Graham Mertz 'fired up' for year two in Florida offense
Graham Mertz is eager to show what he can do in his second season at Florida. The Gators quarterback announced he will return to Gainesville for his redshirt senior season.
With a year under his belt learning the system, Mertz is confident he can build upon an impressive end to this season. Now he’ll be the one teaching younger players the ropes as he aims to get Florida back to a bowl game following a disappointing 5-7 finish to this season.
As he told On3‘s Andy Staples, he couldn’t be more excited.
“I’m fired up,” Mertz said. “I think back to early January, I’m just trying to learn it. That’s the emphasis. Now it’s my job to teach it and we get to get timing done earlier. Timing, anticipation, footwork on route depths and all that stuff. For me, it’s all about the details and being able to relay that and teach guys. I think that I can grow in this offense as well, so I’m fired up for it.”
Mertz transferred to Florida this past offseason after spending the first four years of his college career at Wisconsin. He brought a respectable resume with him but had never been a focal point of the Badgers’ offense, which leaned more on the run. The quarterback went on to have his best season yet with the Gators, throwing for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions while completing 72.9% of his passes.
It took some time for Mertz to grow comfortable in the offense this season, but he continued to progress as time went on. He had his best performance of the season in Week 8 against South Carolina as he threw for 423 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-39 win.
That was one of four times in the final six games that Mertz threw for three touchdowns. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after he suffered an injury in the second-to-last game.
Still, his performance prior to that gives him confidence that he can carry that momentum over into next year and come back even better.
“The season, if you approach it right, allows for a lot of growth,” he said. “Not only for individuals, but the entire unit. Going into the first game, we were confident. We felt like we had a good plan and all that stuff. I think that it just kept evolving. I owe that to guys like Trey, Ricky and the entire backfield, up front, the entire offensive unit.
“We just got a little bit better through the process every week. That’s what coach always talks about. Especially in college football, that’s what you need to do. That’s how you put yourself in games and win games.”
Florida’s offense still has a lot of room for growth, as does Mertz. The Gators ranked just ninth in the SEC in points per game and seven in passing offense. Mertz also loses his top receiver as Ricky Pearsall declared for the NFL Draft.
However, he brings back Eugene Wilson III, who had a breakout year as a true freshman this season. That plus Mertz’ confidence in his ability to get better should have Gators fans excited about what’s in store.