With Florida’s week one matchup against the Miami Hurricanes just two weeks away, Gators’ quarterback Graham Mertz couldn’t be more prepared than he is now as a 6th year starter with over 40 starts at the collegiate level.
After being in Billy Napier’s system for nearly two years now, Mertz has a full grasp on this offense compared to last season, and the 2023 season was a pretty good year for the senior quarterback. Mertz finished with a career high in completions (261), passing yards (2,903), touchdown passes (20), completion percentage (72.9), and passing yards per game (263.9) while only throwing three interceptions in 11 games played.
“At this point last year, I was still trying to figure out small details and small checks, alerts, stuff like that. With all these new things you think about the coach to player, all the different aspects of that,” Mertz said on his growth. “Now you’re going to work on those extra details and stuff like that that’s going to come up in games. Instead of focusing on what’s my job on this play. It’s already second nature at that point. Now, it’s spreading it to everyone else.”
In mid-April of this year, the NCAA approved FBS teams to allow player-to-coach communication through the helmets of one player on each side of the football. While this does give teams like Florida an advantage when it comes to personnel, preparation is still key.
“I think that’s the cool thing about the in-helmet communication is you can use it in so many different ways. You can slow the game down, you can huddle up,” Mertz said. “You can speed it up when you need to. There’s so many different ways you can utilize it. Of course, that’s been an emphasis for us going into camp, throughout camp, is just pushing our pace. Getting up to the ball and getting set. You know the helmet thing cuts out at 15 seconds. How much information can you get out before that cuts off?”
The biggest improvement in terms of communication has come from the offensive line. As a redshirt junior, Jake Slaughter has been efficient in every aspect for the Gators this offseason.
“I love (Jake) Slaughter. I think the coolest thing about Slaughter is when you talk about a guy who is just the same guy every day. He knows his job. He executes his job and he helps everybody up there move as one. I think that, for us, just being an offense you need to have elite communication across the board. From Jake and I to Jake and the entire o-line. To me helping the tackles and the running back. That’s been a huge point of emphasis for us throughout camp,” Mertz said on the improvements.
This offseason, the Gators hauled in eight offensive linemen from the transfer portal and 2024 recruiting cycle. Not only has depth improved at the position, but so has the talent.
“Yeah, I think we brought in some great pieces. These other guys we brought in from the portal, young bucks, are stepping into that role. I think you see it through our strength training throughout the winter and the summer. Guys truly changed their bodies,” Mertz said. “That’s the biggest thing I see. I look up there and I’m like holy crap, these guys are huge and they can bend. That’s the biggest thing.
“The run game, pass game, guys are executing their assignment, being in the right place with the right hand/head placement. All those little details of playing the position. They’ve taken a huge jump this season,” Mertz added on the offensive line.
Building chemistry with his receiver’s is nothing Mertz isn’t used to. For players like TJ Abrams and Tank Hawkins, it’s extremely beneficial to have a veteran like Graham Mertz as your quarterback.
“They’ve been playing great. I think their biggest thing is they’re playing fast, they’re trusting it. You see it translate,” Mertz said on his younger receivers. “When you think of young guys, I think of Tank, TJ, guys that are just getting into it. From spring ball to now, you see them at that point. How do I get open? I’m not just running lines on the paper. How do I get open? How do I win? I think that’s what you’re seeing in the receiver room right now.”
As the Gators prepare for their matchup against the Canes, Graham Mertz has made it known that his growth has come from his preparation and experience on the field. With a solid showing in his first season as a Gator, Mertz is poised to lead a team with new weapons and an improved offensive line. In the season opener against Utah last season, Mertz set a career-high of 333 passing yards in his first game as a Gator. If Mertz and Florida’s offense have continued to improve this offseason, I expect a similar performance week one against the Canes.
Prior to his injury last season against Missouri, Graham Mertz set program records of consecutive passes without an interception (239), consecutive passes completed (19), and a season-best completion percentage with 72.9% (261 of 358).