Florida football brought Wisconsin Badgers transfer quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] to Gainesville for the 2023 campaign after losing its star signal-caller, Anthony Richardson, to the NFL draft. The decision was a solid one for the redshirt junior as he was among the nation’s best in pass completion percentage, though he did leave a lot to be desired on downfield plays.
Mertz’s season ended abruptly against the Missouri Tigers with a broken collarbone that shelved him for the following game against the Florida State Seminoles. Still, he managed to complete 261 of his 358 pass attempts (72.9%), tossing 20 touchdowns against three interceptions with an average of 263.9 passing yards over 11 starts.
He is returning for his final season of eligibility in 2024 when he will be the program’s incumbent starter.