Graham Mertz is an American football quarterback currently playing for the Florida Gators. He was born on December 6, 2000. However, his journey to Florida was not a direct one. Let’s take a closer look at his early life and his college football career.
Mertz’s football journey began in high school. He spent his first two years at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Kansas, where he backed up all-state quarterback Carter Putz. But before his junior year, he transferred to Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas.
At Blue Valley North, Mertz achieved great success. He led his team to a Class 6A state championship in his junior year and took them to the state runner-up position in his senior year.
During his senior year, Mertz set impressive records, completing 61.1% of his passes for 3,886 yards and an astounding 51 touchdowns, which became a state record. His outstanding performance earned him recognition, including an invitation to the prestigious All-American Bowl, where he set a bowl record with five touchdown passes and was named the game’s MVP.
Mertz’s talent didn’t go unnoticed. He was rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports.com, and Rivals.com, with ESPN ranking him as the best pocket passer in the class of 2019.
Mertz committed to playing football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2017. His college career had its ups and downs. In his first season, he redshirted after appearing in just two games.
However, in 2020, due to an injury to the starting quarterback, Mertz got his chance. He made a remarkable debut by tying a school record with 17 consecutive completed passes and setting a school single-game completion percentage record at 95.2%. He was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week.
Unfortunately, Mertz later tested positive for COVID-19, leading to game cancellations. Despite some challenges, he continued to lead the team and had memorable moments, like a victory against Michigan.
In his redshirt sophomore season, Mertz started all 13 games, leading the Badgers to a 9–4 record. He followed up with another season as the starting quarterback in 2022, achieving notable success, including a high-scoring game against Northwestern.
Graham Mertz Height and Weight
His height is 6 feet 3 inches, and his weight is 225 pounds. In December 2022, Mertz surprised many by announcing his entry into the transfer portal, signaling a new chapter in his college football journey.