Commitment 101: Graham Mertz

The Wisconsin Badgers added junior quarterback Graham Mertz to their 2019 recruiting class Sunday. Here's what Mertz's commitment means for head coach Paul Chryst moving forward.

At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Graham Mertz, who is just getting his feet wet at the varsity level, is oozing with potential and upside. This fall, the junior from Kansas has completed 132 of 214 passes (62 percent) for 23 touchdowns and 1,604 yards.

"Graham is a big, strong pocket-passer," Elite 11 quarterbacks coach Justin Hoover, who trains Mertz, told BadgerBlitz.com. "Huge arm with very polished fundamentals."

While he's very much a pro-style quarterback, Mertz also has the ability to make some plays outside the pocket and throw on the run. Mertz, who will graduate early, also has the frame to add some more weight before he arrives on campus in the spring of 2019.

"He's really talented and very competitive," Hoover said. "I think he'll attack his weaknesses and be ready to compete from Day 1. I think he needs to continue to work on footwork - he plays strictly in the gun - and you can always work on accuracy. I also think he needs to challenge himself when it comes to understanding and reading defenses.

"Physically it's all there. He's only started six varsity games, so he's learning every week."