Buddy Martin Blog: Time For The Eye Test – And Maybe The Ear Test – On Napier’s First Gator Team

Lost in all this is the obvious: You gotta see the forest. And the Main Thing must always be the Main Thing. No matter how else you say this, the gift of Anthony Richardson is paramount.

By BUDDY MARTIN

GatorBaitMedia.com Editor

It’s the time of the year we ask: What do we see? They call it The Eye Test. In football, it’s an ocular evaluation of a team, group or individual with regard to present and future potential. All hardcore football fans claim the gifts of expertise in such matters. Some Gator fans cling to it as a birthright superpower. Who are we to say otherwise?

The football magazines and websites are teed up. In a matter of hours, SEC Media Days will commence. This season, the forecast is cloudy with a chance of meatballs for the new coach, his “army” of minions and the somewhat cobbled-together roster of willing subjects and promising candidates. Not without talent or experience, but limited in number. Pure and accurate evaluation are a challenge because of so many unknowns. However, this is what we do this time of year.

Actually, I think it is a Gator season that could be spectacular in speculative nature because expectations are limited, rankings are somewhat low and it’s always a smoother ride under the radar. Besides, it would do us well to remember that the fortunes of our favorite teams ride entirely on the quality of play by competition. What the other guys do does matter.

Lost in all this is the obvious: You gotta see the forest. And the Main Thing must always be the Main Thing. No matter how else you say this, the gift of Anthony Richardson is paramount.

Let’s stop hedging our bets, dilly-dallying around the declaration and refusing to acknowledge the good fortune. There are missing pieces, but one of them is not the quarterback. With exception of an accidental star born out of desperation three seasons ago in Kyle Trask, it’s been a long drink of water between statue-worthy mentionables at quarterback. Maybe there is one living in the neighborhood. Maybe, I said.

The other day I had a debate with a friend who knows more about quarterbacks than I ever could in three lifetimes. It was not even a difference of opinion about skill set – more about when it’s an appropriate time to ask your quarterback to step up centerstage.

Now seems the right time to me for Richardson to grab the mic. Unveil and anoint him. He’s going to be the face of your franchise.

If Richardson is your guy, put him on display and let him lead at SEC Media Days. At that time, he’d not been tabbed for duty in Atlanta next week.

How do we know great when we see it? At first light, if they put a Picasso in front of our face, would we even know it? What is there about our infernal ego that deludes us into thinking we are experts about art, music, athleticism – or even food, fine wine or natural beauty? Usually it’s because something resonates with our soul. Or taste buds.

Frankly, I never cared for Picasso. But I know what a perfect pitch of harmony sounds like. And what a good Cabernet and juicy filet tastes like. I can even spot the compelling charm of the morning sun glinting against the mountain landscape. I can feel the power of a perfectly crafted word mosaic. And maybe I can see greatness being given birth in sports.

Anyway, I don’t need to be told. It’s been my life. I can recognize the gifted ones. I think I’ve caught my fair share of glimpses at greatness.

I say now is the time to ride with Anthony Richardson. All in.

It's all in time for Anthony, reporting for duty (UAA photo)

Yes I realize there are missing pieces. In particular, another receiver with speed. Offensive and defensive linemen. They need to find them, rather quickly. Procurement is not likely to help now, even from the portal. Squad development is critical between now and Sept. 3 when the Florida Gators play what is as tough a home opener as I can ever remember. Beating Utah may be the key a highly successful season for Napier.

You can provide your own scaling, but right now projections are all over the place for Napier’s team – from 6 to 9 wins. By the end of next week, I expect the SEC Media contingent to poll them no better than third in the SEC East – perhaps fourth – behind Georgia, Kentucky and maybe Tennessee. Right in there with Missouri. I can see better.

Rather than roll out the litany of reasons why or why they won’t be successful, let me stick to the team’s best assets – on what I see here and what I think I know. Three things:

1) Better coaches with acumen for teaching fundamentals. Fewer repeated mistakes. Certainly not a nightmare of illegal motion penalties like we saw vs. Kentucky.

2) A sense of purpose and direction. Plus a complete organization that feeds off each others’ efforts. Everybody knows everything that others are trying to do, and when.

3) Collective will. (See below.)

Over the past six months, in hopes of understanding more about the nature Name/Image/Likeness and how it’s being processed by the players, my partners and I took on the task of interviewing and conversing with 20 Gator Collective athletes.

Billy Napier has won their hearts and minds. (Chris Spears photo)

While there is no conclusive data to prove any findings, allow me to conclude what I think I learned anecdotally with several observations.

We feel Napier and his staff has won the hearts and minds of his players. With the rare exception, perhaps, of one player who was invited to leave the team (we cannot surmise this of Fenley Graham), there was a heartfelt response of approval.

Universally they feel like they are being heard, well trained, conditioned and afforded opportunity to excel. Lifestyle conditions have improved considerably. They approve of how they’re being led and who’s leading them. And they seem convinced that the talent level is much higher that we all think.

“Ballers,” insisted one defensive player. “We got ballers ya’ll don’t know about yet.”

That is what I meant by the aforementioned “Ear Test.”

Some players are spoken about in reverent terms. Anthony Richardson (who by the way, did get chosen to appear at SEC Media Days). Ventrell Miller. Brenton Cox. Gervon Dexter. But Richardson is in a special category. His teammates are sometimes awed. It is his time.

This is only July, way too early for certainties, like trying to buy stock on an original offering, but the train is about to come through town and you might want to consider buying a ticket to ride. Don’t blame us if you don’t.