Name: Richard Leonard
Position: Offensive Lineman
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 320 lbs
Hometown: Cocoa, Fla.
High School: Cocoa High School
Twitter: @trey4six
247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐
Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐
Overview:
A product of Cocoa High School, Leonard possesses great size for the guard position at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds.
He is more than simply a big body, however, as he showcased his footwork and athleticism by also playing for the Tigers’ baseball team.
Like in classmate Mordecai McDaniel’s case, Leonard originally committed to a different Southeastern Conference (SEC) East Division program. While the former first pledged to Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers, the latter chose Mark Stoops’ Kentucky Wildcats.
Recruited by co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw, Leonard committed to the Lexington-based program on October 21, 2018. Kentucky had the advantage of connecting with the three-star guard early, as they were just the second Power Five school to extend him an offer, behind only the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, then-still coached by Chris Ash.
This verbal bond lasted less than six months, however, as he re-opened his recruitment on April 19, 2019. Slightly more than one month later, on May 29, he chose to pursue life in Gainesville, committing to co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy and running backs coach Greg Knox.
Signing his National Letter of Intent (LOI) during the Early Signing Period on December 18, Leonard enrolled the same day and participated in practices leading up to the Gators’ Capital One Orange Bowl victory over the Virginia Cavaliers.
The in-state prospect figures to compete for playing time at left guard at the collegiate level. Entering the 2020 season, redshirt sophomores Richard Gouraige and Griffin McDowell project to appear above him on the depth chart.
Overall, Leonard is the 20th-highest of Florida’s 21 enrollees in the cycle, slotting in above two-star Australian punter Jeremy Crawshaw.
The 247Sports Composite ranked Leonard as the No. 768 player nationally, a top-50 guard in the class, and the No. 101 player in the Sunshine State.
Video:
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