Napier didn’t recruit Richardson to UF, but when he replaced Dan Mullen as Florida’s head coach in December 2021, the immediate future rested on the oversized talent of Richardson. Sure, Emory Jones was still around, but by the end of the first week of spring practice March, it was clear Richardson had the edge to be Napier’s first starting quarterback with the Gators.
And Jones knew it. He announced plans to transfer before camp ended, resolving the issue. Richardson slowly grew into the role and had his moments during an up-and-down regular season, but by the time the season was over, Richardson’s future was brighter than ever.
Not because of what he did in his only season as Florida’s starter, but what he might do in the NFL.
Spoke to Anthony Richardson at a Play Football clinic today. He said his emotions are all over the place now that we are a day out from the draft. Said he almost started crying last night when he and his family arrived. He’s excited for tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/dIROlqYcB1
— Shawn Kopelakis (@shawn_kopelakis) April 26, 2023
“Ultimately, 10 out of 32 teams gave him a first-round grade and he had confidence that he could move into the first round,” Napier said this week on Sirius XM Radio of Richardson’s decision to enter the draft. “If you can get into the first round, it’s hard to pass up that opportunity. Anthony is a really bright young man and has good people around him.
“Ultimately, he bet on himself and I’m excited to see how this thing works out.”
Napier saw what NFL teams saw. Richardson is a rare talent who has barely tapped into his potential. That is why he is considered a likely top-1o pick when the NFL Draft starts on Thursday night.
“This guy may be the most physically talented football player that I’ve ever been around,” Napier said. “A generational talent. It would be very hard for me not to draft this guy after being around him for a year.”
While Richardson is clearly the Gators’ headliner in the 2023 draft, he won’t be the only UF player to hear his name called starting Thursday through Saturday in Kansas City.
To help you get ready for the draft, here is a primer on the Gators available. The heights and weights listed are from the NFL Combine, as are the combine grades. Here is a look at the grading scale:
QB Anthony Richardson (6-4, 244)
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