This time last year, Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson was entrenched as the backup quarterback for the Gators.
Sitting behind starter Emory Jones, Richardson’s talent was too apparent to keep him off the field. He had all the tools–a 6’4, 240-pound giant who could toss the ball 50 yards through the air or burn you on the ground with his quick change of direction.
Richardson formed a 1-2 punch with Jones as they split snaps in the early season. Jones was unquestionably the starter, with Richardson coming in as a change-of-pace option.
When Richardson came in, the call was typically some sort of trick play that played off of the unique threats he posed as a player. He ran options that showed his ability to read the rushing lanes that open in a defense, and then threw deep bombs on plays that looked as if he was going to run.
A breakout game against South Florida in which he threw touchdown passes of 75 and 41 yards while also rushing for an 80-yard touchdown changed the dialogue around the Florida quarterback situation. Richardson was great as a surprise substitution that would play less than 10 plays a game, but could he offer more than Jones as the starter?
Jones was talented in his own right and offered rare speed at the quarterback position that made the Florida offense difficult to prepare for. Still, he had his difficulties as a passer, and would finish the season with 13 interceptions to 19 touchdowns.
The Gators’ game against LSU would give Richardson his first real game action, not as a change of pace or in relief at the end of a blowout game. Jones struggled, going 10 of 19, leading Florida to only 13 points in 9 drives and throwing 2 interceptions, including a pick-six that was the last straw. Richardson came in and accounted for four touchdowns in the second half, nearly leading a comeback but falling short.
Florida’s next game was Richardson’s first start, against No. 1 Georgia, the eventual national champions. Richardson predictably was stifled by the excellent Bulldog defense and was replaced by Jones. He would only see game action in one more game that season as Florida abandoned the two-quarterback system.
With Jones transferring to Arizona State this offseason, Richardson finally became the starter. He received considerable hype as an under-the-radar Heisman candidate, and he seemed to have validated those takes as he led unranked Florida to an upset of No. 7 Utah in the Gators’ opening game with three spectacular rushing touchdowns.
Five games later, the hype has died down. Richardson has thrown interceptions in each of his last five games and has a 52.9% completion rate in that same span, worse than Jones had in any regular season game last year. He didn’t throw his first passing touchdown until the fourth game of the season.
Richardson has been woefully inefficient this year. Much of his success last year was because the plays he was asked to run played to his strengths. That’s always going to be true for trick plays, but it was also true in his successful second half versus LSU in 2021. Florida preyed on the Tiger defense by making them anticipate one thing and then attacking the opening that created.
Now, in an every-down role, that offensive philosophy has been muted. Richardson is being asked to perform like a pocket quarterback, which might be outside of his capabilities right now.
Still only a redshirt sophomore, Richardson has plenty of time to develop into a fundamentally sound, NFL-caliber quarterback. For now, though, he has struggled with inconsistent mechanics leading to inaccurate throws, timing with his receivers and decision-making.
Richardson’s style of play also makes it difficult for the Florida offense to stay on schedule. He’s all-or-nothing. The aggression that leads to highlight reel 60-yard touchdowns also leads to missed receivers closer to the line of scrimmage. The offense would be at its best if Richardson could be counted on to keep tempo with quick, timing-based throws. Instead, Florida leans on its excellent rushing game to keep it in manageable downs.
Richardson’s running ability helps Florida in that regard, but it’s been less consistent this year, which may be in part due to a nagging injury Richardson is reportedly dealing with.
After a rough first three weeks, Richardson entered a huge matchup at Tennessee, covered by College GameDay, looking to prove that he could make the simple throws. He did that well, finding success in the intermediate game. He didn’t reach consistency, as he still finished the game having completed 54.5% of his passes, but he showed progress and finished with 453 passing yards. Asked to throw 44 passes and run 17 times, he led the Gators to 33 points and a near upset.
That momentum was snuffed the following week as the Gators played Missouri and only scored 17 offensive points, with Richardson throwing just 14 passes. A defensive touchdown was the difference in a 24-17 Florida win.
The result leaves Richardson at somewhat of a crossroads heading into the game against LSU. Everyone knows what he’s capable of in any given game, but how often he’ll reach that capability is uncertain.
Some fans are already calling for Richardson to go to the bench, only a year after many were calling for Jones to do the same in favor of Richardson. The truth is Florida doesn’t have a clear better option, and it certainly doesn’t have one with the experience or incredible natural talent that Richardson has. The potential remains sky-high, but the results have been slow to come.
Maybe Richardson’s hype train is emptying out, but Florida has no choice but to stay on the ride.
