Article: How Can Graham Mertz Take The Next Step In 2024?

I said in another post that Mertz needs to get to 4K yards passing to get himself into the top QB conversation and to get the Gators into a much better winning percentage this coming season. We know about last year's often injured O-line and the challenges that Mertz and our running backs faced from those injuries, and lack of quality experienced depth to fill in. The good news is that Mertz has said in other interviews that he's pleased with the depth the Gators now have, and when a QB talks about depth in general... it's almost always about his O-line.

So with a much healthier and mature O-line Mertz should have more time to get the ball to the right receiver. And that's good for our young and talented group of receivers... I see two full groups of receivers starting with Wilson leading the way. We added experience in two transfers at receiver, one that Mertz is very familiar with in Chimere Dike from Wisconsin, he should hold the second spot and the other will either be Elijah Badger or Jackson. I think Badger might have the edge here. But look for tons of other receivers getting playing time. There are several others that will make a big impact at receiver.

When it comes to play calling Napier seems to be a run first kind of guy, which is fine by me because he ends up being fairly even in play-calling with the run versus the pass being equal in numbers. The last coach that I can remember being balanced like that was SOS. I liked that way The Ole Ball Coach passed the ball to open up the running game which was so different that the entire SEC changed their offenses because how successful Steve was at it... Steve Spurrier single-handedly changed college football in the SEC with his prolific passing game. Gone were the 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

Now we have a run first offense that can be very deadly in the passing game if we get the long-ball working. The long ball is the key to success, just like in the Spurrier days. I like what Napier and Mertz have to say about working to get more deep passes worked into the games. Some of the passing routes lend itself to the long ball all Mertz has to do is aim for the top branch on the tree routes... Jackson's inverted pass catch versus South Carolina (amazing pass and catch) was that one route/pass/catch that comes to mind when I see Mertz reaching for that top branch in that tree route. More please...

I see much more quality depth (all over our team in every position) and many more play-makers new and experienced on this 2024 Gators football team. I just hope Mertz and Napier find a way to get the best play-maker's the ball. We all know that as our lines go so goes our team, but Mertz has to be that difference maker and he needs to be that field general for the Gators' offense to get off that losing slide. I'm looking for an exciting season of Gator Football.

 

For Mertz to take the next step, he needs to have full reign of the offense. He can't be pulled out of a game just to give Lagway a series or two.

 

Pulling Mertz while he is playing well just to try and get Lagway some experience, I believe will cost the team a series or two and possibly a game. BN's offense is not an uptempo one and every play matters. Mertz is a rhythm QB, pull him and he may lose that rhythm and may end up sacrificing more plays to get it back.

 

Personally, I would like to see us use Lagway in the red zone. He is a threat to run/pass where as Mertz not so much. I think Lag would be great in this area as well as in short yardage situations.

 

So you want to pull the starting QB that actually got you into the red zone in the first place? Great way to instill confidence and trust with your starter. Thanks for getting us to the RZ but I don't trust you to get the TD.

If running a two system QB or situational QB system was so successful every HC would be doing it.

This isn't 2006 and Napier isn't Meyer.

 

Like Mullen’s drive killing EJ experiments when we had Trask.

 

Well, it's not up to us to decide, but I would definitely use Lagway in this way instead of being one dimensional with Mertz. And I so agree with your last statement, Napier isn't Meyer.

 

Mertz is no Trask nor do I think EJ is anywhere as big and talented as Lagway.
If BN wanted to he could try this once we have a big lead.

 

... once we have a big lead.
Than I agree with you on getting Lagway experience.

But not when you're in a tight game and Mertz is doing everything you asked him to do just because it's been scripted.

 

Mertz needs to take downfield shots but also our WRs need to make more YAC plays. That's where I think adding Badger could really pay off. Now we have 2 outside threats with Wilson which will be much tougher on defenses.

 

Specific sets of plays depending on down and distance I can see. Agree that pulling Mertz during a drive for no other reason than to put DJ on the field seems inept. Even though DJ is supposed to be great, he's still a true FR who was playing in front of a thousand people to 90 thousand. A lot of pressure. Do I believe Napier can design really good situational packages for DJ and call good plays? Is Napier a good personnel manager? Who knows. But I believe we will see DJ and just hope it's a good situation for him.

 

I want as much as anyone to see Lag play, but only if we’re up by so many points to spare Mertz. I have high hopes for Mertz this year.

 

We aren't supposed to need DJ because Mertz is a good>very good SEC QB, true? I hope to see him but often but because we are up by enough that it's not a risk to the game we are winning.

 

I think we need to put Lagway in but I kind of agree that we need to pick and choose when to put him in. I also think we need to let him just take the field after a time-out, score or other commercial break for a series in one or two early games.

But what I don't want to see is a momentum killing change at QB. IOW, if Mertz is moving the ball successfully then let him finish the drive into a score of some sort, but what I would do is add Lagway to the offense in red-zone offensive play-calling with Mertz as the QB... That will confuse the defense and force a time out at the very least and maybe confuse them enough to get a touchdown instead of a field-goal or nothing.

We have to be creative with Lagway in this Mertz (mostly) run offense.

 

From TOS:
"This past season he had the worst uncatchable percentage past 15 yards in the SEC. But his pocket roll has improved.
Still a tad gun-shy bailing from pockets and leaning on his dominant side. But sneakily great versus pressure."

 

I refer to the common thread from analysis provided by GNFP, Pod Up with Shane Mathews, and Varnadore: Mertz makes excellent but safe reads but he needs to be coached into taking good but riskier reads when the occasion calls for it. Simply: Mertz needs to stretch the field. Defenses were learning how to keep the Gator offense bottled up. I am not calling for an Air Raid. I am just saying that all the analysts have said things that match what I have seen with my eyes: Mertz often has the safe option of throwing short or the riskier option of throwing deep and he opted to take the shorter, safer read. There is nothing wrong with that (especially if the offensive line and RB blocking is insufficient), but with the new weapons available he can take the next step by taking a planned risk on occasion.

 

We better pass more than run against Miami.
Phil Steele has Miami with the #12 Defensive Line in the nation (we're #41).
DE Akheem Mesidor was injured in '23 but had 7 sacks in '22 and is back.
DE Rueben Bain had 7.5 sacks as a true freshman and is back.
The Canes added 3 full time starter transfer DL from the portal.

Steele also rates Miami's LB unit as #15 in the country (we're #26).
Francisco Mauigoa was 1st team ACC in '23 and #1 tackler.

 

Mertz has earned the starting QB spot and has exceeded the expectations of many. He was quite a find.
I can’t discount the argument that putting Lagway in the game could break the continuity of the offense if not done judiciously. But I also think he needs to be used every game in some capacity to acclimate him to football at a level he has not experienced yet. Most of us believe he may be the future of Florida football. I like what Gatorrick said: pick and choose when to play him: but play him.
I also think if your backup hasn’t received snaps during the year you run the risk of trotting someone out on the field who is woefully unprepared to handle the role, ie, Max Brown, if Mertz is injured. Granted we do have a third string QB who has experience, (Clay Millen), but it doesn’t diminish the importance of getting Lagway ready. If he is as good as I think he is he is actually capable of contributing to our offense this year.