GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz is transferring to Florida, giving the Gators an experienced starter at a depleted position.

Mertz announced his commitment on social media Wednesday. He is expected to enroll at the Southeastern Conference school in January.

A three-year starter at Wisconsin, Mertz left the program after the Badgers hired former Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell to head its program.

He joins a Florida team that lost Anthony Richardson to the NFL draft and dismissed backup Jalen Kitna following his arrest on child pornography charges. Third-stringer Jack Miller III started the Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon State and threw for 180 yards and was sacked four times in a 30-3 loss.

The Gators signed four-star quarterback prospect Jaden Rashada on Wednesday as a potential starter in 2023 and could mine the transfer portal for more help at the all-important position, where Florida lost Richardson, Kitna, Emory Jones and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson in a nine-month span.

Mertz threw five touchdown passes to help Wisconsin beat Illinois 45-7 in his first career start, setting a school single-game record for completion percentage and tying the school single-game record for TD tosses.

But he struggled with consistency the rest of his time with the Badgers. Wisconsin had a different offensive coordinator each of his three seasons as a starter.

Mertz has completed 59.5% of his career passes for 5,405 yards, with 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He completed 57.3% of his attempts for 2,136 yards, with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season.

5:15 update: This will likely be our last update as we work on a final, overarching story, but the last update is a big one. The Gators announced the signing of blue-chip quarterback Jaden Rashada from California. He’s Florida’s highest-rated passer since Will Grier in 2014.

UF’s class has 20 players, including 14 from the state.

4:00 update: USF’s official haul is 16 players (12 from high schools or junior colleges and four transfers). One of the more recent additions was Steinbrenner High receiver Demitrius Carter.

Since our last update, Florida State signed five-star receiver Hykeem Williams, one of the Seminoles’ best recruits in years.

The Gators also officially landed Wharton High’s Dijon Johnson, a four-star prospect and top-100 national recruit.

Noon update: This will be the final one for a bit as I prepare to head to Gainesville for Florida coach Billy Napier’s news conference.

The current class rankings, according to the 247Sports composite: Miami is third, Florida is 11th, Florida State is 19th and USF is 86th.

The Gators’ most recent signees include top-120 recruits Aidan Mizell and Roderick Kearney. UF also kept four-star receiver Andy Jean despite a late push from Florida State.

10:55 update: We have our first notable flip of the day. Isaiah Nixon, a four-star edge rusher from Lakewood High, has committed to UCF. He originally pledged to the Knights in April before flipping to Florida in June and, now, flipping back to UCF.

USF has landed a transfer from Florida: defensive end Lloyd Summerall. He was a top-250 national recruit out of Lakeland in the 2019 class and appeared in 28 games for the Gators.

10:15 update: USF coach Alex Golesh picked up a commitment from James Jenkins, a three-star offensive lineman from Carrollwood Day. Jenkins decommitted from Cincinnati last week and took a recent visit to East Carolina.

STAYING HOME!!!!! #GoBulls @CoachGolesh @CoachHoodie @CoachBahler @USFFootball @BigPlayRay50 @MarshallMcDuf14 @Qoach_Nick @BayAreaLAB pic.twitter.com/zHqfyOiX0x

— 3 ?? James Jenkins (@James_Jenk_) December 21, 2022

9:50 update: Miami has signed its first five-star prospect of the day. It’s offensive tackle Samson Okunlola.

The Hurricanes are still waiting, however, on a signature from their top commit, No. 2 overall recruit Cormani McClain from Lakeland High. His mother said on Twitter that McClain will not sign today.

USF is up to eight signees. The latest include three-star Georgia running back Jaylen Johnson and Georgia receiver Keshaun Singleton.

9:30 update: Though today is traditionally known for high school recruits, it’s a big day for transfers, too.

The Athletic is reporting that quarterback Graham Mertz is set to transfer from Wisconsin to Florida. The Kansas native was a top-100 national recruit in high school and had a historic first start (20-of-21 passing for 248 yards and five touchdowns against Illinois in 2020).

After that, Mertz was merely fine. His career numbers with the Badgers: 38 touchdown passes, 26 interceptions, a 59.5 completion percentage and 127.7 passing efficiency. The move has not yet been officially announced by Mertz or the Gators.

Florida State has added two of the top 20 transfers in the portal: South Carolina tight end Jaheim Bell and UTEP offensive lineman Jeremiah Byers. Bell was a rushing and receiving threat for the Gamecocks, while Byers was an all-conference tackle who started 30 career games for the Miners.

In traditional recruiting news, the Seminoles have signed four-star offensive lineman Lucas Simmons. He’s a 6-foot-8, 300-pound Sweden native who played at Clearwater Academy International.

8:30 update: The Florida Gators’ six early signees include their top defensive commit, Kelby Collins. He’s a 6-foot-4, 259-pound defensive lineman from Alabama and is ranked as the No. 60 player in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite.

Miami’s latest signees include three top-200 prospects: defensive lineman Reuben Bain, Orlando linebacker Malik Bryant and running back Mark Fletcher. Fletcher is notable because he recently committed to Miami over Florida; now his choice is official.

