Richardson supporting Jones, embracing role

Few things can divide a football team quicker than a mishandled quarterback competition. After all, such battles usually feature two former highly ranked recruits who are close in age. Unlike other positions, you’re only going to play one quarterback for most of the game.

So, one player’s dreams and aspirations will often remain alive at the expense of the other’s. That type of cutthroat competitiveness can lead to the players viewing each other as threats and becoming jealous if they end up not being the guy.

Then, of course, the other players on the team watch them throw every day in practice and have their own opinions on the competition. Half of the team wants Player A as their quarterback, while the other half wants Player B.

If quarterback controversies can become explosive topics on social media and message boards, you know that the players that will be affected by the decision have strong feelings, too.

None of that will be a problem with the 2021 Gators. Redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson understands that he is Emory Jones’ backup.

Jones patiently served as a backup to Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask the last three years, and he was always a good teammate. Richardson said that makes Jones an easy guy to root for, and he’s going to do the same now that it’s Jones’ time.

“That’s my guy,” Richardson said. “He’s been there throughout my recruitment. He’s like a big brother to me. He’s also my teammate, and he’s also a leader, so you’ve got to support the leader. You never know because it’s a lot of pressure just being a quarterback, just being a college athlete. It’s a lot of pressure. Sometimes you need that moral support in your background from people. I feel like I need to be that guy for sure.

“Just trust the process. I’ve learned that in high school. Just trust the process because not everything is going to be sweet for you. Just trust the process and let everything work out in your favor. Seeing Emory do that is encouraging because you never know if that’s going to be you in that situation, so trust in the process.”

While Richardson is the backup, his role will consist of far more than just wearing a headset and signaling in plays from the sideline. Dan Mullen likes to play his backup quarterback to give him experience and give defenses another wrinkle to prepare for.

After appearing in just four games last season, Richardson will play regularly this fall.

Over the past three seasons, the offense looked drastically different when Jones was in the game versus when Franks and Trask were out there. Jones brought a running ability to the offense that the other two couldn’t provide.

That won’t be the case this season. Jones and Richardson are both dual-threat quarterbacks who can execute all of the same plays. The only real differences are that Richardson is larger and more powerful than Jones and that Richardson probably has a stronger arm.

Quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee expects the offense to keep humming along regardless of who’s taking the snap.

“I think it’s going to be about the same as when Emory is out there in regards to what we’re doing to move the ball on the field,” McGee said. “I think Coach [Mullen] has done a good job with the installation and who we’re going to be as an offense, and both guys can execute that plan. So, I think we’ll just continue business as usual when Anthony is out there. He’s going to be expected to execute the offense at the same level that Emory executes the offense. That should be the expectation because he has that skillset.”

Richardson believes that he and Jones’ games complement each other very well and will make them a dangerous duo for opposing defenses.

“Emory is an electric, electrifying guy,” he said. “He’s very talented. He has a strong arm. I feel like I have the same things. I’m capable of doing the same things he’s doing. I feel bad for a lot of teams this year because, once he does his thing, I’m going to come in there and try to do the same thing. That’s why I call it a one-two punch.”

To prepare for his increased role this season, Richardson focused on becoming a better passer this offseason. He played some wide receiver early in his career at Eastside High School in Gainesville before transitioning to quarterback full time as a sophomore.

He was regarded as an elite athlete due to his combination of speed and strength, but his passing was considered a work in progress. He only completed 53.2 percent of his passes throughout his high school career, though he did bump that number up to 64.5 percent as a senior. Consistency in the passing game is his only potential weakness.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot throughout this fall camp, becoming a better passer,” he said. “I feel like I’ve grown a lot when it comes to reading defenses. I feel like that’s something I always struggled with, even in high school. I knew the basics and everything, but knowing that advanced things, I didn’t really know that as much.

“But Coach McGee, he’s been helping us a lot with that. I feel like I’ve prepared enough to know certain things on defense that will help me excel on the field. I feel like that’s the biggest thing that I have accomplished so far, and I think that’s getting me ready for the field this year.”

He’s also worked hard to keep his emotions in check. He admits that he’s let mistakes get into his head and affect the way he performed on the next play before. You can’t ride that rollercoaster of emotions to be a successful quarterback in the SEC. You have to approach every snap with the same mindset.

“I’m an emotional guy, and I tend to hold back on certain plays because I think about the last rep where I messed up,” he said. “But [McGee’s] been helping me with that, just moving onto the next play and putting my all into that play instead of dwelling on the last.”

Barring injury, Richardson likely won’t start a game this season. He’s accepted that, and now he’s just trying to do whatever he can to help this offense score as many points as possible. He views Jones as his partner, not as his enemy.

“My role, I believe, is to just go out there and be clean-up, kind of,” Richardson said. “I feel like whenever Emory needs a break and they need me to come out there, I have to bring the same intensity Emory’s bringing and bring the same energy, just all of that, just be the clean-up. So, whenever he does his thing, I come in there. Just a one-two punch; never let off the gas.”