Florida to begin Mertz at QB, utilize Lagway vs

• Chris

  • Low, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterSep 14, 2024, 10:03 AM ET Close College football reporter
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of the University of Tennessee

GAINESVILLE, Fla.– Graham Mertz started at quarterback Saturday for Florida versus Texas A&M, but there is a strategy in location for freshman DJ Lagway.Florida coach Billy Napier had actually informed ESPN that Mertz would be the very first quarterback on the field which Lagway would play particular belongings each half and particular plays throughout ownerships.”Both players will play.

They have a fantastic relationship,”Napier said.”The staff and group believe in both players. Both have actually been outstanding today. It’s a favorable for our team as a whole.”Editor’s Picks

Mertz, a redshirt senior, missed out on recently’s game with a concussion suffered in the season-opening 41-17 home loss to Miami. Lagway substituted Mertz and passed for 456 backyards and three goals in a 45-7 rout of FCS enemy Samford. Lagway broke the school record for single-game passing yards by a freshman, topping Chris Leakage’s 268 against Kentucky in 2003.

Napier had actually said all week that Florida prepared to utilize both Mertz and Lagway and that they will “make us harder to protect.”

The 6-foot-3, 239-pound Lagway was ESPN’s top-rated quarterback possibility in the 2024 signing class. His effective launching as the starter recently, albeit against a lower opponent, just intensified the Florida quarterback debate.Mertz completed with 91 passing yards, no goals and an interception versus Miami, his worst analytical performance considering that moving to Florida from Wisconsin. Florida had problem obstructing Miami, and Mertz was sacked three times. Montrell Johnson had a 71-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter. Other than that, the Gators managed simply 190 yards in overall offense.Mertz had a career year last season for the Gators, with highs in conclusions(261), passing yards( 2,903 ), goals(20 )and conclusion percentage (72.9 ). He likewise tossed simply 3 interceptions in 358 passing attempts.Napier, in his third season, would see the heat ratchet up if the Gators lose another home game this early in the season

. They are 6-10 in SEC games on his watch with back-to-back losing seasons. Florida has actually suffered through 3 straight losing seasons total going back to Dan Mullen’s final year in 2021. Napier said this summertime that this was the very best team he has actually had considering that he arrived at Florida, which faces possibly the hardest schedule in the nation.

After the Texas A&M game, Florida travels to Mississippi State and comes back home to deal with UCF. The Gators then close the season with five of their final seven games versus nationally ranked teams– including four top-10 opponents– and 3 of those contests are far from home.