Michael Merdinger

Previous School: Transferred to Liberty from North Carolina Saw playing time in one game during the 2024 season Completed 9-of-12 passing attempts for 86 yards against UConn during the Wasabi Fenway Bowl Prep: Graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Three-star recruit as ranked by Rivals.com Three-star recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com Three-star recruit as ranked by On3.com No. 34 ranked quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com No. 136 ranked player in the state of Florida by On3.com Team captain Played his first two years of high school football at Deerfield Beach High School Led Deerfield Beach High School to the third round of the playoffs as a sophomore Played his final two seasons of high school football at Cardinal Gibbons Threw for 2,850 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior at Cardinal Gibbons The 2,850 passing yards ranked second on Cardinal Gibbons single-season list and the 26 touchdowns ranked second Saw action in 11 games as a junior, throwing for 721 yards and nine touchdowns Led Cardinal Gibbons to the third round of the playoffs as a senior Also competed in track and field in the 4x400 and the 200 and 400 meters Four-time All-Honors and AP honoree Personal: Son of Naama and Doron Merdinger Business Finance major Born in Tel Aviv, Israel Moved to the United States when he was eight and is believed to be the first Israeli-born athlete to play at the FBS level Birthday is March 5 Student-Athlete Q&A What made Liberty University the right place for you to attend college/compete at the collegiate level? The people in the building made Liberty the right place for me. I truly love the family environment that coach Chadwell and his staff built. Our building is very united, supportive, and caring. Is there anything special you do pregame or postgame and why? Nothing special. I like to keep my pregame routine the same as every other day. I truly believe that you can’t change who you are on game day, you have to LIVE that lifestyle, and it shows during the game. I just try to be myself and do the best I can. Who in your life inspires you and why are they such an inspiration? My dad inspires me every day. He is the hardest working person I know. He is strong-spirited, smart, caring, a leader, hard worker, and very passionate. I’ve seen him push through so many ups and downs and seeing him rise above the adversity gives me strength. What is your most memorable athletic moment/accomplishment? I’d say my most memorable athletic moment is when I either threw my first varsity touchdown or when I led a compact vs. Cardinal Gibbons from North Carolina my senior year. If you picked your jersey/uniform number, why is that number important to you? 7! GOD’S NUMBER! Favorite meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and what is that special meal? Any middle eastern/Israeli food. I love shawarma, kebabs, kubeh, and everything else! I also love a good ribeye or tomahawk. What is the first app you check on your phone each day? Weather app. What is your favorite hobby outside of athletics? Video games and hanging out. Do you have any current pets (name and type of animal)? Yes! I have a 9-month-old Border Collie Puppy and his name is Sparky! Who was your favorite athlete growing up? Tom Brady What is your favorite possession and why? My ping pong paddle. What is your Go-To karaoke song? Love by Keisha Cole What is your dream vacation spot and why? Either skiing in the alps or going to Greece. Skip Ad