GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, the Gators' most prized signee since Tim Tebow, walked off the UF practice field for the first time Thursday, the sweat on his brow glistening off a sunset of orange and blue hues.
The dawn of a new era has arrived in Billy Napier's third year at Florida, and Lagway is the hook on which so many Gators fans hang their hopes for a brighter future and a return to the top. They believe it's only a matter of time before Lagway wins a Heisman Trophy and gets his statue outside the Swamp.
You've undoubtedly read intros to stories about the Next Great Thing similar to the two paragraphs above. From there, the narrative takes you on a journey of twists and turns to a hopeful conclusion, contextualized with the Next Great Thing as the centerpiece.
This isn't one of those stories.
To be clear, Lagway is an integral part of this tale and the Gators' future, but so is Florida's QB1, whose presence at the first practice of spring camp Thursday was (almost) equally newsworthy. The last time we saw Graham Mertz on the field, he was in excruciating pain after breaking his collarbone last season at Missouri.
"I hope no one ever breaks a collarbone ever in their life because [sleeping] was terrible,'' he said.
In his first season at Florida, the 23-year-old Mertz turned in the finest statistical season of his career. Mertz completed 72.9% of his passes for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. A three-year starter at Wisconsin, Mertz opted to return for a sixth year of eligibility and has an opportunity to help the Gators improve in 2024.
Mertz said the personal stats were nice last season, but he is seeking more in his final season. Florida finished 5-7 and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2017.
"Frankly, I was unsatisfied with last year,'' he said. "I base my satisfaction off of did we win every game. I think that's what should drive you."
Mertz enters the season with 43 career starts, which places him near the top of experience among all quarterbacks returning. He took the field Thursday and could throw and do everything he did last year before his season-ending injury.
Mertz's decision to return to school was one of the Gators' most crucial offseason developments. He provides leadership at the game's most critical position and can help the 18-year-old Lagway acclimate to the collegiate level and learn all he needs to know about Napier's offensive system.
"It's a big deal for the Florida Gators that Graham Mertz is back to play quarterback," Napier said. "A ton of advantages. A ton of confidence there.
"The advantage of D.J, being able to observe Graham, and certainly Graham's embraced that mentorship and done a phenomenal job so far. They can both see the big picture."
What Lagway's role will look like remains uncertain, but Napier won't have to rush him into a starting role as long as Mertz stays healthy. Lagway has a strong arm and is a dual-threat presence on every snap.
Mertz is already impressed by his young teammates' work ethic and talent. He wants to help Lagway in any way he can.
"He's elite,'' Mertz said. "I'm not Gatorade National Player of the Year and all this stuff, so it's a different scale. So, I can bring things that I went through, and recently when I was learning the offense here, and how to teach him, how to grow at a faster rate, but I mean, he's doing a great job.
"He's here to learn, he wants to grow, he's a competitor. I mean, I saw him out there today getting into competitor mode, and it fired me up a little bit."
A 6-foot-3, 241-pound standout from Willis, Texas, Lagway drew the most attention when the external media watched practice. Everyone wanted to see the Next Best Thing in his No. 2 jersey.
Lagway threw for more than 4,604 yards and 58 touchdowns as a senior at Willis (Texas) High. He added 957 yards rushing and 16 scores.
"We all understand that he is talented," Napier said. "He's had significant accomplishments. We're excited that he's here. He's earning respect one day at a time."
Meanwhile, Mertz will continue to do what he's done since arriving in January 2023 and setting up shop in the Heavener Training Center. As newcomer Lagway works to build respect in the building, Mertz will continue to grow his.
Mertz is healthy and eager to help Lagway. But he's also a competitor. He didn't come to Florida to lose.
"Are you doing your job to the best of your ability? We won five games," Mertz said. "Point blank, that's not it. That's why I'm back."
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