Graham Mertz to start for Florida with plan to use DJ Lagway - ESPN

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Graham Mertz will start at quarterback Saturday for Florida against Texas A&M, but there is a plan in place for freshman DJ Lagway.

Florida coach Billy Napier told ESPN that Mertz would be the first quarterback on the field and that Lagway would play specific possessions each half and certain plays throughout possessions.

«Both players will play. They have a great relationship,» Napier said. «The staff and team have confidence in both players. Both have been impressive this week. It's a positive for our team as a whole.»

Mertz, a redshirt senior, missed last week's game with a concussion suffered in the season-opening 41-17 home loss to Miami. Lagway filled in for Mertz and passed for 456 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-7 rout of FCS foe Samford. Lagway broke the school record for single-game passing yards by a freshman, topping Chris Leak's 268 against Kentucky in 2003.

Napier had said all week that Florida planned to use both Mertz and Lagway and that they will «make us harder to defend.»

The 6-foot-3, 239-pound Lagway was ESPN's top-rated quarterback prospect in the 2024 signing class. His successful debut as the starter last week, albeit against a lesser foe, only intensified the Florida quarterback debate.

Mertz finished with 91 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception against Miami, his worst statistical performance since transferring to Florida from Wisconsin. Florida had trouble blocking Miami, and Mertz was sacked three times. Montrell Johnson had a 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Other than that, the Gators managed just 190 yards in total offense.

Mertz had a career year last season for the Gators, with highs in completions (261), passing yards (2,903), touchdowns