With Emory Jones having transferred to Arizona State during the offseason, Florida Football will enter the 2022 season with a new primary starting quarterback in year one under new head coach Billy Napier. However, there is no doubt as to whom the Gators starter will be this season, a player who is likely set for a big breakout 2022 campaign.
Florida Football 2022 Season Preview: Quarterbacks
Anthony Richardson
Coming off a 2021 season in which the former four-star saw a significant amount of action for the Gators, Richardson returns for the 2022 campaign cemented as the starter in Gainesville.
Acting primarily as a backup last season, Richardson completed 59.4% of his passes for a total of 529 yards and six touchdowns, but did struggle at times with turnovers, throwing a total of five interceptions. While his arm talent was certainly a talking point during that span, Richardson however arguably impressed most with his running ability, rushing for 401 yards and three scores on 51 attempts.
Now a redshirt sophomore, there are simply few quarterbacks in the SEC with more intriguing raw talent than Richardson. However, you could argue that that potential is still yet to be fully tapped into, but with the larger sample size ahead of Richardson in 2022, it seems likely that the redshirt sophomore is set to tap into that lofty potential in what could translate to a massive breakout season in Gainesville.
Expect a big 2022 season from Richardson as one of the SEC’s better quarterbacks, with his ability to limit turnovers as a key focus of his game entering the year. If he does show improvement in that area as well, could a player with both the arm and rushing talent of Richardson be a potential sleeper for the Heisman Trophy?