Graham Mertz injury: What Florida HC Billy Napier said about Gators' star QB
The Florida Gators suffered a blow to their offense in the season-opening loss versus the Miami Hurricanes, with an injury to star quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz sustained a concussion in the third quarter of the 41-17 blowout loss and was entered into concussion protocol.
Mertz was forced to miss Florida's Week 2 matchup versus Samford. On Wednesday afternoon, Florida coach Billy Napier briefly spoke on Mertz's availability ahead of the Gators' Week 3 contest versus the Texas A&M Aggies.
When asked if freshman quarterback DJ Lagway was taking first-team reps in practice, Napier responded, "Both have," hinting at a potential Mertz return for Week 3. Napier also indicated he would have a further update on Graham Mertz later today.
The senior quarterback struggled versus Miami in their season opener, completing 11 of his 20 pass attempts for 91 yards and an interception. Mertz was also sacked three times by the time he exited the game in the third quarter.
Graham Mertz situation ahead of Texas A&M in Week 3
It remains unclear at this time if Mertz will start for the Gators in Week 3, but his return seems possible. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway notched his first collegiate start versus Samford last week in Mertz's absence.
The top-ranked quarterback in the 2024 class showed out in his debut, completing 18 of 25 pass attempts for 456 yards and three touchdowns. The highly-touted freshman was ranked as the No. 3 recruit in the country by 247Sports.
Even if Mertz were to exit concussion protocol, it isn't certain the senior would retain the starting job after Lagway's impressive Week 2 performance. The Gators enter Week 3 as 3.5-point underdogs at home versus Texas A&M.
The Aggies, like Florida, opened their season with a loss but bounced back in Week 2. If Graham Mertz offers any indication he may not be 100 percent throughout the week, Napier is likely to give the talented freshman the nod, given his Week 2 performance.