Graham Mertz should be given every opportunity possible to start for the Wisconsin Badgers at quarterback next season.
This past season was a disaster of epic proportions when my Badgers finished 8-5. That will never be acceptable as long as I’m alive and supporting the program.
Anybody who is being totally honest about the situation will admit the inconsistent quarterback play was a major contributor to losing five games. Yes, I recognize Hornibrook struggled with head injuries, and there’s only so much you can do about that.
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However, that doesn’t excuse the bad play by the redshirt junior and sophomore backup Jack Coan. It was so bad at times, and Badger fans expect better.
That’s where freshman recruit and early enrollee Graham Mertz enters the picture. He just lit it up at the All-American Bowl this past weekend. (RELATED: Wisconsin Commit Graham Mertz Sets Touchdown Record In All-American Bowl)
The young man absolutely dominated on his way to throwing a record five touchdowns.
Blue Valley North’s Graham Mertz had himself a DAY at the All-American Bowl
–Game record 5 TD passes on just 7 completions
–Awarded MVP trophy before game even ends
–Team wins 48-17Pretty good for a kid from Kansas#CatchItKansas pic.twitter.com/6SDCeTmYkk
— CatchItKansas (@CatchItKansas) January 5, 2019
Listen and listen carefully because I want to be crystal clear here. Mertz should absolutely be given the opportunity to start week one in 2019. I don’t care if Hornibrook is healthy or not. We’ve seen all we need to see out of him. His floor and ceiling are pretty established.
Mertz has the physical skills to go out there and kill it. Great quarterback play is what separates Wisconsin from teams in that next level.
The young gunslinger from Kansas can fix that. It would also turn out that a lot of Wisconsin fans agree with me because Mertz was at the top of a recent poll, which asked who should start next year.
Who should the Wisconsin Badgers start at quarterback next season?
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) January 7, 2019
Let Mertz go out there all spring and summer, and let him just sling the ball all over the place. He’s the future and the future should start the moment he puts on the pads for the first time in practice.
Get it done, Chryst. Give the state what we desperately want.