Graham Mertz is a Florida Gator. (Photo credit: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Florida Gators have been loading up at the QB position for the future, landing five-star prospects Jaden Rashada (Class of 2023) and DJ Lagway (Class of 2024). Now, though, they landed a more short-term prospect at the position: Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz.
Coming out of high school (from Mission, KS), Graham Mertz was ranked the #3 pro-style QB in the country. He fielded offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Michigan, Clemson, LSU, and more. He eventually chose to play for Wisconsin.
With the Badgers, though, Mertz had some ups and downs. He completed just 53% of his passes against Big Ten competition this year, throwing nineteen touchdowns and ten interceptions. That’s both an improvement and a regression compared to 2021, when he completed 58% of his passes, throwing nine touchdowns vs. ten interceptions. He threw for just over 4,000 yards in those two seasons: 2,136 in 2022 and 1,958 in 2021.
Mertz will come to Florida as a redshirt senior. He’ll have one season of eligibility remaining.
The objective reality is that, while Mertz has made some big plays for the Badgers, he simply did not live up to his lofty expectations. However, sometimes, for reasons that are not predictable or logical, a fresh start in a new place can do a lot to bring a player’s career to life. Here’s hoping Mertz’ transfer to Florida can do exactly that.