Florida State is up to eight recruits, with four-star running back Samuel Singleton being among the most recent additions.

USF has added four players so far. One of them is Nikola Milovac, a three-star offensive lineman from Clearwater Academy International.

The Tampa Bay area’s top prospect, five-star Berkeley Prep linebacker Keon Keeley, made his commitment official by signing with Alabama. Another prized local recruit, four-star receiver Bryson Rodgers from Wiregrass Ranch High, has signed with Ohio State.

7:45 update: The signatures have started to arrive across the state. The Gators have signed two players: four-star defensive lineman T.J. Searcy and three-star offensive lineman Bryce Lovett.

Florida State’s three signees are all four-star prospects: receiver Vendrevius Jacobs, defensive lineman K.J. Sampson and defensive lineman Lamont Green Jr. (the son of the former FSU captain).

USF has officially added a pair of transfers, former Oklahoma cornerback Kendall Dennis and Weston Wolff, a tight end from Maryland.

Miami’s first three official recruits were four-star cornerback Robert Stafford, three-star offensive lineman Tommy Kinsler and four-star receiver Nathaniel Joseph.

One of the Tampa Bay area’s top prospects has also signed today. Four-star offensive lineman Clay Wedin from Carrollwood Day was the first recruit to ink with Auburn.

Our original story is below:

College football’s early signing period begins today with moments that will shape programs across the state and country. Though the date has lost some of its luster because of the transfer portal, make no mistake: The sport’s top teams build their rosters through high school recruiting first and foremost.

We’ll update this post throughout the day, but here are a few notes and things to watch:

Where do the Gators end up?

As of late Tuesday afternoon, Florida’s class ranked 11th in the country in the 247Sports composite. It’s comparable to where Dan Mullen’s classes usually fell, but Billy Napier’s first full crop is deeper and has more high-end prospects. UF’s top commitment is from blue-chip quarterback Jaden Rashada from California, but this class has a notable local flavor, too. The Gators have non-binding pledges from four-star Wharton High safety Dijon Johnson, four-star Gaither High receiver Eugene Wilson and four-star Lakewood High edge rusher Isaiah Nixon.

They’re also in the mix for top-50 edge rusher Jaquavious Russaw, top-50 defensive lineman James Smith and top-200 athlete Jyaire Hill. All three are expected to announce their choices today.

Does Miami finish in the top three?

The Hurricanes were there as of Tuesday afternoon thanks to a trio of five-star commitments. If it stands, Mario Cristobal will sign Miami’s top class since the ‘Canes finished No. 1 nationally in 2008. The top prize is Lakeland High’s Cormani McClain, one of the nation’s top two prospects.

What can USF do in Alex Golesh’s sprint?

Do not judge Golesh by how he finishes in the recruiting rankings. His first full day as head coach was two and a half weeks ago, and transition classes are always a challenge. USF’s haul was No. 89 nationally (ninth among current AAC members). The Bulls got their top commitment so far Tuesday in Bradenton IMG Academy’s Jarvis Lee, a three-star cornerback who recently decommitted from Georgia Tech.

Does Florida State avoid any negative surprises?

The Seminoles were the biggest national story last year when they lost the nation’s top recruit, Travis Hunter, to Deion Sanders and Jackson State. FSU enters today with the nation’s No. 18 class, led by five-star receiver Hykeem Williams. Mike Norvell’s ‘Noles are a finalist for top-200 recruit Damari Brown. A strong finish to the class would be another sign of progress for Norvell in what ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill has described as a “slow burn.”

Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook.

Two teachers from Wisconsin who missed their honeymoon cruise after Southwest Airlines cancelled their flight were still waiting on some of their luggage 11 days later.

Marcus and Andrea Grasenick of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, told Insider that they were set to take a connecting flight out of Nashville on December 26 to make it to Florida for the Royal Caribbean cruise, which they spent approximately $4,000 on. The 11-day trip through the Western Caribbean included stops in Costa Rica, Panama, and Aruba, as well as activities like a rainforest walk and a tour of the Panama Canal.

After waiting for hours to find out whether or not the flight would take off, the airline told them it had been canceled and that staff could not immediately retrieve and return their luggage to them.

"I could see our bags outside in the snow from inside the airport," Andrea Grasenick told Insider.

A day later they flew back to Wisconsin, still without their luggage, on a different airline.

As of Thursday morning, Andrea Grasenick was still waiting on her two bags to arrive.

Her two missing suitcases contained everything she packed for the cruise, including medications and snorkeling gear. Because she has trackers in her bags, she said she's able to see that they have been sitting at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago since Sunday.

She also said they've called Southwest every day this week, and have even offered to drive to O'Hare to pick up the bags, but have been told they have to wait because they initially selected the delivery option.

Her husband's bag finally arrived on Wednesday via FedEx, which she said was also strange because she filled out the missing luggage form before he did.

