Year At Florida Has Mertz Prepared For Season 2

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz said the experience gained last year will make a difference in the 2024 season for the Gators.

Stepping Up

UF coach Billy Napier said when he recruited Mertz from Wisconsin in early 2023, his goal was for Mertz to play cleaner and tighter football. That’s exactly what Mertz did.

Mertz is a force to be reckoned with, and it is hard to believe a year ago he was new to the team, learning and struggling.

He said there was various layers of playing and he had to not only grow physically as a player, but also learned to calculate risks, understand leverage against different teams and improve the communication to get to the point he’s at today.

Mertz says he’s learned that communication is the most important thing for this team to succeed:

Mertz finished last season with six career-highs and set program records of consecutive passes without an interception, consecutive passes completed and season-best completion percentage with 72.9%.

Former Badger Duo

Mertz’s former teammate from Wisconsin, Chimere Dike, joined the Gators this spring via the transfer portal. Dike replaced Ricky Pearsall at wide receiver, as Pearsall left for NFL draft.

Both coming from Wisconsin’s team, Mertz and Dike already have an established relationship, on and off the field.

Because of their relationship, Mertz says it should be easy to transition back to playing alongside him.

Transferring the knowledge he learned in Wisconsin helped him to grow in Florida, and Mertz has faith that Dike can do the same.

Thoughts On New Additions

Whether it’s players or coaches, there are a lot of new additions to the Gators program this season.

While too many new additions can sometimes shake up team chemistry, Mertz says it has done the opposite.

Mertz says the communication across the offensive line is really strong. Mertz says the OL is doing a great job of seeing things and dialing in, as well as communicating with him. He believes when the QB and the OL can communicate at a high level and he can understand what everyone’s thinking all the time, that’s what really sets the tone for the game.

Another new addition is Russ Callaway, who just transitioned to co-offensive coordinator from tight ends coach. While he is not new to the program, Callaway has stepped into his new role well and is doing a fantastic job, according to Mertz.

Mertz describes Callaway as aggressive and with a passion for the sport and the team. Callaway’s coaching style pushes the team to also be aggressive in offense and take chances to score touchdowns, which Mertz appreciates.

Mertz says he also appreciates that Callaway tries to understand Mertz’s point of view and how he reads a play. They communicate well and also talk through how to add or change plays to make the team stronger — a conversation Mertz enjoys being a part of.

A Heart To Serve

Through his playing style and leadership, it is easy to see Mertz’s love for the game and for his team. He wants to see everyone grow and get better on his team.

Oftentimes the older guys can get comfortable, because they’ve been there so long, which gives the younger guys the ability to grow and move up, Mertz said, but, for him, this isn’t the case.

Even being in his sixth year of college, Mertz wants to continue improving for himself and for his team. He hopes that through his demonstration of leadership and hard work, his teammates will keep asking questions and striving to keep getting better.