Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz enters the transfer portal

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - After four years playing for the Wisconsin Badgers, Graham Mertz announced that he has entered the transfer portal in a Tweet on Sunday night.

The expectations for the quarterback were set high by his lofty recruiting ranking and his sparking debut as a starter back in 2020 after previous QB Jack Coan’s injury.

The quarterback from Overland Park, Kansas started out his time with the Badgers during his redshirt year in 2019. He came in as a backup quarterback for two games and completed nine of ten passes for 73 yards.

The expectations were high for Mertz starting out. He was rated a four-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals. However, during his 2020 and 2021, Mertz struggled to improve his consistency. He started all seven games in 2020 and all thirteen in 2021, completing 169 out of 284 passes in 2021 for 1,958 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Mertz enters the transfer portal with two years of eligibility.

“To my teammates, we’ve been through a lot, and the thing that kept us going was our love for each other, that is one thing that can never be broken,” Mertz said.

Mertz is the first player to announce his transfer intentions since Luke Fickell was named the new head coach of the program last Sunday.

In a Zoom on Sunday Fickell said he had spoken with Mertz earlier in the day and encouraged him to stay.

“We want nothing more than the best for him,” Fickell said. “I encouraged him to stick around here and see how the changes go. That’s not what I wanted him to do, but I respect that.”

The transfer portal window opens up tomorrow until January 18.

Current UW players and the father of Badger quarterback Myles Burkett have shown their support for Mertz on social media since he announced his decision on Sunday night.

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