Jesse Palmer says Billy Napier’s quarterback rotation gives Florida best chance to win games

Former Florida quarterback Jesse Palmer knows quite a bit about a quarterback rotation. He was a part of multiple during his four years in Gainesville under Steve Spurrier, first splitting time with Doug Johnson in 1998 and 1999, then with Rex Grossman in 2000. So, Palmer is the perfect person to weigh in on Billy Napier’s current QB rotation between fifth-year senior Graham Mertz and true freshman five-star DJ Lagway. 

Palmer shared his insights on whether picking a starter or sticking with a rotation will give his Gators the best chance to win going forward  “Traditionally one quarterback because generally when you’re doing that one guy is far better than the other guy, but I think there are some situations and you’re seeing it at Florida now where you’ve got two really talented guys… they’re too far off from one another and the playbook doesn’t change when either guy is in the game, so in that situation I do see that it’s most beneficial for the Gators to let both of those guys go.” 

In last week’s 24-13 win over UCF, Mertz went 19/23 for 179 yards and a touchdown while Lagway, who Palmer described as “the future,” completed all four of his passes and finished with 50 yards through the air. 

The Gators are 3-2 heading into Week 7 and Lagway has played in all five games. His lone start of the season came in Week 2 against Samford when he threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns with Mertz out with an injury. That performance forced Napier to work Lagway into the game plan, as has the urgency to save his job which ramped up after a 41-17 Week 1 loss to Miami. 

Both quarterbacks have played well since the rotation, which heavily favors the veteran, began against Texas A&M in Week 3, and that’s not an easy task. Palmer, who is working with Fairfield by Marriott to find the most die-hard fan in college football, reminisced on the added pressure of managing a QB rotation in front of your home fans. 

“It’s human nature in those situations when you watch the other guy throw a touchdown pass and The Swamp goes crazy and your teammates are all going crazy and you’re thinking to yourself, ‘man, next time I get on the field I’ve got to throw a touchdown or else I don’t know if I’m going to get another chance,” Palmer said. 

The fanbase fed into the pressure, but it’s a fanbase that Palmer has a lot of love for because playing football in Gainesville was akin to a religious experience for the football-crazed Canadian. 

“When I got to Gainesville it just felt like the Mecca for me. The Swamp was like a cathedral and every weekend everybody would go and worship the sport and worship the team, and that’s where I felt I belonged.” 

Those are exactly the types of fans that Palmer and Fairfield by Marriott are looking to reward with incredible VIP experiences at one of their team’s home games. You can view Palmer’s entire interview below and sign up for the Home Field Advantage Contest at Fairfieldfan.com.