After an offseason rebrand, Anthony Richardson is ready to be 'the face' of the Florida Gators

ATLANTA — Last summer, Anthony Richardson made waves switching from No. 2 to No. 15. 

Florida’s quarterback had hardly played, but he thought it was a unique opportunity to both honor a legendary Gators quarterback he grew up idolizing — Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow — and also an capitalize on the new name, image and likeness legislation. 

Richardson spawned AR-15, using it in marketing and merchandise. It was a catchy nickname for certain, but one that raised eyebrows even last season, as some of the merchandise featured a scope aimed at opposing team’s mascots. 

A year later, Richardson is now Florida’s starting quarterback, and is in full rebrand mode — with a new coach, a different car and the AR-15 moniker no longer a thing. 

“When I first did it there were some thoughts of should I actually do this?,” Richardson explained Wednesday at SEC Media Days just a few days after publicly releasing a statement on no longer being associated with AR-15.

pic.twitter.com/PrdPNWMWem

— Anthony Richardson † (@GVOaant) July 17, 2022

“With the logo and everything like that we had people asking me. Why am I choosing that logo? With the shirts and stuff with the target on certain schools, people were questioning that. It’s always been a thought in the back of my mind.

“AR-15 doesn’t necessarily describe who I am. I’m Anthony Richardson. That’s what I’ve been since I was born. It’s on my birth certificate, you know? Just trying to rebrand myself and becoming a better person.”

‘I’m the face of the program’

But ditching the nickname was just Richardson’s latest offseason overhaul. 

He traded in his Dodge Charger for a Toyota Camry after getting caught speeding 105 miles per hour. His signature backflips have (mostly) been replaced with calisthenics. 

“I can’t be careless anymore,” he said. “I’m getting older. Like people say, I’m the face of the program, so I gotta act like it.”

Richardson seized UF’s starting job during spring practice and is first-year coach Billy Napier’s ticket to returning the Gators back to relevancy. 

He has just 88 career attempts, but he flashed moments of brilliance in 2021 — six touchdowns over 30 yards — that has some scouts calling him a future Top-10 pick. 

Anthony Richardson is a towering 6-foot-4, with hulking shoulders and 237-pounds of potential stardom. He has a magnetic personality and a million-dollar smile.

“He wants to prove himself. He’s still relatively an inexperienced player, played 221 plays or something like that, completed 33 passes,” Napier said.

“He has tremendous ability. He’s working hard to develop, improve as a person, as a leader. He’s working hard to increase his football IQ. He’s primed for a phenomenal year.” 

Napier added, “I’m looking forward to all that potential to turn into performance.”

Richardson started just a single game in 2021 — a disastrous performance against Georgia where he turned the ball over three times in the final two minutes, turning a close game into a blowout. It was a learning lesson — “I can’t be careless with a ball” — just like the offseason speeding ticket and the recent AR-15 rebranding. 

“You’ve got a compliment his maturity and his ability to have the awareness enough to see the big picture,” Napier said.

“The kid’s a really bright kid. He’s a humble kid, and he really cares about people. I think he understands the magnitude of his role in the platform that comes with being the quarterback at the University of Florida. I’m proud of him for standing on his own two feet making that decision.”

Anthony Richardson is a kid who grew up in Gainesville, Florida. He was a star at Eastside High School, and is someone who is beloved for staying home and becoming the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators.

Only a 20-year-old redshirt sophomore, Richardson has embraced being “the guy,” while learning on the fly what it takes to lead and become the face of a major college football program. 

“There’s a lot on my plate,” Richardson said. 

“There’s a lot at stake for me and my family and just the team, the university. So I have to move smart. I have to do the right thing every single day. It’s a big deal when people say you’re the face of the program. I don’t take that for granted.”