Comparing Quarterback Ages

[Escambia94]

One thing we tend to forget when comparing quarterbacks is age. Anthony Richardson is 21 years old and has 300 pass attempts in his career. Two of the QBs AR has faced are older than 10 NFL quarterbacks!

• Stetson Bennett | 25.2 | Georgia Bulldogs |
• Hendon Hooker | 24.3 | Tennessee Volunteers |
• Tua Tagovailoa | 24.2 | Dolphins (Alabama) |
• Justin Herbert | 24.2 | Chargers (Oregon) |
• Kenny Pickett | 24.2 | Steelers (Pitt) |
• Jalen Hurts | 24.2 | Eagles (Alabama/Oklahoma) |
• Mac Jones | 24.6 | Patriots (Alabama) |
• Sam Ehlinger | 24.3 | Colts (Texas) |
• Davis Mills | 24.9 | Texans (Stanford) |
• Justin Fields | 23.2| Bears (Georgia/Ohio State) |
• Malik Willis | 23.2 | Titans (Auburn/Liberty) |
• Zach Wilson | 23.9 | Jets (BYU) |
• Trevor Lawrence | 23.2 | Jaguars (Clemson)
• Will Levis | 22.4 | Penn State/ Kentucky
• Cam Rising | 22.2 | Utah
  
• Anthony Richardson | 21.5 | Florida Gators

 

[DRU2012]

One thing we tend to forget when comparing quarterbacks is age. Anthony Richardson is 21 years old and has 300 pass attempts in his career. Two of the QBs AR has faced are older than 10 NFL quarterbacks!

• Stetson Bennett | 25.2 | Georgia Bulldogs |
• Hendon Hooker | 24.3 | Tennessee Volunteers |
• Tua Tagovailoa | 24.2 | Dolphins (Alabama) |
• Justin Herbert | 24.2 | Chargers (Oregon) |
• Kenny Pickett | 24.2 | Steelers (Pitt) |
• Jalen Hurts | 24.2 | Eagles (Alabama/Oklahoma) |
• Mac Jones | 24.6 | Patriots (Alabama) |
• Sam Ehlinger | 24.3 | Colts (Texas) |
• Davis Mills | 24.9 | Texans (Stanford) |
• Justin Fields | 23.2| Bears (Georgia/Ohio State) |
• Malik Willis | 23.2 | Titans (Auburn/Liberty) |
• Zach Wilson | 23.9 | Jets (BYU) |
• Trevor Lawrence | 23.2 | Jaguars (Clemson)
• Will Levis | 22.4 | Penn State/ Kentucky
• Cam Rising | 22.2 | Utah
• Anthony Richardson | 21.5 | Florida Gators

OK...But does AR himself realize that, and all it implies?
I mean, the one thing we all fail to give weight to when that young is how much we yet still have to LEARN. If we did, much in the way of "unfortunate choices" might otherwise be avoided--but that ISN'T how things often go in life.
No doubt there are those in Richardson's circle of family, Coaches, teammates and friends who are offering advice, recommending patience and even wisdom--but like the rest of us, the loudest such "voice" is likely the one inside his head that is yelling, "I know BETTER!", and, "I want the world and I want it NOW!!!".
THAT voice will more likely listen to those offering "the quick fix", to the temptation of "the big and easy money NOW!". It certainly was more than enough to tempt even younger, less experienced young kids like Rashada and McClain. As for keeping AR another year, and any hope of him more fully preparing himself to fully realize his own much heralded potential and eventual value, All that hangs in the very balance now--and I have no IDEA how things will go with him from here...
Based on all we've seen so far, I can't say I am particularly optimistic. We can but HOPE.

 

[DRU2012]

(By the way, @Escambia94, the above note was and is another particularly and insightfully well-timed one on your part:
It goes, I believe, right to the heart of the job ahead--particularly with respect to Richardson's future AND GENERALLY concerning the extensive "rebuild" still ahead here at UF Football: In this day and age, this is the very question that this Coaching staff, the whole PROGRAM will be facing REPEATEDLY over the next few seasons.
The reshuffling/realignment of CFB Playoff Football, in a wider context that includes NIL, Collectives, and all the rest, is profoundly changing the whole landscape that everyone is moving to and INTO now. So much of it is still to be settled on, it's rules eventually defined.
To some extent, it is actually up to all the current participants to choose, react and define.
I foresee a FIGHT FOR THE SOUL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ahead.
Make no mistake:
That fight, the choices made and fought for, will determine what its eventual form will be. There are no guarantees...It is up to all of US to somehow see and fight for "good", to argue loud and long for a more open, less greed-influenced path forward. For good or ill, that "fight" will be mostly fought "out here" in "social media"--it is the WAY of things now: Even our media-mouthpieces are influenced (and in turn amplify that "infljence" on air!) by loudly voicing as their own the various points-of-view that gain primacy there.

