Graham Mertz handling hype, expectations well, Paul Chryst says

There’s been a lot of excitement about Graham Mertz since the four-star quarterback committed to Wisconsin. Many think he can be the piece the Badgers need to make a push for a national title.

That amount of pressure and expectation can be overwhelming for a freshman quarterback, especially one who could have an immediate impact on the field. But Paul Chryst believes the newcomer is handling everything well.

“There’s a lot of buzz and talk about him, and I think he’s handled it well, I think the team has handled it well,” Chryst said at B1G Media Days. “He’s the same person. He’s one that’s grounded, unbelievable worker and I think is going through a lot.”

Mertz enters fall camp in a quarterback battle with returner Jack Coan. Both are competing for a job that Alex Hornibrook left behind for Florida State, despite being the three-year incumbent.

So far, there’s been no indication of who the favorite is to win the job, but many expect Mertz to take over at some point in the season. Either way, the Badgers are in a good situation under center and the future bright.

If Mertz is already handling expectations well as a freshman, he’s going to be just fine in Madison.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB