Wild Anthony Richardson, Bo Nix Stat Surfaces originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In 2020, the Florida Gators landed a six-foot-four, 230-pound four-star quarterback located in their very own backyard. A Gainesville, Florida native, dual-threat passer Anthony Richardson picked his hometown Gators over the Georgia Bulldogs, Louisville Cardinals, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Michigan Wolverines, among others.
As a freshman, Richardson was a bystander while fellow passer Kyle Trask threw for 43 touchdowns in a Heisman Award Trophy-worthy campaign.
The following year, his second with Florida, Richardson operated as a change-of-pace quarterback, spelling Emory Jones for run-heavy packages and even getting a start against powerhouse Georgia late in the season.
Nov 12, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive lineman T.J. Sanders (90) tackles Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.© Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Amidst transfer rumors, Richardson returned to Florida in 2022 as the program underwent a new identity under first-year head coach Billy Napier. In his lone season as a full-time starter, Richardson threw for 17 touchdowns against nine picks, with Florida routinely underperforming on offense.
Yet, Richardson ran for 654 yards and nine touchdowns, showcasing flashes of dual-threat ability similar to that of NFL stars Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. His rare mix of size and speed led to the Indianapolis Colts selecting him with the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft despite his limited college experience.
His 11 touchdowns against 13 picks in his first two seasons are not ideal, and neither are the injuries he has suffered along the way, but many continue to preach patience with the young passer.
According to NFL analyst Steve Palazzolo, Richardson has just 852 dropbacks spanning his college and NFL career. In comparison, last year’s third-place finisher in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, the Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix, had 2,129 dropbacks just in college.
Unfortunately for many Richardson truthers, Nix was always a budding star in college, even in his first years. Nix started as a true freshman with the Auburn Tigers, unlike Richardson, who waited until his third year.
Nix tossed 16 touchdowns against six picks in his first year while rushing for seven scores, while his interception rate in all five of his seasons sat lower than Richardson’s 2.8 in his lone starting year.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
