitna is the player that I probably saw the most growth in from spring practice,” Kitna said. “Just to see him take another step fundamentally, I thought he’s throwing the ball much more consistently, much more accurate, better grasp. You know, he had a little bit of a setback injury-wise. We anticipate getting him back. He had a small procedure just yesterday.”

Whatever Kitna is dealing with, he won’t be rushed back to practice. [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] is the team’s clear starter and Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] has a fairly firm hold on the backup spot for now.

During the spring game, Kitna saw limited action and attempted just three passes, one of which was intercepted. Still, he emerged as a clear No. 3 with [autotag]Carlos Del Rio-Wilson[/autotag]’s transfer. Freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag], a three-star recruit in the 2022 cycle, and walk-on [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] are also in the position room for Florida.

There’s no timeline for Kitna’s return, but Napier’s comments make it sound like he could be healthy for some portion of the season if necessary.

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Michigan football adds two alums to radio gameday broadcast team

This is awesome! #GoBlue

The Michigan football broadcast team on the radio is being fully revamped, with Jim Brandstatter and Dan Dierdorf having retired after the 2021 season.

No longer on the sidelines, Doug Karsch and Jon Jansen move up to the broadcast booth, taking over play-by-play and color commentary duties, respectively. But, with them upstairs, who will take their role down on the field?

Former Michigan center Jack Miller will now join Brian Boesch in Karsch’s pregame, halftime, and postgame role, while former Michigan receiver Jason Avant returns to his alma mater to be the in-game sideline reporter.

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Full release:

LEARFIELD and the University of Michigan Athletic Department announced on Wednesday (August 10) that two former Wolverines, wide receiver Jason Avant (2002-05) and center Jack Miller (2011-14), will join the 2022 Michigan Football broadcast team as sideline announcer and pre-, half- and postgame analyst, respectively.

The duo will join play-by-play announcer Doug Karsch and analyst Jon Jansen to form the broadcast team that will bring fans the 2022 Michigan Football season. Brian Boesch will host the pregame and postgame shows.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Avant ranks among Michigan’s greatest all-time receivers. He is fourth in program history with 169 career receptions and 10th with 2,247 career receiving yards. He registered at least one reception in 35 straight games, the third longest streak in U-M history. Avant was selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft (109th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles and played 11 NFL seasons.

Following his playing career, Avant found success in the business world before turning his sights to coaching. He was part of the Eagles’ staff in 2020 through the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship. Avant has recently held television and radio roles with NBC Sports Philadelphia and 97.5 the Fanatic as part of Eagles’ game day broadcasts.

Miller anchored the U-M offensive line while appearing in 22 games with 16 starts at center. In his senior year, the Perrysburg, Ohio, native won the Hugh H. Rader Award given to the top Michigan offensive lineman. Miller works at Hylant Insurance Group, previously as a client executive and now as the Detroit Market President.

He has been in the broadcast booth as part of the University of Toledo’s Football radio broadcast for three seasons (2019-21) and has also held a role as part of Buckeye CableSystem television broadcasts in Ohio.

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Here’s where Florida football stands in ESPN’s top 25 Future Power Rankings

You’re probably not going to like where ESPN ranks the Gators. We certainly didn’t.

Florida’s football program reached stratospheric heights during the first decade of the 21st century under head coach [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag], but since his departure, the team has taken a massive U-turn back into a level of mediocrity not seen since before [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag]’s tenure. Exacerbating the issue is the coaching carousel that the Orange and Blue experienced in recent years, having burned through three new skippers before bringing on [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] to right the ship.

There is little question that the new administration has a steep hill to climb to get the Gators back to their previous level of success. Even though [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s tenure saw three straight New Year’s Six bowl game appearances, it still came to a tumultuous close as the program imploded upon itself due to neglect, leaving things in shambles for the next coach to clean up.

With that in mind, ESPN senior writer Adam Rittenberg recently published his college football’s top 25 future power rankings and where he placed Florida may rustle a few jimmies among the Gator Nation. Take a look at his entry below.

22. Florida Gators
2022 Future QB ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future offense ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future defense ranking: 21
2021 Future team ranking: 8

Scouting the Gators: Florida is the type of program that could surge in these rankings as soon as 2023. There’s always talent in Gainesville, and coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] looks like a smart hire for a program that hasn’t made the CFP and last won the SEC in 2008, the Gators’ most recent national championship. But an unexpected transition — no one pegged [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] to be fired at this time last year — could lead to a down year or two, especially in the improving SEC East Division. The biggest immediate question is the offense and whether dual-threat quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] will provide a consistent spark. Richardson must show greater accuracy and fewer mistakes in the pass game, but he has sophomore eligibility and room to grow under Napier.

Florida also received some QB insurance in Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag]. Running back could become a multiyear strength. [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] followed Napier from Louisiana to Florida after a 12-touchdown season as a freshman in 2021. Johnson leads a sophomore group that includes [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright [/autotag]and [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag]. Florida also added ESPN 300 recruit [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag]. Junior [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] leads a young wide receiver group with opportunities to shine. The Gators need sophomores [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] and [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] to stay healthy, or someone else to emerge. They return two veteran tight ends in [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] and [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] but need options for 2023 and 2024. Offensive line has some concerns, especially depth at tackle, but returns junior center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] and some other interior pieces. Florida has a 2023 commitment from [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated center in the class.

The defense has fewer immediate questions. Florida returns proven players such as safety [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag], end [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. and tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag]. Both Cox and Dexter could play multiple seasons and lead a line that needs others to emerge this fall, including sophomore end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag]. Florida could become a back-to-front defense in Napier’s first few seasons, as the secondary returns Dean and sophomores [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at safety, and talented young cornerbacks such as [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., an ESPN top-50 recruit who appeared in every game as a true freshman. [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated safety and No. 18 overall recruit, headlined Napier’s first class. Seniors [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] lead a linebacker group that will look to build long-term depth this season. [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] has sophomore eligibility, and Florida added ESPN 300 linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] in the 2022 recruiting class.

Despite just making the top 25 list by a few spots, the future is beginning to look bright again in Gainesville. Napier and Co. have done a great job on the recruiting front so far, and once the new regime has its plans for the future fully implemented, the Swamp should once again be a favorable destination for the best in the business.

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