Notre Dame Offers 2019 QB Graham Mertz
Notre Dame is still on the hunt for a quarterback in the class of 2019 to replace former commit Cade McNamara, and there's a new target on the board.
The Irish have been communicating with Wisconsin commit Graham Mertz of Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley North for some time, but an official offer didn't come until Wednesday night.
Mertz, the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the class and No. 243 overall player in the nation, committed to Wisconsin on Oct. 8 but has since picked up offers from several schools, including Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Oregon, Texas A&M and others.
During his junior season, Mertz threw for 3,684 yards and 45 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Blue & Gold Illustrated football analyst Bryan Driskell give Mertz a four-star grade with 4.5-star upside grade, and had this to say about the Badgers commit's skillset.
"Mertz is a prototype drop back quarterback, and it begins with his frame. The Wisconsin commit is tall, skinny and long, but has a frame that will allow him to get to 220+ pounds when he’s a senior in college. Mertz is not much of a runner at this point; nothing more than a chain mover, but his agility is foot quickness in the pocket. He has good agility, shows good balance and does a good job staying light on his feet in the pocket.The Blue Valley North signal caller can really spin the ball. He is an easy thrower with an effortless motion. His release isn’t quick, but it is fast. There is some length to his throwing motion, but his arm speed is such that he gets through the throwing zone in a hurry. Just as important, he’s able to repeat his deliver over and over. Once he gets more consistent with his release point he projects to be really accurate, and it will improve his ball placement. At times Mertz is a step too late from a timing standpoint on out cuts, but that’s normal for a junior in high school.Mertz shows good command in the pocket. He keeps his feet active throughout the play and never gets heavy footed, but he also doesn’t have happy feet. His feet take the rest of his body through his read progression, which is exactly what you want a quarterback to do. It allows him to be immediately ready to plant and throw when he makes his read and allows him to avoid the rush, reset and quickly get the throw off. Mertz does a good job keeping his eyes downfield throughout the play and throws well on the run.
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