Florida Football: Five mild predictions for the Gators in 2023
![Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) looks to throw during the second half during the Florida Gators Orange and Blue Spring Game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Orange Blue Spring Game](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F5657e7cdf0f9ddbd1c02775723afba53e43b59d7ca72f2ac728ef7af4ccb5772.jpg "Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) looks to throw during the second half during the Florida Gators Orange and Blue Spring Game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Orange Blue Spring Game")
Earlier this week, we here at Hail Florida Hail put out our list of five bold predictions for Florida football heading into 2023. The list ranged from Max Brown getting meaningful snaps this season to Austin Armstrong producing a top-five defense in the SEC.
But maybe you are like DJ Khaled on the YouTube series HotOnes. Maybe you don’t like spicy things. Maybe you like your takes to be mostly safe but still have a hint of uncertainty to them.
Have no fear, as these are five things that will probably happen during the 2023 season, but we are not willing to bet our house, firstborn child, or something else of high value.
Florida Football: Graham Mertz will not be the worst QB in the SEC
If you pay attention to preseason prognostications from outlets that have the sole goal in life to hate Florida football beyond On3 (the national guys, by the way, not the local guys), you have probably seen a power ranking or two that think new Gators’ QB Graham Mertz is going to be the worst QB in the SEC.
Is he elite? No, of course not.
But his average yards per attempt last year was better than a number of QBs the rest of the country swears are better than him.
The pathway for the Florida offense to move the ball is to establish a run game and give Mertz play-action reads with safe throws that can be turned into big plays.
Mertz isn’t so terrible that he can handle himself in that type of situation.
What would derail this take is if the offensive line doesn’t mend and gel together, and Mertz is turned into a human pinata, forcing quick and poorly thought-out throws.