J.D. PicKell makes case for Graham Mertz to start over DJ Lagway vs. Texas A&M

With both quarterbacks having started a game already through two games, Florida has a quarterback question between Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway. Even so, On3’s J.D. PicKell has a thought of which one is the answer for the Gators.

PicKell assessed the pick at the position for Florida this weekend during ‘The Hard Count’ on Tuesday. He gets that most fans prefer Lagway but he himself is under the assumption that it’ll be Mertz.

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“Here’s the main storyline of this game – who’s playing quarterback for Florida?” asked PicKell. “There’s a lot of folks that think that it’s DJ Lagway. A lot of folks that think it should be the true freshman in DJ Lagway.”

“I spoke to someone that is close to Florida yesterday and he didn’t have a definitive take on this. He just said that he would be wildly surprised if Graham Mertz isn’t the starter,” PicKell noted. “I’m going to take his word for it. I’m going to break this game down as if Graham Mertz is the starting quarterback.”

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As for Lagway, PicKell certainly sees the difference that he brings at quarterback. That’s especially so now after his first career start on Saturday. He adds different aspects to their offense that aren’t there in comparison to how Mertz would run it

“He definitely brings a different variable of just kind of the plays that you can call,” said PicKell. “Like, the mobility is obvious, the physical gifts that he has are obvious.”

“Again, if you’re DJ Lagway and he’s playing quarterback, you can call more quarterback-designed runs. You have a little bit more of that it factor in terms of, when the play breaks down, what can he do for you.”

However, the factors that come with being a veteran are what he might favor for Florida. In order to best compete with or beat Texas A&M, PicKell makes the argument for why Mertz could probably be their choice in his return as the Gators’ QB1.

“Honestly, I understand the thoughts that, hey, DJ Lagway gives Billy Napier the best chance to save his job and all those things. I’m like, y’all, if you can’t beat Texas A&M with a sixth-year starting quarterback, if a freshman quarterback gives you a better chance to win the football game? Like, that in itself to me is a little bit of a cause for concern in terms of what this roster has on it – neither here nor there,” said PicKell. “The thing with me with why, if it’s me, why I like Graham Mertz to start for Florida? He, to me, just gives you the chance to run your entire offense.”

“Like, if I’m Billy Napier, I want my sixth-year quarterback out there and running the show,” said PicKell. “I want him to be the guy in the moment that’s going to dictate if we win or lose the football game.”

Mertz still has to be cleared out of protocol before there’s even an outcome at quarterback in The Swamp. With that said, for PicKell, Mertz can be just as justified as the better option in this game for Florida.

“That, to me, is the more secure way to go about it,” said PicKell.