Anthony Richardson is poised to possibly be the highest-drafted football player in the modern NFL draft era for a former Florida Gator, but while his talent was always well-known among scouts and coaches, his emergence in the Swamp during his three years at UF has seen the Gainesville native’s stock rise rapidly since his days as a high school recruit.
The Athletic’s Antonio Morales took a stab at re-ranking the 2020 quarterback recruiting class with the benefit of hindsight on his side, placing Richardson fifth among his peers ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. Take a look below at what he had to say about the former Florida pass-caller.
Original rank: No. 15 QB (No. 204 overall)
Why he’s here: Richardson certainly has his flaws, but he threw for 2,549 yards and rushed for 654 while accounting for 26 total touchdowns in his lone season as the starter. There were highs (watch the Utah game) and lows (watch the Vanderbilt game), but the talent has always been apparent, and the size (6-foot-4, 232 pounds) is tantalizing. He was a former four-star prospect, and he’ll be drafted early in April despite his inconsistent play on the field. And there are no other 2020 quarterbacks who clearly rate above him.
Richardson sits behind the Alabama Crimson Tide‘s top-ranked Bryce Young, as well as the Ohio State Buckeyes‘ CJ Stroud, Tulane Green Wave’s Michigan Pratt and Mississippi State Bulldogs’ Will Rogers, respectively, on the list.
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