The Quarterback position is the most important position in the game of football. After watching our Spring Game yesterday, Billy Napier has a career decision to make. Spring practices are closed. Accordingly, the tidbits released to journalists can be very deceptive. The coaching staff and those in control of the information have the ability to craft the narrative to fit their desires. However, sometimes in that hollow echo chamber, the narrative may not be the best for the team. The narrative surrounding Quarterback was that Mertz (a fine young man) has turned the corner, sealing his dominant position. Generational talent, DJ Lagway, was blemished and had a “good deal of learning” to do before perhaps a few packages could be designed for him. After yesterday, do we believe the “crafted narrative” or what we saw with our own eyes? Mertz remains a solid game manager but also continues to take the laboriously slow three (3) steps back and then always moves to his right as he throws the ball. He remains serviceable but the delivery is not quick and he remains one dimensional. He played with the first string OL as well as the WR’s. With a little orchestration, he was able to move the team into position to allow a last play game winning FG! DJ Lagway played with the unproven WR’s, RB’s and OL. The “touch me” black jersey did him no favors as he clearly would have trucked any of those touches and at a minimum gained 10+ yards. The black jersey “touch me” did not hurt the one dimensional Mertz, who we can all agree is not a run threat. But for three (3) missed FG’s, the last play orchestration would have been meaningless. Also, DJ was replaced by QB #3 for at least two (2) series, while Mertz played the entire game. We play Miami August 31. They have a legitimate big time two dimensional QB in Cam Ward and a good group of talent that is equal to us. This will be a “must win” for us and less important to the ACC playing Canes. Therefore, the pressure is on us. Unfortunately, I fear that Napier’s fate as Florida HBC hangs in the balance. Do you play a one-dimensional QB, whose statistics look deceptively good, particularly when the weak point on our team is our OL and the Canes DL is not exactly chopped liver? Or you take a step out of the box and actually coach to your slogan “that scared money does not make money”? The decision is entirely HBC’s Napier. A loss to Miami cannot be tolerated. God bless Coach Napier.
Mertz as the more experienced starter with packages for Lagway to get him some game reps. Lagway has a higher ceiling than Mertz, just needs development and experience that game reps and eventually being the starter will give him. Go Gators!
I believe the narrative. Mertz will have the benefit of an improved Oline which will mean a chance for more downfield chunk plays. He knows the playbook well and DJ is just learning. Tebow was a generational talent and did quite well with a limited playbook. You cite we are "misinformed." I would suggest that we are "ill informed." We don't know what we don't know. We don't know how the team feels internally. We don't know how much of the playbook we could not use last year because of the Olne and Mertz's newness to the system. We do know what the players are saying and I saw more chunk plays and better execution than last year's fiasco. Not perfect, but way better. I am not convinced about BN, but in this case I trust that he is not creating a narrative to fool you.
Mertz knows the playbook, DJ more than likely is only working with half of it. Leave DJ on the bench.
Assess athletic prowess. DJ is NFL ready and we face a stiff test in our first game. A one dimensional game manager will not take our Gators where we need to be. The answer should not “ride the pine”. “ Scared money does not make money”. HBC makes the call…
Mertz will start and have the job. The big decision for CBN in my mind is, what does he do with Jaden Baugh. Going in th spring practice, he had Montrell and Treyaun Webb as our 1/2 punch. Cam Carroll and Daniels in the background. IMO, Jaden may be good enough to be the starter.. Will CBN shuffle the deck and put him in at 1st or 2nd string?
NFL ready? Not just yet. He will be facing NFL talent in some of the SEC defenses on our '24 schedule. As talented as he is, he has only played against high school defenses.
Was in high school weeks ago and already NFL ready….got it. I am very hopeful for DJ and the future looks bright with him at the reins but do not kid yourself with saying he’s NFL ready prior to playing a single down in college.
I see this as a “no brainer” rather than a “big decision”. We have a veteran, very good QB returning in Graham Mertz. To bench him in favor of a true freshman would be stupid. It would also be throwing a generational talent into the fire before he is ready to take the reins. Not to mention it would deny him the opportunity to watch and learn under a truly heady QB who knows how to prepare for everything that is headed our way this year. And make no mistake, it is a load. I am as excited about DJ as I can be. I’m elated CBN was able to snag and bring him to Gainesville. Coach should get a lot of credit for bringing him into the fold. A lot of top programs in the country were after him. I’m sure he will be involved in the game plan in every way: from meetings, to game planning to having some significant packages and playing time. Now that I’ve said that, I’ll repeat what I said in an earlier post: I was impressed by the play of Clay Millen yesterday too. Injuries happen. It will be great to have that guy in the bullpen. Hope we can hang on to him.
Sorry to ruffle the feathers. I hope I am wrong but we will need an athletic talent at QB to win football games this Fall. Athletic talent does not need a stinking play book or lengthy experience learning how to react. You either have it or you do not. It cannot be manufactured through a process. It is Coach Napier’s choice and a big one. We will not have DJ that long and need to use him. Go Gators!
As always... these spring games show us basically nothing about who the starters will be in the Fall. But one thing is for sure... Mertz will start and Lagway will get some important reps/packages like he should.
That would be like McElwain starting Felipe Franks on opening day way before he was ready. No. Not saying DJ's ceiling isn't much higher than Franks, because it obviously is. DJ will take the reins soon enough.
