As redshirt senior quarterback Graham Mertz arrived at Monday's press conference inside the Heavener Football Complex, he seemingly could not stop smiling. The sixth-year quarterback addressed the surrounding media with an unwavering attitude of confidence. When asked where he anticipates taking a step forward in 2024, Mertz chuckled a bit.
“I have a healed collarbone,” he said.
After suffering a season-ending fractured collarbone against Missouri in November, Mertz spent hours on end in Florida’s training facility to ensure he would be sharp as ever for the squad’s season-opener against Miami Aug. 31. However, Mertz’s responsibilities have gone beyond simply winning games. He’s now taking on the role of mentoring highly touted freshman quarterback DJ Lagway.
Mertz is coming off the best statistical season of his collegiate career. The redshirt senior finished the 2023 campaign with 2,903 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. He was also efficient as ever under center, maintaining a 72.9 percent completion rate.
Lagway represents Florida’s future. He enters Gainesville with a massive amount of hype among Florida fans. Lagway was named the 2023 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year. The true freshman has been described by scouts as a potentially generational talent who will need time to develop into a program-defining player. This is where Mertz’s mentorship comes into play.
UF head coach Billy Napier has praised his starting snap caller for his ability to command the locker room and rally his teammates under any adversity. With a seasoned veteran like Mertz guiding Lagway, Napier believes that the quarterback room’s future is as bright as it’s been during his tenure.
“DJ, as he gains more experience, I think all the things that we do will mean more to him,” Napier said. “I think it's one thing to sit around and talk about it. It's another thing to experience it.
While the future remains a point of emphasis among Florida’s coaching staff and fanbase, the barometer has never shifted from the team’s primary goal: to win games, right here and right now. Mertz couldn’t be more excited for what the new season has in store for this Gators squad.
“Any time you get to play that first game, all that pregame anticipation, you put in all the work for that,” Mertz said. “We know what we put on tape last year, our reputation was we were 5-7. That doesn't mean anything going into this year. It's up to us to make the choice of how do we want to write our story.”
Mertz and Lagway will be joined in the quarterback room this Fall by redshirt junior Clay Millen.
Millen began his career at Nevada and Colorado State, serving as the starting quarterback for the latter school in 2022. After appearing in just one game last season for CSU, however, Millen hit the transfer portal and landed in Gainesville for his fourth collegiate season.
With two fresh faces taking snaps for the Gators this fall, Mertz has taken the right steps to ensure his fellow quarterbacks are keeping their wits about them.
“I think the biggest thing, I'd say this to any quarterback, learn the why behind the plays, not just the plays,” Mertz said.
With one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Gators are sure to endure their fair share of bumps and bruises along the way this season.
But with the veteran experience of Mertz combined with the young raw talent of Lagway, the state of Florida’s quarterback room is solidified for years to come.
Contact Jack Meyer at jmeyer@alligator.org. Follow him on X @jackmeyerUF.
Jack Meyer is a fourth-year journalism major and the Assistant Sports Editor for The Alligator. In his free time, he enjoys reviewing music, spending time with friends, playing video games and going to the gym.
