Billy Napier praises Graham Mertz’s work ethic, preparation ahead of Florida debut

Thursday night, Graham Mertz will make his Florida debut against Utah. A transfer from Wisconsin, his performance will be a big one for the Gators this season as Billy Napier enters his second year as head coach.

Mertz brings plenty of experience with him to Gainesville, starting 32 games in Madison before entering the transfer portal. Now, he’ll try to use that experience to help Napier’s offense take the next steps after last year’s 6-7 record.

Ahead of Mertz’s debut, Napier raved about how his starting quarterback has worked to win the job this offseason and thinks he’s fully prepared to run the show.

“I think he’s been working on this opportunity since the day he arrived on campus,” Napier told ESPN’s Holly Rowe prior to kickoff. “I can’t compliment the work ethic enough. The professionalism, the way he’s worked on his leadership, the way he’s connected with his teammates. He’s ready. This guy’s started 32 football games, he knows our system, he’s confident. He’s had a great week of preparation.”

Thursday will also mark the Gators’ first non-conference road game outside of Florida since 1991. That’s a stretch of 11,667 days since UF left the state for a game. Napier said the offseason helped the Gators get ready for the trip to Salt Lake City, and he’s confident their hard work will pay off.

“We’ve had a great offseason,” Napier said. “I think we’ve worked hard developing intangibles on our team, and I’ve really been pleased with the accountability of the veteran players. We’ve added some really good, young talent. But it’s been a great offseason. All the way, going back to January, this group has worked extremely hard. I’m very proud of them.”

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