Greg McElroy knows Graham Mertz’s numbers at Wisconsin were not necessarily optimal. Nevertheless, he still believes the quarterback can be successful at Florida.

During the latest episode of “Always College Football,” McElroy addressed the idea of transfer QBs finding better success at a new destination. One thing he particularly pointed to is the massive expectations heaped on Mertz at Wisconsin, something he was unable to live up to with the Badgers.

“I think this is highly likely (that Mertz plays better than expected),” said McElroy. “A lot of people seem to put the baby out with the bathwater in regard to starting QBs. ‘Hey they weren’t great as a freshman, so they’ll never be good.’ That’s not the case. Sometimes you get better and sometimes when you step into a place where expectations for your success are through the roof — Graham Mertz was supposed to be the Wisconsin savior — that’s a difficult spot to be in.”

To help illustrate his point, McElroy pointed to the successes of Michael Penix Jr., Hendon Hooker and Bo Nix a season ago. All 3 had various struggles at their first destinations but developed into Heisman candidates during the 2022 season.

During his career in Madison, Mertz threw for over 5,000 yards with 38 career touchdowns, so the potential to be successful is there. The key this season could be finding consistency with 26 career interceptions to Mertz’s credit.