A new era of Florida football is officially underway with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] at the helm, and there’s a ton of pressure on the team to turn things around. Perhaps no individual player faces more pressure than quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] who is projected to be the team’s starter after splitting the load with [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag] in 2021.
Richardson’s Heisman odds climbed after a strong performance in Florida’s spring game. Napier all but endorsed him as the team’s quarterback of the future, but it’s important not to set the expectations too high.
[autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] chimed in on the AR-15 conversation on social media Wednesday and honed in on a few things to consider when watching Richardson this season.
• Gators need the right pieces around him
• He doesn’t have to run over, jump over, or run through someone every play. Sometimes honestly take what the defense gives you
• It’s not just about explosive plays, but also about the consistent ones
— Tebow.SOL (@TimTebow) April 27, 2022
As Tebow suggested, Napier needs to do his best to surround Richardson with the right talents. The Gators lost several pass catchers to the transfer portal and graduation, leaving Richardson with few experienced options in his first full season as the Gators’ quarterback. Making a splash in the transfer portal with a player like the speedy [autotag]Malik Benson[/autotag] could aid Richardson in-season.
Tebow’s second and third points sound like they come from experience. There was certainly a ton of hype surrounding the team during Tebow’s years in Gainesville, but one of the most important moments in his career came after he failed to live up to it. The promise speech was the stuff of legends and it took a big loss for Tebow to learn those lessons and fully value consistency over explosiveness.
Richardson showed signs of pushing the limits as a freshman and Tebow is not so subtly warning him about overdoing it. Let’s not forget that Richardson dealt with a few injuries over the course of 2021 and needed surgery over the off-season to repair a lingering knee issue.
If Richardson can truly take Tebow’s advice to heart, and Napier can find the right combination of players to put around him, the sophomore might be in for a truly special season. Time will tell on this one, but Tebow does see a path to greatness for AR-15.
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