Florida quarterback Graham Mertz diagnosed with a concussion, per Billy Napier
As Saturday’s game against Miami progressed, things went from bad to worse against Miami. Arguably the toughest of them all was an injury suffered by starting quarterback Graham Mertz, leaving the game and putting true freshman DJ Lagway in the game.
Head coach Billy Napier was able to give the diagnosis of Mertz, saying he suffered a concussion. For now, Mertz is in protocol and will go through the process. Another update will be provided when Napier speaks with the media ahead of the Samford game.
“He’ll be in protocol and we’ll give you an update when we meet with you Monday and Wednesday of next week,” Napier said during his postgame press conference.
Mertz was viewed as one of the bright spots for Florida heading into the season, even with Lagway entering the program. The quarterback performed well after transferring in from Wisconsin and entered his second year as the starter under Napier.
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Against Miami, Mertz completed 11 throws on 20 attempts, going for 91 yards and a touchdown. Now, the goal is to get him back to full health, potentially ahead of the Samford matchup. If not, Florida will open their SEC season against Texas A&M.
Billy Napier discusses growth of Graham Mertz, DJ Lagway
Entering what many suspect to be a make-or-break year for Florida head coach Billy Napier, the Gators head man at least seems content with what his program has under center, both at starter and backup.
Florida returns Graham Mertz as the starter in 2024, one of the most experienced quarterbacks in all of college football. But they also added heralded freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, who brings far more rushing upside than Mertz.
Speaking on the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday, Napier expressed his pleasure in having diversified skillsets at the quarterback position, but didn’t indicate that they were rushing to find ways to put Lagway into action.
“So it’s also been exciting for our offensive staff because they’re a little bit different type of players,” Napier said. “So scripting is unique and a lot of fun because you’ve kind of got a guy who’s a veteran player who has a thorough understanding of the system that maybe isn’t the same type of athlete. But, you’ve got this young up and comer who’s very athletic that maybe doesn’t have quite the experience.”
On3’s Andrew Graham contriubted to this report