Florida football QB Graham Mertz most important players in CPF race

The inaugural 12-team edition of the College Football Playoff will take place this coming season, representing a departure from the previous four-team format originally adopted in 2014.

Had the change taken place before the COVID epidemic, there is a good chance that the Florida Gators would have earned a berth in one of their better years. However, the Orange and Blue are dealing with a doldrum unseen in Gainesville for decades while facing the toughest schedules among Power Four schools this fall.

Nonetheless, Billy Napier and Co. still have an outside chance at the CFP if everything goes right; if not, they can at least be spoilers for their biggest rivals. According to ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly, that all rests on the shoulders of the Gators’ incumbent starting quarterback, Graham Mertz, who is among the top 25 most important players in 2024’s College Football Playoff race and ranked at No. 19.

Mertz’s performance in 2023

“After an inconsistent tenure at Wisconsin, Mertz moved to Gainesville last year and … performed inconsistently. But his upside was intriguing. He took far too many drive-killing sacks (at least three in eight of 11 games), but he also completed 73% of his passes with a 20-3 TD-to-INT ratio.

“Florida upset Tennessee and nearly took down Missouri on the road, and Mertz threw for 423 yards in a 41-39 track meet against South Carolina.”

Looking at Gators’ schedule

“Florida’s schedule is one of the hardest the sport has seen; the Gators will face the teams projected first, fourth, eighth, ninth, 12th, 13th, 16th, 19th and 25th in SP+, and while they’ll have to be awfully good just to reach bowl eligibility, they’re going to be more than capable of pulling an upset or two,” Connelly continues.

“Mertz could end up splitting some time with five-star freshman DJ Lagway. But if Florida pulls a major upset or two, Mertz will likely be the catalyst.”

Florida’s 2024 season opener