Florida quarterback Graham Mertz will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season after tearing an ACL in his left knee in Saturday's overtime loss to Tennessee, coach Billy Napier announced Monday.

“It is only right that I say how much I appreciate what he has contributed to the team,” Napier said.

It was an agonizing way for Mertz, a sixth-grader, to end his college career. It was a non-contact injury that occurred after he threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Arlis Boardingham midway through the third quarter to give Florida a 10-0 lead.

As Mertz walked back after the throw, his leg appeared to land awkwardly on the turf. He was attended to by trainers, hobbled off the field and slammed his helmet to the ground as he reached the sideline. Mertz watched the fourth quarter on crutches and with a brace on his knee.

With Mertz sidelined, Florida will turn to true freshman DJ Lagway as its full-time quarterback.

Mertz sent a message to Florida fans on social media, thanking them for “two incredible years in Gainesville.” During his recovery, he vowed to “remain a part of the program and do everything I can in meeting rooms and on the sidelines to help my teammates win.”

Thank you, Gator Nation 🐊 pic.twitter.com/8pKEbwaos6

— Graham Mertz (@GrahamMertz5) October 14, 2024

Mertz was also injured until the end of last season when he broke his collarbone in the penultimate game against Missouri. He chose to return for the 2024 season rather than enter the NFL Draft.

He missed a Week 2 win against Samford this season after suffering a concussion in the season-opening loss to Miami. Mertz began his career at Wisconsin and played for the Badgers for three years before transferring to Florida.

In five games this season, Mertz scored six touchdowns with two interceptions. He leads the country with a 76.6 completion percentage and threw a touchdown pass in 15 of his 16 career starts at Florida.

Lagway rotated with Mertz for most of this season and started in place of the injured Mertz in Week 2, rushing for 456 yards. In the loss to Tennessee, Lagway threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike on third-and-19 in the final seconds to force overtime.

Lagway was the top-rated ESPN quarterback nationally in the 2024 signing class and No. 8 overall.

The Gators (3-3, 1-2 SEC) return home to face Kentucky on Saturday. Then they play four straight games against teams ranked in the top 20 in the AP poll, including three teams in the top 8 (No. 5 Georgia, No. 1 Texas and No. 8 LSU).