ESPN's Cole Cubelic Backs Florida Gators Quarterback Graham Mertz

The Florida Gators are coming off three-straight losing seasons, something that hasn't happened in Gainesville since the 1940's. They inked the nation's No. 1 quarterback in DJ Lagway in the Class of 2024, sparking a new era of hope for the Gators.

However Cole Cubelic, ESPN's lead SEC Network reporter, thinks people are sleeping on Gators' senior quarterback Graham Mertz. On a recent podcast previewing Florida, Cubelic sung Mertz's praises.

"I don't understand why folks can't get excited about, or don't like, or just for whatever reason don't think Graham Mertz is very good," said Cubelic on his podcast. "I can remember doing this exact show a year ago when we watched the Florida spring game, and we talked about how he managed the offense operated the offense handled the offense.

"It looked great and a couple of the incompletions that everybody were mad about they were throwaways and a lot of the pressures that were getting to him weren't his fault. If you were to put the blinders on and do sort of the old Coke, Pepsi test with the blindfold on and gave you 73%, 293 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions and said 'you think that team's going to be okay with that guy under center this year?' You'd say 'well hell yeah.'"

Not every school has a DJ Lagway waiting in the wings. In fact, none of them do, but Cubelic points out there's a lot of schools in the SEC who would love to have a Graham Mertz.

"If South Carolina had that guy coming back, totally different conversation," said Cubelic. "If Payton Thorne had those numbers right now, what are we saying about Auburn this upcoming season? I bet we're having a different conversation about what those teams could be or might be.

"I'm just saying Florida's got that in Graham Mertz. Yet nobody really wants to talk about him like he's a guy that can really help this football team take big steps or be very good."

Cubelic continued to praise Mertz for being a mentor to Lagway as well.

"I think what you're going to see as a 23-year-old, six-year senior taking this 18-year-old freshman under his wing really benefit Florida for years to come," said Cubelic of the Mertz-Lagway relationship.

Statistically, Mertz had a good season. His 20 to three touchdown to interception rate was miles better than Thorne (16-10) or even fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler at South Carolina last year (19-8).

However, this is Gators football.

After three-consecutive seven-loss seasons, fans only care about one number, the win total. If Mertz can help head coach Billy Napier turn the ship around in Gainesville while ushering in the Lagway era, he'll be fondly remembered in Gators lore, even if he's being slept on now.