Badger of Honor
Fansided

Wisconsin Football: 2019 QB Graham Mertz Shuts Down Recruitment, Fully Commits to the Badgers

By Taylor Laabs

MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 19: General view of action as fans look on during the college football game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Troy Trojans at Camp Randall Stadium on September 19, 2015 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 19: General view of action as fans look on during the college football game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Troy Trojans at Camp Randall Stadium on September 19, 2015 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Graham Mertz fully committed to the Wisconsin Badgers.

College recruiting is a silly thing really. It starts Twitter wars and even leads to school sanctions. I try very hard not to get obsessed with recruiting classes, mostly because the Badgers find so much talent and future NFL pros in walk-ons and 2-star recruits. But the group of recruits that make up the Badgers’ rapidly ascending 2019 class has a chance to be special and I am bit more invested in it than I probably should be. And it just got another boost Thursday night as prized 4-star QB and current verbal commit, Graham Mertz, officially ended his recruitment and re-committed to the Badgers.

A composite 4-star recruit, 24/7 Sports ranks Mertz as the #1 prospect in Kansas and the #4 Pro-Style prospect in the nation. His stellar MVP performance at the recent Rivals 3 Stripe Camp raised the eyebrows of many recruiters across the nation and also raised his stock; 24/7 Sports has him as the 86th best recruit in the nation – and rising.

At 6’ 3” 205 lbs, Mertz is the epitome of a pro-style QB and the crown jewel of the Badgers’ 2019 class. Working in Chryst’s pro-style offense, with a brutish Offensive Line, and bruising running backs, Mertz really has a chance to make a special impact in Madison. Mertz is part of a stellar group of commits in the 2019 class which visited Wisconsin’s campus last weekend. Along with tight end Hayden Rucci, 5-star offensive lineman Logan Brown, athlete Marcus Graham and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, along with a few other potential commits.

Mertz and crew took in all that a Madison summer has to offer. Hosting the high-profile commits together in one weekend was a shrewd move by the Badgers staff, as it seemed to establish a newfound sense of camaraderie among the group that had never all met in-person before. Along with jumping in Lake Mendota, passionate film sessions, and touring the grounds, there were also reports that the crew were hosted to dinner and cornhole at Coach Chryst’s house. How much more ‘Wisconsin’ can it get than that?

It’s easy to see the early fruits of that visit with the likes of Mertz and Rucci re-committing themselves to the Badger cause. Mertz’s official statement Thursday night also quells the nerves of many Badger fans, who were growing increasingly paranoid that Ohio State and Notre Dame were going to flip the QB. Many Badgers fans have been burned before by enthusiastic commits who ended up flipping late in the recruiting season to the likes of OSU, but Mertz seems different.

Chryst found and recruited him early on and committed to him when many other programs stayed in the shadows. Plus, his family seems committed to Mertz staying in Madison, which is a good sign, and his bond with his future 2019 teammates seems extremely strong.

Next: Wisconsin's College Football Playoff Scenarios

Now, how many days until the early signing period?