Top QBs on the 2023 Schedule

[Escambia94]

Here is how Graham Mertz ranks among the starting QBs on the schedule in 2023 (Sporting News ranking shown):

1. Week 11 - 6. Jayden Daniels, LSU 2022 stats: 2,913 yards, 68.6%, 17 TDs, 3 INTs 144.5 RAT
2. Week 13 - 7. Jordan Travis, Florida State 2022 stats: 3,214 yards, 64%, 24 TDs, 5 INTs 160.1 RAT
3. Week 1 - 8. Cam Rising, Utah 2022 stats: 3,034 yards, 64.7%, 26 TDs, 8 INTs 149.0 RAT
4. Week 7 - 11. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina 2022 stats: 3,026 yards, 66.2%, 18 TDs, 12 INTs 138.7 RAT
5. Week 10 - 15. K.J. Jefferson, Arkansas 2022 stats: 2,648 yards, 68%, 24 TDs, 5 INTs 165.2 RAT
6. Week 3 - 16. Joe Milton, Tennessee 2022 stats: 971 yards, 64.6%, 10 TDs, 0 INTs 204.3 RAT
7. Week 9 - 17. Carson Beck, Georgia. 2022 stats: 310 yards, 71.4%, 4 TDs, 0 INTs 186.4 RAT
8. Week 5 - 18. Devin Leary, Kentucky 2022 stats: 1,265 yards, 61.1%, 11 TDs, 4 INTs 130.9 RAT
9. Week 12 - NR. Brady Cook, Missouri 2022 stats: 2,739 yards, 64.8%, 14 TDs, 7 INTs 133.2 RAT
10. Week 6 - NR. Ken Seals, Vanderbilt 2021 stats: 1.181 yards, 56.7%, 5 TD, 8 IN 101.2 RAT

NR. Graham Mertz, Florida 2022 stats: 2,136 yards, 57.3%, 19 TDs, 10 INTs 135.0 RAT

Anthony Richardson, Florida 2022 stats: 2,549 yards, 53.8$, 17 TDs, 9 INTs, 131.0 RAT

Based on rating alone, Mertz is likely tied for 8th place in the ranking of all 13 QBs (McNeese and Charlotte QBs not shown). If Richardson had returned he would have also been the 8th ranked QB on this list unless we went by QBR (which accounts for rushing yards and avoiding sacks) and ranked him around 4th.

 

[DRU2012]

The questions and overall pessimism regarding Mertz really parallels those that continue to lately solidify around the whole UF Football squad and program as we now rush towards the start of the 2023 season:
At this point, you'd have to wonder, "Is this Gator team really as bad, devoid of talent and experience in relation to the teams they'll be playing on this season's schedule, as the media and general public widely profess to believe?"
Or are we in fact developing "alone on a desert island", far from any opportunity for objective evaluation by those doing most of the judging?
I definitely think mainly the latter, to a certain extent. Let's face it: most of us sure are HOPING so. Otherwise, the coming season is likely to be a whole lot more painful than we are quietly counting on in our own secret, "be nice to shut 'em all UP!"-way!