Florida football QB Graham Mertz in concussion protocol after loss to Miami

Florida football quarterback Graham Mertz is in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury at the end of the third quarter in UF's 41-17 loss to Miami.

The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Mertz was hit hard as he threw an interception late in the third quarter and went to the locker room with trainers after the hit. The injury ended a rough day for Mertz, who finished the game 11 for 20 with 91 yards and an interception. He was sacked three times in his 12th start for the Florida Gators .

"Graham had a concussion, and he'll be in protocol," Florida football coach Billy Napier said. "We'll give you an update when we meet with you Monday and Wednesday of next week."

It's the second straight game that Mertz has left with an injury. He broke his collarbone late in the third quarter of UF's 33-31 loss to Missouri on Nov. 18.

“It definitely hurts the pride," Florida starting center Jake Slaughter. "That’s something that we can control and we need to control better. We need to execute. At the end of the day we need to be better.”

If Mertz isn't cleared, Florida will turn to freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway to start Game 2 at The Swamp against Samford. A five-star standout from Willis, Texas, Lagway was the 2023 Gatorade High School player of the year.

The 6-2, 239-pound Lagway led UF on a touchdown drive and went 3 of 6 with 36 yards passing, an interception and 20 yards rushing in his UF debut against the Hurricanes.

"He did a lot of good things," Napier said. "In particular, the second drive there we got to some things where he had success. Threw some great individual cuts, some good movement passes, made a few plays with his feet. I thought the players around him played well."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football QB Graham Mertz in concussion protocol after loss to Miami