Tag: Max Brown

The Athletic looks at Florida in its SEC quarterback carousel

Basically, there is plenty of headroom for improvement but expectations will nonetheless be high in 2024.

The quarterback is unquestionably the most important position in football. As such, it should come as no surprise that a team’s success hinges on the talents of their primary passer. For Florida, the position has been less-than-steady the past couple of seasons but the staff have worked hard to bolster a once-weak corps.

As of now, the Gators’ quarterback room is headlined by incumbent starter [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] followed by former five-star recruit [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] — the latter representing the future face of Florida. [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] have departed but the Orange and Blue also added [autotag]Clay Millen[/autotag] through the transfer portal to bolster the bunch.

The Athletic’s Manny Navarro recently broke down where all 16 Southeastern Conference QB rooms stand at the sport’s most important position. Basically, there is plenty of headroom for improvement but expectations will nonetheless be high in 2024.

“[autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s first two seasons in Gainesville have produced an 11-14 record, but don’t blame quarterback play for the Gators’ struggles” Navarro begins.

“[autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and Mertz, the 2023 Wisconsin transfer who replaced him, completed a league-best 72.9% of his passes and threw for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Mertz will begin the 2024 season as the most experienced starting quarterback in the SEC and will have the highest-ranked freshman quarterback in the league backing him up in Lagway.

As for the transfer portal addition, Navarro sees where he fits into the equation as well.

“Millen redshirted at Nevada in 2021 and then spent two seasons (with 11 starts) at Colorado State. He completed 72.2 percent of his attempts in 2022, which set a record for a freshman in the FBS. He makes up for the loss of Brown, who started the 2023 season finale against rival Florida State and transferred to Charlotte, as well as Miller, a 2020 four-star recruit who retired from football in January.”

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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Ohio State football offers 2027 Georgia quarterback

An extremely early offer out for the Buckeyes. #GoBucks

It’s never too early to offer a prospect and Ohio State football took that to heart on Tuesday morning.

The Buckeyes offered a scholarship to 2027 Georgia quarterback, [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag], as the 6-foot, 210-pound prospect now holds four offers at this extremely early point in his recruitment. The other current schools that have plugged the trigger are USF, Arkansas, and Auburn.

At this moment, there are no class rankings, so it’s hard to say where Brown ranks among his peers, but we do know one thing, he’s good enough to compete in Columbus for the job. It’s a long ways until his class signs, but Ohio State wanted to show its interest.

This is the fourth offer that Ohio State has sent out in the 2027 class, but don’t expect too many more in the near future as there is so much time for these players to progress before the land on a college campus.

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Former Florida backup QB finds new home, transferring to Charlotte 49ers

Florida Gators backup quarterback announces his transfer to the Charlotte 49ers

The transfer portal for the 2024 season is nearly filled to the brim with members of the Florida Gators, and one player has already found a new home.

Former Florida backup quarterback [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is committing to the Charlotte 49ers after spending one week in the portal. Brown made six total appearances for the Gators in 2023, but will be remembered for taking over the two weeks after starting QB Graham Mertz sustained an injury in his right collarbone while taking on Missouri.

Brown nearly helped the Gators pull a miracle comeback against Mizzou, but ended up falling short. Brown made his first career start against the Florida State Seminoles and almost led the Gators to a monumental upset win, but the offense didn’t really get rolling with Brown under center.

Brown posted his commitment to Charlotte on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a picture of him in full uniform while wielding a pick axe. The freshman transfer added a simple caption of, “Let’s work.”

Brown completed 67% of his passes this season while collecting just 192 yards. He never completed a pass for a touchdown, but did end up throwing an interception against Florida State.

Charlotte will likely have at least four quarterbacks to choose from next season, with Brown becoming an additional option. It’s not clear if he’ll be given the keys to the kingdom, but a QB battle will surely ensue.

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Freshman QB Max Brown transferring from Florida

After two years in Gainesville, quarterback Max Brown plans to enter his name into the transfer portal.

Redshirt freshman quarterback [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is transferring from the University of Florida, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Brown took over for an injured Graham Mertz, recording his first career start against Florida State. He threw for 192 yards on 19-of-28 passing over six games, adding 37 yards on 23 rushing attempts (including sacks).

