Report: Florida quarterback expected to miss Gasparilla Bowl

It’s been a whirlwind season for highly touted Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. An On3 Consensus four-star recruit coming into Gainesville, Richardson has dealt with numerous injuries throughout 2021 and has had to miss a significant amount of time from the field.

Now, Richardson is expected to miss the Gasparilla Bowl against UCF on Thursday, Dec. 23, after undergoing surgery on his right knee, according to a report from The Gainesville Sun. Richardson has not been at practice this week and has shifted his focus to his offseason recovery.

Richardson, who has played in eight games this season, suffered his knee injury while dancing in the team’s hotel prior to their game against South Carolina. The quarterback had to miss that game and the following week’s against Missouri as a result.

Richardson played for the Gators in their Nov. 27 win over Florida State, coming off the bench and throwing for 55 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 27 more yards. For the season as a whole, Richardson has thrown for 529 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 401 yards and three scores.

A 6-foot-4 signal-caller, Richardson – in addition to the knee injury – suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2, a concussion against Georgia and a first-half injury vs. Florida State – all of those setbacks keeping him from earning any significant playing time this season.

With Richardson sidelined, Florida is expected to start Emory Jones at quarterback vs. UCF, with Carlos Del Rio-Wilson serving as the backup.

Billy Napier details how Florida plans to take recruiting to next level

New Florida football coach Billy Napier has preached patience in all areas, but especially recruiting early in his tenure. The former Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban assistant has taken his knowledge from many past stops to prioritize the right fit.

During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, Billy Napier went in depth on what he is looking for on the recruiting trail and how Florida can take things to the next level.

“I think the first thing you do is you start with the evaluation process,” Napier said. “I think you’ve got to have a very efficient system and you certainly have to be on the same page. I’m very much involved in the evaluation process, watch each player. We have a very specific step-by-step approach with the personnel department, the position coaches, the coordinators and certainly the area coach.

“So I think the key here is we get our feet on the ground. We’ve refined this process over the last four years, we’re gonna hire competent people in that area. We’ll have an entire personnel department much like the National Football League.”

Napier’s professional mentality have led many to view him as a rising star in the industry. He turned down several prominent head coaching opportunities over the years before landing in Gainesville, where he believes he can pitch recruits with many attractable assets.

“Once you decide who you think is good enough to play for the Gators, then it’s about recruitment,” Napier said. “It’s about customer service, it’s about building relationships, it’s about selling the University of Florida – the history, the tradition, the iconic players and coaches, top five public institution in a great part of the country. So we’ve got a lot to sell here. I think it’s evaluation first and it’s recruitment second.”