Watch: Gators QB Anthony Richardson Making Progress in Injury Recovery
Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex Shepherd
Before he can compete for the role of starting quarterback in Billy Napier's new-look Florida Gators offense, rising redshirt sophomore Anthony Richardson must be fully cleared to practice after undergoing knee surgery near the end of the 2021 season.
It appears that he is on track to take the field sooner rather than later, however. Richardson was seen working out without a knee brace this week at 6PointsJax, where he regularly trains in the offseason with local quarterback trainer Denny Thompson.
In addition to throwing with his trainer, Richardson could be seen practicing his roll-outs, suggesting that his mobility has improved greatly since his procedure took place roughly four months ago.
Richardson was forced to miss the Gators' Gasparilla Bowl appearance in December 2021 due to his injury, a nagging wound to his knee that took a turn for the worse against Florida State in November, following a season in which he offered plenty of hope for the future as the program's signal-caller.
Although Emory Jones was the Gators' quarterback No. 1 throughout the majority of the 2021 campaign, Richardson would take the field in a rotational role to get UF's occasionally stagnant offense going. He showed off plenty of explosiveness as a rusher, beginning the year with booming runs of 80 and 73 yards against USF and Florida Atlantic, respectively.
He also flashed a ton of arm power as the year went on, and the ability to get the Gators' passing offense moving when needed most. Richardson memorably tossed three second-half touchdowns against LSU amid a two-possession comeback, although that game ended in a 49-42 loss for UF.
Richardson finished his 2021 season having completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 529 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions, adding 401 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
There is work left to be done in order for Richardson to develop into a dependable starting quarterback in the SEC. He has the physical tools to do so and find plenty of success, but the finer points of his game must continue to progress, especially in order to cut down on interceptions.
Spring camp would offer Richardson a chance to improve in that area as well as learn Napier's offense with a hands-on approach, and if the videos above are any indication, Richardson may very well be able to participate at least to some degree.
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