College football is full of amazing athletes, from the top schools in the nation all the way down to the lower divisions. These talented young men toil endlessly in an effort to maximize their abilities, with some rising to the top while others failing to make the cut.
Among them is a group of gridiron warriors who stand out simply based on their unique physical attributes. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman put together his top-100 college football “freaks list” for the 2022 campaign, with the Florida Gators landing a pair of its players, quarterback Anthony Richardson and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, who were named at Nos. 50 and 88, respectively.
Feldman offered the following on the former.
We never have many quarterbacks on this list, but this is a rare athlete. Richardson is a chiseled 6-4, 238 pounds with just 10 percent body fat and says he has run a 4.4 40 and can throw a football 75 yards. Football insiders eye-balling college quarterbacks at this summer’s Manning Passing Academy were wowed by Richardson’s physical tools, saying he and Kentucky’s Will Levis were well above and beyond every other quarterback there. Richardson cleans 325 pounds and squatted 500 this offseason.
“Anthony is physically built like an outside linebacker — tall, long, and chiseled out of stone,” said Florida strength coach Mark Hocke. “Has the athleticism (speed and agility) and bounce (plays above the rim) of a running back/wide receiver combined with a Jugs machine for an arm.”
As for the latter, Feldman had this to say.
He was a bright spot in a down year for Florida, making 51 tackles and four TFLs. This is a huge man who moves well at 6-5 1/2, 313 pounds with 24 percent body fat. Dexter squats 655 pounds and benches 425. “Gervon is a unique body type with an elite mixture of height, length and muscle makeup,” strength coach Mark Hocke said. “He’s strong enough to hold the point and quick enough to affect the QB, making him an every down QB nightmare.”
There is little doubt that the success of these two studs will play greatly into the overall outcome in Billy Napier’s first season at the helm. Richardson’s ceiling is that of a Heisman Trophy contender while Dexter’s disruption on defense would help solidify things on the other side of the ball for the Gators, and if the two live up to their potential, Florida’s postseason outlook could look a lot rosier than it does now.