BuddyMartinBlog: Remember Anthony Richardson? He’s Still Lurking In The Swamp. And He’s Dangerous!

Yes, the guy they call AR15 is still there, locked and loaded. (Photo by Chris Spears)

What most of Gator Nation dreams about is seeing Napier develop the full potential of the 6-4, 236-pound AR15 with the rifle arm and the formidable legs. Imagine all that power and skill harnessed in the presence of a Napier-trained quarterback!

When we last saw Anthony Richardson at his best, he was leaping over would-be tacklers, honing his aim for the moon. The limitless potential of this strapping quarterback from Hogtown was stymied by the rigors of a stout Georgia defense and literally cut short by a surgeon’s scalpel to his knee. So his considerable talent was never fully unleashed.

This is more my own conundrum. I got lost somewhere along the way between a thrown shoe, fired coach and an embarrassing bowl-game loss to a non-Power Five state team.

So somebody help me break through this foggy maze of transitional paralysis. Did Richardson get lost in the shuffle? The only thing I remember him saying, when asked after the season if he planned to stay at UF, was: “I’m a Gator!” Which was sort of a non-answer/answer that would never pass muster under scrutiny of a smart prosecutor. Curious comment.

Remember, though, he is wearing that No. 15 jersey, which once wielded supernatural powers. So how high can Richardson fly? Or will he?

Nobody is saying much about it, but the Gators have a full six-pack of scholarshippers in their Quarterback Room, among them two that started every game last season. Emory Jones is also still in school, still on the roster, about to graduate and may or may not decide to test the transfer portal.

Let me stop here and explain that in no way am I dismissing Jones or making an accusation of disingenuous behavior by Richardson, who I frankly see as a future star for the Gators with enormous talents. AR15 could very well be Napier’s ticket to ride. Emory Jones’ status? I know not what.

What made me think of AR15? I suppose it was one of those mediocre tweets listing the 2022 Heisman candidates – isn’t EVERYBODY one? – which reminded me how important this quarterback wunderkind was not just to the Gators, but maybe even could become to the CFB national landscape. In the absurd practice of forecasting the odds and handicapping the Heisman front-runners this early for a gambling service, up popped AR15’s name:

“According to the latest BetMGModds in Las Vegas, Richardson is among the top five in the running, with odds of +2000, tied for fifth with five other players, four quarterbacks and one running back,” it read.

Suddenly it dawned on me how much Richardson’s presence matters. Then I started counting noses in the QB Room: Richardson, Jones, Ohio State transfer Jack Miller, redshirt freshmen Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Jalen Kitna. And recent commit Max Brown.

Here’s the thing, though: We’re a month out from spring practice, still picking up the confetti from a robust recruiting effort that included an impressive yield – even a last-minute pickup of 4-star California TE/ATH Arlis Boardingham -- but the school known for its legendary quarterbacks has no clear-cut heir apparent or returning starter in the saddle yet..

If statues could talk, what might the three on Lemerand Drive out front Ben Hill Griffin be saying?

Well, in fairness to Napier, who is already known for his quick whip-outs of immediate solutions for pressing issues, he did address the quarterback matter with the Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson this week:

“I don’t necessarily care what’s happened in the past. I’m going to evaluate what I see from this point forward and we’re going to implement our culture, we’re going to define our expectations and we’re going to plan our work and work our plan. Emory’s been impressive to me so far. He’d be the first to tell: I didn’t play well at times. And I would agree with him that he played really well at times — he just didn’t do it consistently. He’d be the first to tell you that. That’s admirable to take ownership. We’re fortunate. We have two players (Jones and Richardson) who played significant roles on the team. Both have ability. We’ve got to take some of this potential and we need to translate that into progress and production.”

Emory Jones is in school, on the roster and about to graduate. (Chris Spears Photo)

It sounds to me like Emory has a mulligan if he wants it, perhaps even to play another position – maybe like the slot. Let us not forget about his athletic skills which made him attractive as a recruit not just to Florida, but Alabama, Ohio State, Auburn, Georgia, Clemson, FSU, etc. as well.

It would be a nice story if Jones stayed and contributed to the success of a strong first-year campaign by Napier, like Ray Graves did it in 1960 and Steve Spurrier 30 years later. Or, Emory could find a home in the iffy confines of the transfer portal or could become the starting quarterback at Tulsa or Ball State or SoutheastWesternMidCentralState. Gator fans would wish him well and appreciate his contribution.

What most of Gator Nation dreams about is seeing Napier develop the full potential of the 6-4, 236-pound AR15 with the rifle arm and the formidable legs. Imagine all that power and skill harnessed in the presence of a Napier-trained quarterback!

Why the hurry? Because this is what we do in the media/fan peanut gallery: We pick quarterbacks for the coach, who couldn’t possibly do it without us.

I’m on record as saying that I’ve never been more impressed with the skill set and potential of a Gator freshman quarterback than I am by Anthony Richardson’s. And yes, that includes Tim Tebow.

Some of my football-playing friends, colleagues and ex-player connections warn me that Richardson has a long way to go, that he appears to be hurt a lot, that he can’t read defenses. So that makes him a longshot?

Maybe he’s no Bryce Young (Alabama), or C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), or Caleb Williams (Southern Cal), all listed ahead of him on that Vegas forecast. Spencer Rattler (see South Carolina), thankfully, he also isn’t. However he might be every bit as good, or better, than Quinn Ewers (Texas) or D.J. Uiagalelei (Clemson), who are rated even with him on that BetMGModds list.

Put it like this: The last Gator to come out of a six-person scrum on the quarterback chart and achieve stardom was a guy named Shane Matthews in 1990. And he’d never even taken a snap as a quarterback prior to Steve Spurrier starting him. How’d that work out?

Yeah, I think I’d be liking my bet on Anthony Richardson as a longshot.