Graham Mertz

Graham Mertz was an On3 Consensus four-star and the No. 4 overall quarterback recruit in the country coming out of Overland Park (Kansas) Blue Valley North High School in the 2019 class. Mertz arrived as one of the most touted recruits of the Paul Chryst era but failed to get the Badgers back to the Big Ten Championship Game. During the 2020 season-opener against Illinois, he completed 20-of-21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-7 win. Mertz started the game by completing 17 straight passes and eventually set Wisconsin’s single-game completion percentage record (95.2%). However, the Badgers canceled their next two games as multiple players, including Mertz, contracted COVID-19. Despite finishing the regular season 3-3, he helped Wisconsin win the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. In 2021, Mertz threw for 1,958 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Mertz finished the 2022 season with 2,136 yards and 19 touchdowns, and after the season was over, he entered the Transfer Portal.