Saturday was a good game for the Florida Gators to showcase their offense as they scored 35 points against South Carolina in front of several big time prospects in the Swamp.
Athlete Mark-Antony Richards (6-1, 196, West Palm Beach, FL. Wellington) was on campus for the first time this fall and enjoyed his visit.
“It went pretty well,” Richards said of his visit to Florida on Saturday. “I really enjoyed my time there, it was my first ever Florida football game. It was a good visit.”
Richards was scheduled to take an official visit to Florida on Saturday but changed those plans after talking with the Gators.
“Me and my family talked about it with the staff and thought it would be better to come later,” he said on changing this visit from an official to unofficial visit. “We would have more time with the staff but I definitely had to get up there for a Florida football game. People have told me about it and told me the atmosphere was crazy so I wanted to get up there and experience it for myself.”
Heading into the visit Richards had high expectations for Florida’s atmosphere and he says he was pleased with what he witnessed.
“It lived up to expectations,” Richards said. “It wasn’t as hyped as I expected it to be but it was still worth it. The fans showed a lot of loved during the game and it was exciting to watch.”
While watching the game, Richards paid close attention to several of Florida’s playmakers including one in particular.
“I really liked the way they used Kadarius Toney, Jordan Scarlett and Lamical Perine,” he said of his thoughts on Florida’s offense. “That was something that really stuck out to me. I like the way they got Kadarius the ball in space and allowed him to just be an athlete.”
The Gators coaching staff has told Richards that he would play several different positions at Florida but that he would have a role like a current player.
“They say the Percy Harvin role but basically like him [Kadarius],” Richards said on how Florida plans to use him on offense. “They basically do the same thing but I like that role.”
After the game was over, Richards had a chance to talk to several of Florida’s coaches including head coach Dan Mullen.
“Coach [Billy] Gonzales, Coach [Dan] Mullen, Coach [Greg] Knox, Coach Sal [Sunseri], I talked to a lot of coaches,” he said on which coaches he talked to on Saturday. “Coach Mullen was basically saying he wants me to help him them get back on the national stage. I liked what he had to tell me, I really liked what he had to say.”
The Gators offensive staff have sent a message to Richards about how big of a need he is in Gainesville.
“They said they need playmakers,” Richards said of the message from the offensive staff. “They said they need guys that when they touch the ball they can make things happen. They think I’m one of those guys.”
Next up for Richards will be official visits as he’s trying to narrow down which teams will get them.
“In December,” he said on when he plans to use his official visit to Florida. “I’m also going to visit Auburn, Miami and I’m still trying to figure out about Tennessee.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Richards had planned on announcing a decision in December but he says he will now wait until national signing day in February to make a decision.