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Where does Florida’s Graham Mertz rank among SEC quarterbacks?
By Nick de la Torre,
6 hours ago
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 2024 college football season is just 48 days away and the Florida Gators will open their season in just 55 days. Florida returns a lot from their 2023 team, including starting quarterback Graham Mertz.
Mertz is coming off of the best season of his career. In his first season with the Gators, he threw for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He also led the SEC with a 72.9% completion percentage. He returns for his final season of eligibility and will lead the Gators in 2024 against the most difficult schedule in the country.
With an eye on the most important position, Gators Online asked On3’s Clark Brooks to break down and rank all 16 quarterbacks in the SEC. Where does Graham Mertz stack up against the rest of the conference?
Impact Ranking: 1 Brooks: “Beck has prototypical build, layering ability, and downfield accuracy. Needs to be better vs pressure and not throw as many boo-boos without scheme elements. Jared Goff mold.”
Impact Ranking: 2 Brooks: “Ewers has a live arm but is overly a finesse thrower. Has the tools but a little slight and has accuracy concerns when not using guises. But one of the best throwers on the move/outside of pocket. Excellent throwing off platform.”
Impact ranking: 3 Brooks: “Dart is a gamer. Gritty and productive. He is one of the nation’s most voluminous off-play action and the SEC’s top returner in accuracy percentage on throws over 10 yards downfield. Plus, efficient designed rusher who doesn’t mind getting his jersey dirty.
Impact ranking: 5 Brooks: “Milroe is a toolsy and dangerous QB. He has blazing speed and a great chooch (arm). Milroe set a record for having the largest percentage of yards come on the deep ball, by SEC standards. He takes sacks, can buffer, and does not have the best placement. But can score on any snap in/out of structure.”
Impact ranking: 10 Brooks: “Cook is good at a lot of things but not great anywhere. Mid-size and arm. He’s an offensive executive and can press getting LB3 the ball. Below average downfield thrower but largely rallied his offense in 2022 as a designed rusher. Underrated scampering ability. More savvy/cerebral than dynamic.
Impact ranking: 11 Brooks: “Nussmeier is a heat seaker. Not that big but can stretch the field and hunts for downfield throws. Career double-digit ADOT ( Average depth of target ). Some raw accuracy concerns but will be a bomber this fall with a great OL and WR room. Perhaps the most true pocket passer besides Beck.”
Impact ranking: 12 Brooks: “Nico is the hot shot. “Ideal” skill set for veer and shoot offense. Tenn coming off a year where Milton was worst at capturing explosive plays despite big arm. He can provide immediate consistency and improved play outside of pocket. The offense has big play potential as always.”
Impact ranking: 17 Brooks: “An offensive executive. Oklahoma will use LOADS of scheme elements to try and mask his size. Others like their WRs more than me but he was a five-star for a reason. If the ball can come out in rhythm, he’ll be deadly. But he’s unproven and ripe to have growing pains behind an OL that really hasn’t played together.”
Impact ranking: 18 Brooks: “Potential QB to make noise. Hasn’t played great competition (really — no career top 35 defensive opponents and half his foes last year finished as the two worst in EPA/pass). But if he’s gotten stronger driving the ball vertically and outside the numbers, he’ll become very popular. The most pressured guy I have on record yet shined and is relatively tough taking hits. Plus — while play versus pressure is volatile— his play when clean in structure — much more stable year over year — has been strong his whole career.”
Impact ranking: 23 Brooks: Mertz MUST get better as a downfield thrower. Just has to. Not good at it in back-to-back years and this past season he had the worst uncatchable percentage past 15 yards in the SEC. But his pocket roll has improved. Still a tad gunshy bailing from pockets and leaning on his dominant side. But sneakily great versus pressure. And while there’s no guarantee that will continue, that’s a top selling point this off-season. One of the best caretakers in college football eliminating mistakes. But passes up things far too often for surefire completions. Looks the part, has tools, but can he put it all together? Jayden Daniels gained courage throwing downfield after years of hesitancy and look what happened.”
Impact ranking: 26 Brooks: The big unknown from the former 5-star with a somewhat quiet spring. I think he’s fine but the lack of verticality so far is worrisome. A new offensive coordinator stresses consistency over explosiveness. So he might just be a blah game manager. Will have good WRs but UK will only be as good as he is. He looks the part but appears that his best passes are “stationary” throws like curls, hitches, back shoulders — not as sharpe on crosses, digs, outs.”
Impact ranking: 35 Brooks: Sellers is a hoss (6-3, 242). But as talented as Spencer Rattler was, he was still muted by his environment. I am still skeptical that South Carolina’s OL is any good. He’s more of a hold but talent is there.
Impact ranking: 40 Brooks: Taylen Green oozes potential but he’s been mercurial. No doubt in my mind, he’ll be a GREAT rusher (they will have the Lamar Jackson package ready to roll). But passing is the drawback. Good sack eraser but accuracy in/out of structure has been volatile the last two years. 20% of his yards vs his hardest foes last year at Boise came on 5 screens.”
Impact ranking: 49 Brooks: “Shapen is mid but the super spread will help him be productive and cool people he’s good. Not the strongest, twitchiest, or sound passers. But will be put in situations to succeed.”
Impact ranking: 51 Brooks: “Pavia is really underrated but going from G5 to SEC is a hard ask. He’s a good scrambler and he will provide value for Vandy; especially with all of NMSU’s offensive staff coming along for the ride. But he won’t have a good supporting cast; and though he’s wiry, ultimately limited as a downfield thrower.”
Impact ranking: N/A Brooks: “Thorne has some pop. But someone has to be last. He took too many sacks. Below-average throwing downfield and scheme is a middle school offense. He provides value with his legs but too many negative plays and interceptables to brush aside. He was killed by drops so he could see an immediate jolt. With how RPO fades are in that scheme, he could easily bolster his rep even if he’s not “doing” much.”
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