Count Urban Meyer in as a fan of Anthony Richardson
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Urban Meyer knows a thing or two about quarterbacks. The National Champion coach has coached Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and Dwayne Haskins. Now, Meyer is gushing over Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Meyer shared his thoughts on Richardson Wednesday on his new On3 podcast “Urban’s Take.” Meyer recalled Dan Mullen, his offensive coordinator at Florida from 2005-08 and the Gators’ head coach from 2018-21, first telling him about Richardson a few years ago.
“Dan Mullen was obviously a great friend, I worked with him for many years. We talked about Richardson, the great quarterback, No. 15 for Florida. He said he’s legitimately a 4.3 [40-yard dash] guy that’s 240 pounds and can throw the ball 85 yards. The most talented player — and he coached Cam Newton, says he’s bigger, faster. I said, ‘Than Cam Newton?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ And I saw it. That 50-yard run was magical. They’ve got a new staff, new energy down there. I think Florida’s going to have a great run.”
Watch Urban Meyer talk about Anthony Richardson
Napier trying to keep Richardson, Gators level
Richardson is a generational talent. You rarely find 6-foot-4 players who are 240 and have legitimate 4.3 speed.
Richardson a sensational athlete. Napier knows this.
“I think we learned Anthony is really special,” Napier said after the game on the field.
Less than 10 minutes later, Napier was more cautious with his words.
“The one thing I can tell you about Anthony is he’s sitting in that locker room right now and he’s thinking about the six or eight plays where he could’ve done a little bit better. That’s what I love about him. He’s very critical of himself,” Napier said. “We all know the kid’s got physical talent. We’ve known that for a long time. What has impressed me is his work ethic, his discipline , his detail. He’s a good teammate, he’s a great example, and he’s selfless. He’s had the spotlight on him for a long time, and you worry that it would affect him, I think that has made him a better person. Being from Gainesville, I think he realized the platform, the opportunity and the example that he can set in the building and in our community.
“Anthony’s going to stay humble. That’s his first start in The Swamp right? He’s going to continue to improve and I’m certainly glad that we’ve got him.”
So is Gator Nation.
