What has seen from Florida transfer quarterback Graham Mertz
When Graham Mertz arrived at Florida, head coach Billy Napier held history lessons on Florida’s biggest rivals. Players like Mertz, the Wisconsin transfer quarterback, watched videos recapping the rivalries and filled notebooks with information on each rival.
“One thing I truly appreciate is the second we got here, it was something we talked about,” Mertz said this week. “Rivalry games, what it means, the history behind it. I’m sure (Napier has) talked about it. During camp we did a little lesson on each rivalry game.”
It’s up to Mertz to help Napier get off the rivalry skid at Florida. The second-year coach of the Gators lost to all four Florida rivals last season — Tennessee, LSU, Georgia and Florida State.
Up Next: No. 11 Tennessee at Florida, Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Mertz will lead the Gators (1-1) against the 11th-ranked Vols (2-0) Saturday night (7 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Tennessee hasn’t won at The Swamp since 2003 and goes on the road to Florida as a favorite for just the second time in the last 30 years.
“My notebook was filled just with the history of it,” Mertz said of Florida’s history with Tennessee. “I mean, I think any time you get into a week like this, it’s bigger than just this team. It’s the Florida Gators. And that’s everybody — fans, coaches, families, people that have played here.
“I mean, it definitely gets you excited.”
Mertz played 34 games over four seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to Florida. With the Badgers he threw for 5,405 yards, 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions, completing 60 percent of his passes.
He completed 31 of 44 passes for 333 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his Gator debut, in Florida’s 24-11 loss at Utah on August 31. He went 14-for-17 for 193 yards and a touchdown in the 49-7 win over McNeese last week.
Mertz was a four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting cycle, ranked No. 57 overall. He was the No. 4 quarterback in the class and was the No. 1 overall player in the state of Kansas.
‘He’s been a really sound decision-maker for (Florida)’
“Just having known him all the way back to when he was in high school,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said this week, “he’s been a really sound decision-maker for them. I think his experience that he has, the first couple weeks, but also all the time that he spent at the previous spot, he’s ready for these types of games and environments.
“We gotta do a great job. I’ve said it, we gotta apply pressure to him, make him uncomfortable inside the pocket.”
Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary coached against Mertz at Michigan during the COVID season in 2020. Mertz passed for 127 yards and two touchdown in a 49-11 win.
“I know he is a super, super talented kid,” Jean-Mary said. “Really good arm, really good pocket presence. I know he was highly recruited kid coming out of high school. Shows the poise and shows the pocket presence of a big-time quarterback.
“We’re gonna have to do a great job with him. And the thing that I think he’s done in the first two games, he’s shown the ability to pick up yards with his legs, which I know he’s not known for. So that adds an extra element to him.”
