Florida Alligators Starting quarterback Graham Mertz is out for Georgia Bulldogs game and the rest of the year. Unfortunately, Mertz suffered an ACL tear in Florida’s 23-17 loss in Tennessee.
THE Alligators having another legitimate option at quarterback in true freshman DJ Lagway. Lagway has already gained a lot of experience this season.
“We signed DJ (Lagway). He’s a great kid – what a great family – and just extremely talented,” Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart said during the weekly SEC teleconference. “To come into the SEC and be able to play like he did as a true freshman, it’s rare because the ladder is usually very high.”
Lagway was a five-star quarterback in the class of 2025. He was rated the No. 1 quarterback in the country, according to 247Sports.
“He has incredible arm talent,” Smart continued. “He can throw the ball the length of the court.”
Lagway is tasked with saving the head coach The work of Billy Napier. The Gators face a tough challenge and are expected to face four ranked opponents in their final five games.
Lagway has completed 62.8 percent of his passes this year for five touchdowns and five interceptions. Lagway threw for 1,024 yards and had six sacks. He rushed for 96 yards on 34 carries.
Lagway completed seven of 14 passes for 259 yards and an interception and rushed 10 times for 46 yards in Florida’s dominant 48-20 win over Kentucky. The Gators took a run-centric approach against Kentucky and made 74.6 percent of the offensive plays.
Graham Mertz has completed 72 of 94 passes for 791 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Mertz finished his senior season with a QBR of 71.6. He is no longer eligible for college.
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Florida is 4-3 to start the 2024 college football season. Florida and the #2 Georgia Bulldogs bow out before renewing their rivalry in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Georgia-Florida game will be played at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 2 and televised on ABC.
This article was originally published on Bulldogs Wire: Florida without its starting QB against Georgia
