Jesse Palmer, a former quarterback for Florida, has extensive knowledge in a quarterback rotation. During his four years under Steve Spurrier in Gainesville, he was a part of several groups. In 1998 and 1999, he shared time with Doug Johnson, and in 2000, he joined Rex Grossman.
Palmer is therefore the ideal person to comment on Billy Napier’s current quarterback rotation, which alternates between true freshman five-star DJ Lagway and fifth-year senior Graham Mertz.
Palmer discussed if sticking with a rotation or selecting a starter will offer his Gators the best chance to win in the future. “Typically, one quarterback because, in most cases, when you’re doing that, one guy is far better than the other, but I believe there are some situations—like the one at Florida right now—where you have two really talented guys. They’re too far apart, and the playbook doesn’t change when either guy is in the game, so in that case, I do think it’s best for the Gators to let both of those guys go.”
Mertz went 19/23 for 179 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 24–13 victory over UCF, while Lagway—who Palmer referred to as “the future”—completed all four of his passes and finished with 50 yards via the air.
Lagway has participated in all five games as the Gators enter Week 7 with a 3-2 record. With Mertz sidelined due to injury, he made his only start of the season in Week 2 against Samford, throwing for 456 yards and three touchdowns. Both that performance and the increased pressure to keep his job following a 41-17 Week 1 loss to Miami compelled Napier to incorporate Lagway into the game plan.
Since the rotation, which heavily favors the veteran, started against Texas A&M in Week 3, both quarterbacks have performed admirably, and that’s no small feat. Palmer recalled the extra strain of overseeing a quarterback rotation in front of your home crowd. Palmer is collaborating with Fairfield by Marriott to identify the most ardent college football fan.
“When you see the other guy throw a touchdown pass and The Swamp goes crazy, and your teammates are all going crazy, it’s human nature to think, ‘Man, I have to throw a touchdown the next time I get on the field or else I don’t know if I’m going to get another chance,'” Palmer said.
The strain was exacerbated by the fan base, which Palmer loves since, to the football-mad Canadian, playing football in Gainesville was like going to church.
“For me, Gainesville felt like heaven when I arrived. I felt like I belonged in the Swamp, which was like a church where everyone went to worship the team and the sport every weekend.
Palmer and Fairfield by Marriott want to give these fans amazing VIP experiences at one of their team’s home games in order to reward them. Palmer’s full interview is available below, and you can register for the Home Field Advantage Contest at Fairfieldfan.com.