Florida quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] are taking home midseason superlatives from the folks at The Athletic after impressive first-half performances in 2023.
Kennington Smith III named Mertz the best out-of-conference offensive transfer, and Pearsall’s ridiculous Week 4 catch against Charlotte got the nod for Best Play.
“Somewhat quietly, Mertz is having a strong season in Gainesville,” Smith wrote. “The Wisconsin transfer leads the SEC in completion percentage (76%), is tied for the lowest interception total among starters (2) and has the fourth-most passing yards (1897).”
OH MY!!!! WHAT A CATCH @S1ickSzn 😳
💻 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/4zzupSxOfJ
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 23, 2023
Florida also earned an honorable mention in the best surprise category. Missouri has ultimately been the most exciting team to watch overcome the low expectations set during the offseason, but the Gators’ 5-2 start has earned some praise.
“Left for dead after an ugly Week 1 loss at Utah, the Gators sit at 5-2 overall,” he wrote. “Their preseason projected win total: five.”
The tandem of Mertz and Pearsall should play a key role in Florida’s second-half success. A loaded back half of the schedule features a neutral site game against top-ranked Georgia, back-to-back road games against No. 19 LSU and No. 20 Missouri, and No. 4 Florida State at home to close things out.
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