UF redshirt senior quarterback Graham Mertz entered a relatively quiet press room Sept. 14. Coming off a demoralizing 33-20 loss to Texas A&M, Mertz posted up in the corner of the room, surrounded by a barrage of reporters. When asked what his last 14 days had been like, Mertz let out a deep sigh.
“I’ve had a strong, hefty two weeks,” he said.
Since Florida’s season-opening loss to then-No. 19 Miami just over two weeks ago, Mertz has been hit with a variety of roadblocks and challenges. In that span, he sustained a concussion, witnessed reports of his former teammate Ricky Pearsall being shot in a robbery attempt, grieved over the death of his grandfather before the Texas A&M game and dealt with factions of Florida’s fanbase favoring up-and-coming freshman quarterback DJ Lagway.
At this point, ‘strong and hefty’ may be putting it mildly.
Things won’t get any easier for Mertz and the Gators, either. Following the loss to A&M, reports emerged that high-ranking Florida boosters raised roughly $26 million to cover the potential buyout of UF head coach Billy Napier’s contract.
Facing an avalanche of boos from fans as he exited the field Saturday, Napier acknowledged the scrutiny he’s facing as the program continues to tumble. Despite the criticism, however, he still sees himself as the right man to turn the program around.
“The most important thing is that we make decisions with perspective,” Napier said. “All my decisions are about stewarding the people that have been entrusted to you — the players, your staff members.”
With Napier on the hot seat, a fanbase divided and a roster on pace for its fourth consecutive losing season, Florida football is in the middle of one of the most turbulent eras in program history.
Even with all the noise and personal struggles he has faced lately, Mertz made it clear he isn’t giving in to the pressure or scrutiny any time soon. The veteran signal-caller also pledged his support to Napier following Florida’s loss to Texas A&M, come hell or high water.
“He has my absolute full support,” Mertz said. “I know everybody in the locker room trusts Coach [Napier] with everything we’ve got. It’s up to us, honestly. It’s up to us and what we do during the game. Are you playing with heart or not?”
While the results may not be what’s expected from a win-loss standpoint, Mertz ranked third in the country in completion percentage in 2023. He converted on 72.9% of his pass attempts while throwing for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Mertz nearly helped snap Florida’s streak of losing seasons, leading the Gators to a 5-2 record through his first seven starts. However, after sustaining a broken collarbone in a late-season contest against Missouri, Mertz was sidelined as the Gators dropped their final two games and finished under .500 for the third consecutive year.
With a promising arm behind him in Lagway, 2024 was supposed to be the year that Mertz and the program broke through. Instead, the Gators are off to a 1-2 start, and fans are already calling for major shake-ups within the coaching and administrative staff.
“We just have to be honest with ourselves, be honest with our teammates — we just got to go do it,” Mertz said. “I was talking to the guys, I was like, ‘I’m just tired, tired of losing.’ There are so many different levels that we can grow and we can prep… It’s up to us to go execute.”
Mertz’s sentiment has been echoed throughout the Florida locker room. UF junior cornerback Devin Moore went on the record to defend Napier and his staff as well following Saturday’s loss.
“We’ve got to keep going, just keep trusting us,” Moore said. “It’s not always going to be bright, sunny days, but you’ve got to ride out the rainstorms, and us as a team, we have to get better and just trust our coaching more and go out there and execute.”
The events of the past two weeks also helped Mertz open his eyes beyond the grass of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. With the passing of his grandfather and the events surrounding Pearsall, Mertz is learning to “appreciate life for what it is.”
Despite all the drama he has faced as of late, both on and off the field, Mertz remains committed to finishing out his collegiate career with his head held high. While many Florida fans and analysts alike have already chalked up Florida’s season as all but over, UF’s veteran signal-caller has made it clear he won’t be going down this year without a fight.
“We all know there’s going to be a lot of noise, and it’s up to us players what we pay attention to,” Mertz said. “Is it each other, or is it what’s going on externally? Is it doing our job or is it something else?... We know it all comes down to winning and doing your job every single day of the week.”
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.