"The only communication I've received from Southwest has been to confirm that they received my reimbursement request," Andrea Grasenick said in an email to Insider on Thursday, adding she also received an but has not yet redeemed them.

"Additionally, we are making great progress by processing tens of thousands of refunds and reimbursements a day and will not let up until we have responded to every impacted Customer," the spokesperson said, adding that affected customers could request refunds and report missing luggage at their .

The Grasenicks were among after Southwest had an last week. after severe winter storms struck around Christmas, but Southwest passengers experienced the bulk of the disruptions.

The airline canceled over 2,900 flights on December 26, accounting for about across the world that day. The disruptions , leading to rental-car shortages and higher flight prices.

has said that airlines are required to issue refunds to passengers whose flights were delayed if they do not decide to rebook.

He also called on the airline to cover for stranded passengers.

Read the original article on

COLDWATER — High school running back Cameron Torres did not play for the Coldwater Cardinals or Marshall Redhawks during his 2022 senior season.

Instead, he was a Wildcat in the highly competitive Miami-Dade County Florida area.

The talented player sued to try to transfer football programs in August. CHS principal Bill Milnes refused to sign the Education Transfer Form for Torres to play football and track for Marshall, claiming the move was "athletically motivated."

Circuit Judge Bill O’Grady denied a request to order Coldwater to allow the transfer in August, but did not rule on various civil rights violation claims filed by Torres.

At a stalemate in Branch County Circuit Court, the case was quietly dismissed in November at Torres' request.

Coldwater schools' attorney Travis Comstock moved to dismiss the suit because the issues were moot due to the running back's voluntary transfer to Westland Hialeah Senior High School in Miami-Dade County for the fall season.

In the mutual stipulation, Coldwater High School and its employees denied any “inappropriate contact, agree to stay out of (Torres’) affairs for future endeavors in school/college regarding any sports endeavors unless contacted by a recruiter seeking specific information related to” Torres.

The Torres family said Cameron was moving to Marshall with his mother and should be allowed to transfer.

Comstock said in the initial hearing it was well known Torres has an aspiration for a college football scholarship. The school said Torres attended football camps at the University of Florida and Wisconsin. He also attended camps at Florida State and in Missouri, according to MaxPreps recruiting website.

Coldwater pointed out in the lawsuit that the 2022 football team was not expected to be very good with the loss of much of its offensive line. The team finished 1-8.

Marshall was expected to be better. It finished 4-5 for the season.

The Florida Division 2 school he transferred to play for in southwest Dade County, Westland Hialeah, did not do much better. It finished the season 4-6 among the smaller schools with less than 1,400 students.

Torres scored 5 touchdowns, averaging 16.5 yards per carry in 49 carries for the team in six games. The 5-foot, 11-inch, 198-pound back averaged 134.7 yards per game, totaling 808 for the season. He returned one kickoff for 33 yards.

Torres was not listed in any early recruiting signees last week.

Calls to Torres's recruiting telephone number were not returned. Westland Hialeah athletic staff was not available over the holiday vacation.

Torres challenged the COVID-19 quarantine last fall, which would have kept him from playing against Marshall, where college scouts planned to attend.

Torres lost a court challenge to the COVID-19 quarantine in fall 2021, which canceled the game against Marshall. He wanted the game played because college scouts planned to attend.

Before filing the suit to try to force the transfer to Marshall, his mother took a job in Marshall, signed a lease for an apartment, and they registered to vote in Marshall.

The family’s Bishop Street house was put up for sale, and a contract was signed. The school called the sale a sham to two of the mother's business associates. The deal never did close, according to public records.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

There could be some stiff competition for Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz, who is one of the top commodities at quarterback in the transfer portal.

Kentucky appears to be very interested in the Overland Park, Kansas native, as rumors have circulated that he very well could become the starting quarterback for the Wildcats in 2023.

It won't be as easy as the former Badger strolling down to Lexington and committing, however, as it was revealed that he took a visit to Gainesville and the Florida Gators over the weekend.

UF, like Kentucky, is in the market for a new play-caller, as dual-threat star Anthony Richardson declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. UK of course is looking for a replacement for Will Levis, who will also look to hear his name called in the draft in April.

Mertz was a top-100 (No. 65) recruit in the 2019 class, as well as the No. 3 pro-style QB in the class, per 247Sports. He was ranked No. 21 overall by ESPN and was the highest-ranked QB recruit in Wisconsin history. He will have two years of eligibility left after spending four seasons in Madison with the Badgers.

Across four seasons, Mertz threw for 5,405 yards, 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He was a three-year starter for Wisconsin and has started the past 32 games over that span. His 2022 season was a career year, as he threw for 2,136 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 picks, though the Badgers finished with an underwhelming 6-6 record.

Mertz has also found the end zone on the feet eight times in his collegiate career, though his net rushing yards stand at -21.

Kentucky is reportedly bringing back offensive coordinator Liam Coen, meaning the pro-style will stay in Lexington, a system that merges well with Mertz's style. It may be a direct battle between Mark Stoops and Billy Napier to land the QB this portal window.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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