With fall camp right around the corner, Gator Country starts previewing the 2023 football season by breaking down each position on Florida’s roster.
QUARTERBACK
The Gators have three scholarship players and two walk-ons at the quarterback position as we close in on the start of fall camp. Head Coach Billy Napier planned to add a fourth scholarship QB this summer, but with high school commit Austin Simmons flipping to Ole Miss and reclassifying, this is unlikely to happen at this point.
GRAHAM MERTZ
Wisconsion transfer QB Graham Mertz is the likely front runner at the position heading into the 2023 season. In four years at the University and three as the Badgers’ starting QB, Mertz completed 460-773 (59.5%) passes for 5,405 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions.
In 2022, Mertz posted an offensive grade of 75.3, the 7th highest grade on Wisconsin’s offense a year ago, according to Pro Football Focus.
Mertz has been sacked 49 times in his collegiate career including 23 times in 2022 behind an offensive line that ranked 15th in the country in pass block, according to PFF.
Florida’s spring game was no different for the Kansas native as Mertz was sacked five times in the annual Orange and Blue game. Mertz connected on 18-29 passes for 244 yards in his Gators’ debut.
I’m hard pressed to evaluate Mertz’ spring game performance due to the offensive line injuries and the limited playbook available during that game.
Mertz won’t provide much of a rushing threat for the Gators in 2023, but the 6-3, 214-pound quarterback is athletic enough to pick up yards on the ground if needed. Mertz has totaled 11 10+ yard carries in his career with a long of 24 yards. The veteran QB has 48 designed QB runs for 283 yards and eight touchdowns in 34 games played, according to PFF.
In 2022, Mertz excelled on passes 20 or more yards down the field as nine of his 19 touchdown passes came via the deep ball. With a grade of 94.3 on 20+ yard passes, Mertz compared very similarly to Anthony Richardson in this category, who also tossed nine touchdown passes from 20+ yards a season ago, posting a grade of 93.1 on deep balls, according to PFF.
On short passes (0-9 yards), Mertz connected on 71.1% of his throws for a short pass grade of 54.4. This may not seem like all that much, but it’s a major improvement from a season ago as Richardson connected on just 58.6% of his passes in that range, working to a grade of 34.3 on short passes, according to PFF.
The 5th year senior provides plenty of experience to a position group that was lacking in that department in 2022.
JACK MILLER
The fourth-year quarterback will compete with Graham Mertz for the starting job under center this fall.
In three seasons as a collegiate quarterback, Miller has seen action in seven games, completing 20-36 (55.5%) passes for 281 yards and no touchdowns.
Spending his first two seasons at Ohio State, Miller appeared in six games, scoring a 21-yard rushing touchdown against Nebraska in his college debut in 2020.
Miller has battled injuries since arriving in Gainesville in spring of 2022. The 6-3, 211-pound quarterback dealt with a nagging thumb injury that kept him sidelined for a majority of the 2023 season.
Fresh off a thumb injury on his throwing hand, Miller made his first collegiate start against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl Game on Dec. 17. The Scottsdale, Arizona native recorded a career high 13 completions on 22 attempts and 180 yards vs. Oregon State in a 30-3 blowout loss.
Miller found the vast majority of his success in that game off the play action pass, connecting on 8-11 play action passes for 144 yards.
Miller, much like many players on the Gators’ offense, struggled in the Orange and Blue game, completing 10-20 passes for 144 yards.
The lack of game experience leaves a major question mark regarding Miller’s ability to succeed at a high level, but the fourth year QB will look to compete with Graham Mertz for the Gators’ starting job this fall.
MAX BROWN
The last scholarship QB as of right now is redshirt freshman Max Brown, who did not appear in a game during his freshman campaign.
Brown led Lincoln Christian High School to a 13-1 record as a senior, tossing for 2,750 yards, 41 passing TDs with 1,343 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in 2021.
The 6-2, 215-pound QB showed flashes throughout spring camp, but needs to put together a more consistent approach before he can be considered a legitimate candidate for the starting job this fall.
OTHER NAMES TO KEEP AN EYE ON
Walk on Micah Leon and preferred walk on Parker Leise are the other two quarterbacks in the room this fall.
ANALYSIS
The addition of Graham Mertz was not the homerun out of the portal that many of us were hoping for, but the Gators needed to add an experienced QB to a room that was returning one collegiate start to the 2023 roster.
If the Gators can establish a strength with their running game and provide ample protection for their QBs, Florida’s offense should be able to put together another above average season offensively.
The biggest difference between this year’s QB room compared to 2022’s is the lack of a rushing threat at the position. The Gators don’t have a QB that is capable of rushing 103 times for 654 yards and nine touchdowns like Richardson did a season ago. Richardson’s physical attributes made him a threat every time he dropped back to pass, which is something the Gators don’t have this season.
With a new QB under center, a more consistent approach could be beneficial for the Gators in 2023.