Florida football quarterback Graham Mertz is entering his second year as a starter with more confidence in his ability to move the football.
Mertz goes into Year 2 with the Florida Gators and head coach Billy Napier still calling the plays, though co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway will have an expanded voice in the offense this season as well.
“Year 2, knowing what we’re doing, it’s how can I help everybody step into the role that they need to play,” Mertz said. “Trust their role. Be confident in their role and believe that they can go do it and then go execute it.”
Mertz went 5-6 in 2023, with his season coming to an end after suffering a broken collarbone in the second-to-last game of the season at Missouri. He finished 2023 throwing for 2,903 yards with 20 TDs to just 3 interceptions, while leading the SEC in completion percentage (72.9 %) and ranking fourth in the conference in yards per game (263.9).
Off that season, the 6-foot-3, 216-pound Mertz could have declared for the NFL Draft, but opted to return to UF for his final year of eligibility. Mertz began his career at Wisconsin as a decorated high school recruit and will look to end it as winning quarterback in the SEC.
“This place gave me a second chance in college,” Mertz said. “They put in so much time, energy, effort into developing me as a player, as a person …
“I owe this place everything I got. And I didn’t just come back here to boost my draft stock. I came back to win.”
Here are the thoughts of three former standout Florida quarterbacks on Mertz entering the 2024 season. All three were coached by Steve Spurrier and combined to win five SEC championships and one national title.
Shane Matthews, Florida football starting QB, 1990-92
Matthews, now lead analyst for the Gator Football Radio Network, led the SEC is passing for three straight years…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/three-qbs-spurrier-era-think-080457712.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-08-22 08:04:57
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