For the second time in the span of a week, Ohio State sent out an offer to a 2019 quarterback, this time to Overland Park, Kansas (Blue Valley North HS) pocket passer Graham Mertz.
Mertz announced the offer via Twitter.
Received an offer from The Ohio State University! #GoBucks ⭕️ pic.twitter.com/0BUXwCoixm
— Graham Mertz (@GrahamMertz5) January 17, 2018
Mertz (6-4 205) is committed to Wisconsin, and has been since October. Since his commitment, however, he has also added an offer from the Michigan Wolverines.
Rated the No. 7 pro-style passer in the 2019 class, Mertz also holds offers from Ole Miss, Kansas, and Minnesota.
Mertz transferred to Blue Valley North High School from Miege High School prior to his junior season in order to get a shot at a starting job.
He ended up earning First-Team All-State honors in leading Blue Valley North to a state championship. Mertz threw for 3,684 yards with 45 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 315 yards, including 95 yards in the state semifinal game.
In the state title game, Mertz completed 24-of-30 passes for 462 yards with four touchdowns in a 49-42 win. He scored the clinching touchdown on a 15-yard run.
Mertz has continued his stellar play even after the season, earning attention recently at the Army All-American Combine where he was one of the top 2019 quarterbacks in attendance.
His highlights show a quarterback with a very strong arm and tremendous touch. He has enough mobility to stay alive inside or outside of the pocket, and he always has his eyes downfield on a scramble. He has an easy release and doesn’t need a big wind-up. Mertz is clearly comfortable throwing over the middle of the field, and is already utilizing the touch necessary to drop passes in over drifting linebackers.
Mertz is now the seventh quarterback Ohio State has offered in the 2019 class. North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell received an offer late last week. He is the No. 4 pro-style QB in the nation and threw for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 1,500 yards this past season.
There are three other uncommitted quarterbacks who hold OSU offers. Oregon’s Michael Johnson Jr. is the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the nation and has held an offer since he visited Ohio State last spring. Texas prospect Grant Tisdale is the No. 6 dual-threat quarterback in the class. He will be utilizing the newly-allowed official visits in the spring and will commit early and enroll next winter. Last month, OSU also offered Iowa quarterback Max Duggan, who is the No. 8 dual-threat prospect in the nation. Nebraska is viewed as the favorite at the moment.
Graham Mertz Highlights
[Graham Mertz photo courtesy KansasCity.com.]
I hope he doesn’t go to Michigan!!