Despite seeing limited playing time at Florida, Brown impressed in the little time he did see on the field. He showed off his accuracy in the first quarter against FSU, putting the ball right where it needed to be on more than one occasion.

With Mertz likely to return to Florida for another year and a five-star talent in DJ Lagway coming in this spring, it only makes sense for Brown to enter his name into the portal.

Brown also played for Florida’s baseball program as an outfielder, but Kevin O’Sullivan will not struggle to replace him. It is unclear whether Brown plans on continuing his two-sport path upon transferring, but that could play a factor in where he ends up.

Of course, Brown could end up withdrawing his name and staying at Florida. The Gators only have Mertz and Jack Miller on the scholarship roster, but Brown likely wants a shot at a starting job in Year 3 of his college career.

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What Florida’s Max Brown had to say following loss against FSU

Here’s what Max Brown had to say about the final game of the 2023 campaign for the Gators.

Florida football’s 2023 regular season came to an inglorious end on Saturday night, bungling its way to a 24-15 loss at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The defeat ended any chance of playing in a bowl game while dooming the program to its first three-straight sub-.500-season streak since the mid-1940s. On the flip side, the win for the ‘Noles kept their perfect season intact heading into the ACC Championship Game next weekend.

Following the bitter loss, quarterback [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] — who assumed the starting role when Graham Mertz was sidelined with a broken clavicle — spoke with the media about his first collegiate start. While the results were not what the Gator Nation had hoped for, perhaps it was something to build on.

Take a look below at an abridged question and answer with Brown from Saturday night’s media scrum.

Billy Napier talks QB Max Brown ahead of FSU matchup

Florida will turn to redshirt freshman Max Brown at quarterback on Saturday with Graham Mertz injured. Here’s what Billy Napier said about his QB.

After backing up Graham Mertz for most of the year, redshirt freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is now preparing to make his first career start when Florida hosts the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday.

Mertz fractured his collarbone during the Gators’ loss to Missouri, exiting midway through the third quarter. Brown checked in and completed four of five passes for 56 yards. A dual threat, Brown also did damage with his legs, totaling 42 yards on seven carries.

With a week to practice with the first team, Brown should look even more comfortable running things, even if it’s against a tough defense. So far, Billy Napier likes the way his new starting quarterback is adjusting.

“I think he’s benefiting from playing with the first team,” Napier said Wednesday during his weekly press conference. “He gets an opportunity to work with that group, all the reps. He typically is working with the second unit, so there’s some advantages there, and I think overall he’s accumulated quite a bit of reps.”

Mertz has stepped into a coaching role, helping guide Brown through the practice week. Napier admitted that it’s been fun to watch the team rally around Brown, adding that the redshirt freshman has earned a new level of respect with his play on Saturday.

“Everyone knows where he started day one, and they know where he’s at now as a player, and I think ultimately they respect that,” he said. “So, it helps that he was productive when he got in the game last week. I think that helps him mentally. But you know, there’ll be some butterflies. You know that’s coming, but Max, he’s done a great job so far this week.”

Florida’s offense should look a bit different with Brown under center. He’s a mobile quarterback, so there should be a designed run or two. The team knows it needs to elevate its play to make up for any miscues their young quarterback commits. But will it be enough to beat an FSU team ranked No. 4 in the land?

We’ll find out what Brown’s made of Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

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Postgame quotes from Florida’s backup QB following Missouri loss

Here is what redshirt freshman Max Brown had to say about his performance against Missouri in Week 12.

It was a cold autumn Saturday night in Columbia, Missouri, where Florida football — for the second time in three weeks — faltered down the stretch en route to another walk-off field goal loss.

This time, the No. 11 Missouri Tigers proved to be too much for Billy Napier and Co. on their home turf, prevailing 33-31 after an exciting back-and-forth affair for the two Southeastern Conference programs in what looks to be their last meeting for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, the Gators did not just lose the game but also their starting quarterback, Graham Mertz, who sustained a broken clavicle, giving way to redshirt freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag]. The backup had one major hiccup but otherwise kept Florida in the game until the very end.

After the dust settled at Faurot Field, Brown spoke with the media about the first major collegiate action of his young career. Below is a look at an abridged version of his responses to the press’ questions.

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.

