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Watch: Gators' Anthony Richardson Thrills Crowd at Manning Passing Academy

Florida's Anthony Richardson put his deep ball on display at the Manning Passing Academy on Friday.

Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Florida fans are well-aware of the elite physical skill-set quarterback Anthony Richardson brings to the Gators' offense, but football fans from around the country have only recently begun to take notice. 

In his limited playing time at UF, Richardson has shown enough promise to begin earning hype as a 2023 NFL Draft prospect by analysts and pro teams — he was even invited to the NFL Combine alongside other intriguing underclassmen this year to meet with pro teams.

Anyone wondering why a quarterback with seven career passing touchdowns is garnering such interest needn't look any further than the video below to gain a proper understanding. Richardson was invited to this week's Manning Passing Academy as a counselor and put his deep ball on display at the event.

The "oohs" and "ahhs" heard in the clip were more than warranted, as they were in response to Richardson uncorking approximately an 80-yard throw from the 30-yard line into the back of the opposite endzone.

Surely, even Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning — the hosts of the camp, all three being legendary former NFL starting quarterbacks — had to have been impressed with Richardson's cannon of an arm.

Richardson has a lot to prove entering his first season as Florida's starting quarterback, especially if he is to emerge as a serious NFL Draft prospect in under a year from now. But one thing he doesn't have to prove is his ridiculous amount of physical talent — he's already done so in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and in front of some of the best signal-callers to ever take the field.

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