Anthony Richardson seems poised to have a breakout season on the national stage in 2022, landing on ESPN’s list of the 25 most important players in the 2022 College Football Playoff race.
Richardson has been Florida’s worst kept secret since he first set foot on campus back in 2020. The hometown star has been seen as a savior of sorts among the Gators fanbase, even going so far as to compare him to Florida football legend [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag], and not just because they share the same number.
This offseason has shown us that the hype has transcended North Florida and has entered the national discussion. Richardson was front and center at SEC Media Days answering questions about his leadership qualities, Billy Napier, and his decision to drop the “AR-15” nickname and branding he utilized last year once NIL opportunities arose.
Now, Richardson is being seen by ESPN as the No. 24 most important player in this season’s CFP race. Here’s what ESPN’s Bill Connelly said about the Gators’ presumptive starting QB:
His full-season averages — 8.3 yards per pass, 7.9 yards per rush — were a thrill, but after the first two games of the season (easy wins over FAU and USF) those numbers fell to 6.4 and 3.2, respectively. Former Florida coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] clearly trusted [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag] more as the starter, but both Mullen and Jones are gone this year. Billy Napier’s Gators debut will depend primarily on coaxing consistency out of this all-or-nothing QB.
Florida’s roster is probably too flawed to win big, but Richardson’s pure potential could derail title hopes for Week 1 opponent Utah and/or contenders and conference foes Georgia and Texas A&M.
Connelly hit the nail right on the head with his analysis here. Florida is in no position to compete for the SEC championship, let alone a national championship, so it’s unrealistic that Richardson’s inclusion on this list is because of some run the Gators can go on. The team just isn’t built for a title run yet. But Richardson and the Gators can play spoiler to a few teams, most notably SEC East rival Georgia.
The fact that Florida opens the season against an assumed top-10 team in Utah and travels to College Station to take on the Aggies, along with the annual Georgia game in Jacksonville, gives Richardson the power to be the ultimate spoiler.
Maybe he even sets Florida up for an SEC championship run next year, if he decides to stay an extra year.
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