EXCLUSIVE: 2025 four-star QB Austin Simmons talks Florida commitment

Pahokee quarterback Austin Simmons committed to the University of Florida on Tuesday, and Gators Wire caught up with him in the afternoon to talk about the decision.

Around 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Pahokee quarterback [autotag]Austin Simmons[/autotag] announced his commitment to the University of Florida.

Four and a half hours after making that announcement, Simmons stood on second base at Killian High School in Miami delivering a Gator chomp after scorching a double to center field for the True North Classical Academy Titans baseball team.

Gators Wire caught up with the class of 2025 two-sport athlete following a 5-3 Titans victory over the Killian Cougars to talk about what went into the decision to pick Florida with two years of high school eligibility left.

“It was the coaches, really, behind the football program,” Simmons said. “I went to UF a couple of times last month in March. I just had this one big spark. Between the coaches, the whole program and everyone behind the whole school of the University of Florida.”

Head coach Billy Napier and offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara have been the main points of contact in Simmons’ recruitment. O’Hara has been coaching quarterbacks for Napier since 2018, and Simmons thinks that he’ll be able to develop easily under him. The two hit off during his second visit to the swamp in March.

“Being in the meeting room with coach O’Hara, seeing how he coaches quarterbacks,” said Simmons, “with the approach he takes on different quarterbacks in the meeting room, I feel like he would be one of the quarterback coaches just for me.”

Being offered by Kevin O’Sullivan and the Florida baseball team also helped nudge Simmons closer to a decision.

“I could always just walk on as a baseball player and try and make the team,” he said. “But, yeah, having an offer from the baseball program as well, that’s another box checked off. Having that secure and locked down, having those two offers, that really made me choose Florida.”

Simmons trains with TBT training in Boca Raton, and one of his coaches there has Florida connections. Sully had heard about Simmons through the grapevine but didn’t realize he was the “lefty that throws 93 from TBT,” until Simmons was standing in front of him.”

During that Simmons’ most recent trip, he said that he had a chance to talk with [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] briefly. It was shortly ahead of Florida’s Pro Day and Richardson had somewhere to be, but he encouraged a then-uncommitted Simmons to consider UF, stating that it’s “the place to be.”

The Pahokee quarterback has also been in contact with current Florida quarterback [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] and 2024 commit [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag]. Brown is already with the baseball team after skipping his freshman year, and Lagway plans on being a two-sport athlete as well. Simmons’s second visit to the Swamp coincided with one of Lagway’s, which is when the two started to get to know each other well.

Simmons is doing some recruiting work of his own for Florida now that he’s locked in a commitment to the Gators. Five-star wide receiver [autotag]Jeremiah Smith[/autotag], who also plays in the South Florid area, took note of the commitment on Twitter, and Simmons says he’s trying to get him to join him at UF.

“We go way back,” Simmons said of his relationship with Smith. “Just trying to get him to come to Florida. That would be a really good deal right there. I’m just trying to get him to come to Florida.”

Simmons added that he thinks Smith is open to the idea and will come around eventually but that it’s his choice in the end.

Then there’s the reclassification question. Although he’s technically a sophomore, Simmons is done with high school and boasts a 5.34 GPA thanks to his college-credit courses. He says he and his family are still figuring things out, and that there’s no news on him reclassifying as a 2024 or 2023 yet.

For those wondering how that’s even possible, Simmons is home-schooled, which allows him not only to play football in Pahokee and baseball Miami but also lets him take courses at an accelerated pace.

“Everyone keeps asking me how I have over a 5.0 in my GPA,” he said. “It’s just college credits, really. It all combines up to it.”

If sports don’t work out in the long run (which seems unlikely), Simmons says he wants to major in sports medicine and a minor in business for a future in physical therapy.

Simmons is a consensus four-star recruit that has yet to receive a grade from ESPN. The 247Sports composite has him ranked No. 56 overall nationally and No. 6 among quarterbacks in the class of 2025. The On3 industry ranking is slightly less bullish on him at No. 96 nationally and No. 9 at his position.

Perfect Game ranks Simmons as the 120th-best player in the state of Florida in his class and the No. 10 left-handed pitcher. He hasn’t been clocked by the service since last year, though, when he was throwing 87 mph. If that 92-93 mph reading is accurate, Simmons should jump considerably over the next year.

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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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