Grayson Weir
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Anthony Richardson could end up being the first quarterback selected in the NFL Draft when it is all said and done. Although most people who watched him play in college would advise against that pick, and suggest taking C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young or even Will Levis before him, the former Florida Gator’s stock only continues to rise.
Richardson is a freak athlete. He was built in a lab.
The 6-foot-4, 244-pound quarterback most recently broke NFL Scouting Combine records at his position in the broad jump and vertical jump. Richardson has ridiculous hops.
He also ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, which is the fourth-fastest time at his position, ever.
Richardson’s combine performance is arguably, if not definitively, the best in history by a quarterback. And he did it at a heavier weight than Josh Allen. Just absurd.
However, even though he has unmatched athleticism for someone his size, he lost a lot of games while in college. Richardson didn’t play much as a freshman, and split time with Emory Jones as as sophomore before earning the starting job last season.
He and the Gators went 6-6 in 2022. His only other game as a starter was also a loss.
Richardson went 6-7 in college.
Wins and losses do not define whether a quarterback will succeed in the NFL. They don’t really have any bearing on an ability to play the position at a high level.
But winning is better than losing. Just ask Nick Saban.
Richardson doesn’t care what his college records have to say. He knows what he can do, and is not going to let his losses hold him down.
During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Richardson defended his poor record at Florida. In doing so, the 21-year-old did not take any responsibility for the losses and essentially put the blame on uncontrollable circumstances— anyone and anything but himself.
A lot of people see that record and think we weren’t a good team. A lot of people see the record and they say, ‘Oh, Anthony Richardson can’t lead a team. He can’t even go .500 in the season.’ To that, I just say they don’t know the ins and outs of the game. They don’t understand what they go through daily. They don’t understand how hard we work.
Sometimes, things don’t go your way and that comes with the game. I feel like when I step onto a team, I’m there to contribute, give it my all, and provide in any way I can. I feel like I did that every game.
— Anthony Richardson, via The Rich Eisen Show
Technically, Richardson is right. He gave his all and that’s all he can do. But, as the quarterback, shouldn’t at least some of the responsibility fall on his shoulders to get the job done? If he gave his all and it wasn’t enough to win, who’s to say that his all will be enough in the NFL?
He really didn’t give his all against Kentucky. Nothing explains his lack of scramble attempts and stubbornness in continuing to try to pass onto tight windows other than he was dinged up. Still, Tebow would have put his head down and continued to run over fools. You wanna wear 15 as a QB at UF that’s the comparison you’re welcoming.
He is a freak athlete. Too bad he can’t hit the broad side of a barn or read defenses. But he won’t need those qualities in the NFL, will he? 😂
I don’t care if he can run the 40 in 3 seconds and dunk on a 20 foot high rim. He’s a QB. Can he throw the ball? Can he do it accurately while under pressure? Can he make all of the passes, short, long, touch, etc.? Can he read a defense? Does he make good decisions when he does throw the ball? Because if he can not do all of those things, he will not be an NFL QB.