Graham

Mertz

Mertz (6’3/212) began his career at Wisconsin as a member of their 2019 recruiting class. He redshirted his true freshman season after seeing limited action, but made seven starts in 2020, throwing for 1,238-9-5 while completing 61.1 percent of his passes. He entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2022 season and went on to play two seasons for the Gators, but saw his 2024 season cut short due to a torn ACL he suffered in October. Before his injury, Mertz was off to a strong start, throwing for 791-6-2 while completing 76.6 percent of his passes and also averaging a career-high 8.4 YPA. Mertz struggled with avoiding sacks for much of his career, and has two seasons with 10-plus turnovers on his resumé. Long thought of as a game manager who improved over time, Mertz brings a wealth of college experience (48 career starts, 50 career games) to the pro ranks, but he’s an unspectacular prospect who never threw for more than 2,903 yards in any of his six seasons. He was on a 12-game pace throw for 1,898 yards last season. He has serviceable arm strength and works well off of play action, which should give him a chance to compete for a backup spot in camp if he is cleared to participate.

On the season, Mertz (6'3/227) wasn’t asked to do much through the air, but he was the perfect complement to Braelon Allen. On the first drive, Mertz threw a beautiful corner route to Markus Allen for 31 yards to set up a John Chenal touchdown run. On the second drive, Mertz found Jake Ferguson for a seven-yard touchdown pass on a corner route that ended up being the game-winner. On the very next possession, Mertz threw a dig route to Kendric Pryor that was intercepted, which ended up epitomizing his season for the Badgers. While his season was up and down with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, Mertz did lead the Badgers to nine wins and should be able to take a step forward next season.

Mertz (6'3/227) didn’t have a running game to rely on Saturday afternoon and his struggles in the passing game reflected just that. The epitome of his struggles boil down to two plays in the second half. Up 10-6 in the third quarter, Mertz threw a corner route too far inside that DB Justin Walley intercepted. The Gophers turned that into a touchdown just two plays later to take the lead. The other was with the game winding down. Down ten, Mertz threw the ball to nobody on fourth down. Really frustrating to see your QB throw the ball to an empty patch of grass instead of giving one of your receivers the opportunity to make a play. The Badgers finished with an 8-4 record and will play in a bowl game.

Mertz (6'3/227) threw his lone touchdown early in the third quarter when he found wide receiver Kendric Pryor on a 17-yard pass to put the Badgers up 21-14. Mertz wasn’t asked to do much in this one, as most of Wisconsin’s offense was run through freshman running back Braelon Allen. Mertz has been mostly a game manager for the Badgers this season, having yet to throw for more than 240-yards in any game this season, but the Badgers are 8-3 on the season thanks in part to an elite defense and ground game that seems to produce no matter who is being handed the ball. Wisconsin will play its final regular season game next Saturday at Minnesota.

Mertz (6'3/227) looked like the player we expected to see all season. He was calm, confident, and calculated throughout the game. Mertz was incredibly poised in the pocket and was delivering strikes all game. He threw a pretty skinny post to Danny Davis III to extend the lead to 14-0 in the second quarter that threaded through three defenders. With Mertz playing as confident as he is, the Badgers are going to be tough to stop. Nebraska will try when they come to town next Saturday.

Mertz (6'3/227) aired it out in the first half of this one, as just two of his nine completions through the first two quarters went for less than 15 yards. Mertz and the Badgers held a 31-3 lead at halftime thanks in part to Mertz’s two touchdown passes. Mertz connected with fullback John Chenal on a one-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter, and later found wide receiver Kendric Pryor on a 25-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute to go in the half. In the third quarter, Mertz connected with wide receiver Danny Davis on a short pass that Davis turned into a 72-yard touchdown after shaking a few defenders. Mertz completed just two passes in the second-half, but had as about an efficient day for a quarterback as one could hope for. Now winners of five straight games, Wisconsin will look to push its winning streak to six next Saturday against Northwestern.

Mertz came into this game with a 2/7 TD/INT rate, so no doubt the Badgers staff was thrilled that the team jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead. That allowed Wisconsin to toggle its offensive aggression all the way down to “uber-uber-uber-uber conservative,” which didn’t give Mertz the opportunity to put the ball in harm’s way. Wisconsin gets the win it desperately needed to improve to 5-3. After a trying start to the season, bowl eligibility can be achieved at Rutgers next Saturday.

This was Mertz’s (6'3/227) lowest volume passing day, by far, as Wisconsin took the air out of the ball and ran it down Purdue’s throat to the tune of 51 carries for 290 yards and 5.7 yards per carry. It’s hard to argue with the results, as Wisconsin wore down the Purdue defense in the second half, rolling up 17 unanswered points while shutting down the Boilermakers offense completely. Despite Wisconsin controlling the game they were still woefully inefficient, converting just one-of-eleven third down situations and losing two fumbles. However they leaned on their defense that caused a whopping five turnovers including a fumble run back for a touchdown while scoring another 10 points on drives following turnovers. The Badgers have a huge game against Big Ten West rival Iowa next Saturday.

While Mertz (6'3/227) didn’t do anything through the air, he did his best Black Knights impression, running five times for 14 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first time finding the end zone with his feet since registering two rushing scores against Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last Dec. 30, and it was the first time in a regular-season collegiate game he accomplished the feat. Mertz is having a disastrous year with just two TD passes and seven INTs through six outings. He’ll look to right the ship at Purdue next Saturday.

Mertz (6'3/227) should be ready to go against Illinois in Champaign. After getting hurt in the second half against Michigan, all tests came back negative allowing him to practice during the week. After struggling early in the year, Mertz was really starting to come into his own in the game against Michigan, as he made some of his best throws of the year.