Florida football: Who should the Gators go with as QB1 in 2023?

As a high school prospect, Graham Mertz was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Wisconsin won an intense recruiting battle for him and the Badgers looked to be the recipients of a quarterback of the future and a potential day one starter. Fast forward a few years and Florida football is the new home for Mertz after an underwhelming Wisconsin career.

Mertz did, however, improve throughout his time at Wisconsin.

In fact, he passed for 3,196 yards and 19 touchdowns with 16 interceptions in 2020 and 2021 combined. In 2022, he passed for 2,136 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and a career-best 7.5 yards per attempt. His completion percentage dipped to 57 percent but he looked much more effective.

Now that he’s in a new environment with a fresh start, does that mean he should be handed the keys to the Florida offense?

I mean, that is why Billy Napier brought him in, right?

Who should Florida football go with as QB1 in 2023?

It would have helped if Jaden Rashada remained committed to the Gators, but we won’t get into that because, well, it’s still a touchy subject.

But right now, the quarterback battle seems to be between Graham Mertz and Jack Miller. I don’t see Max Brown winning the job, but anything is possible, I suppose. But the two transfers will go at it this offseason for the starting job.

Miller has already been in the system for a year, so I tend to think that he may win the job, but Mertz has elite potential but has just never lived up to it in that run-first Wisconsin offense.

I think that if Mertz reaches his potential under Napier, he’s the best option that the Gators will have to replace Anthony Richardson. He has a strong, accurate arm when he’s on, but consistency was lacking during his Wisconsin days — that and probably confidence.

Florida has two solid options but it was never going to be easy to replace Richardson.