 

[Escambia94]

@DRU2012 I am working on analysis showing that Anthony Richardson could be a backup QB or TE convert in the NFL. AR’s stats follow current NFL starters and backups PJ Walker (Temple/ Carolina Panthers), Jeff Driskel (Florida/ La Tech/ Cincinnati/ Houston), and Jacoby Brissett (Florida/ NC St/ New England/ Cleveland). His best bet is to stay at Florida at least a year. If his stats are no good he should transfer. Either way, his stats are not as bad as we think—for those of us too emotionally connected to the Gators.

 

[DRU2012]

@DRU2012 I am working on analysis showing that Anthony Richardson could be a backup QB or TE convert in the NFL. AR’s stats follow current NFL starters and backups PJ Walker (Temple/ Carolina Panthers), Jeff Driskel (Florida/ La Tech/ Cincinnati/ Houston), and Jacoby Brissett (Florida/ NC St/ New England/ Cleveland). His best bet is to stay at Florida at least a year. If his stats are no good he should transfer. Either way, his stats are not as bad as we think—for those of us too emotionally connected to the Gators.

I was especially drawn by two SEPARATE ideas you mention here, E--.
The first was the startling suggestion that AR should transfer ("...IF his stats are no good..."); I'm not sure if you mean at the end of this season, or NEXT if he chooses to STAY another year HERE...But you go on to suggest his stats are "not as bad" as our "Gator-centric view" would suggest--so this seems the least likely outcome regardless.
The OTHER item that jumped out at me concerns a thought I'd already had myself--the idea that in separate and different ways, AR's performance so far had already reminded me of the very same two Gator QBs-past that YOU mention here: Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett.
Now, though AR "reminded me" of each of those particular former-Gators (in different ways, as I say--more in the way each was highly-rated, especially Driskell as a prep-star and "future Gator QB-1"), it HADN'T occurred to me that Anthony might now be regarded as a potential switch to TE (though once you mentioned it, with his varied particular physical skills I could readily SEE it!); After all, one reason so many "expert commentators" have been TOUTING his eventual NFL-potential is because he has shown exactly the kinds of superior talent and creativity that QBs of his size and seat-of-the-pants improvisational skills can BRING to the position at that level nowadays in modern pro-offenses.
Still...Do YOU think it may be time to consider "moving on" from considering the "enormous potential", the "promise" that still might be fully realized in Anthony Richardson’s being given ANOTHER FULL SEASON here at Florida--for us AND for HIM?
Cam Newton got HIMSELF thrown out of our program, you'll recall.
This is different: If it is best for both Anthony and for US that he stay another season here, and he CHOOSES to do so, do we not GIVE HIM EVERY CHANCE?
Personally, the very LAST thing I want to witness here is ANOTHER dazzlingly inventive physical specimen at Quarterback realizing "all that POTENTIAL" somewhere ELSE!
We need to finally "GET THIS RIGHT", if it is at all within our power to do so.

 

[Escambia94]

If I were king I would have him stay at Florida in 2023 (age 22), but I would still bring in a transfer QB. Florida should always have 4 start-able QBs, one per class—even if that results in a “squeeze out” of current QBs on the roster. The NFL wants 300 pass attempts from a college QB to analyze, and AR will not have that until next year. The catch to that is if he profiles like NFL QBs PJ Walker, Jeff Driskel, and Jacoby Brissett, we must accept that he will have up-and-down performances week to week. The amplitude of those variations should settle down around a 130 passer rating. If that is good enough in 2023 then he should enter the NFL draft. If that it is not enough he should transfer for the 2024 season (age 23) since more QBs are staying in college until age 24-25 and we do not want to squeeze out QBs that we want to attract to Florida, such as 2024 QB DJ Lagway.

 

[DRU2012]

If I were king I would have him stay at Florida in 2023 (age 22), but I would still bring in a transfer QB. Florida should always have 4 start-able QBs, one per class—even if that results in a “squeeze out” of current QBs on the roster. The NFL wants 300 pass attempts from a college QB to analyze, and AR will not have that until next year. The catch to that is if he profiles like NFL QBs PJ Walker, Jeff Driskel, and Jacoby Brissett, we must accept that he will have up-and-down performances week to week. The amplitude of those variations should settle down around a 130 passer rating. If that is good enough in 2023 then he should enter the NFL draft. If that it is not enough he should transfer for the 2024 season (age 23) since more QBs are staying in college until age 24-25 and we do not want to squeeze out QBs that we want to attract to Florida, such as 2024 QB DJ Lagway.

OK...I better understand (and agree) with where you're going with all this.
In one sense, you are saying (among other things) that we must balance what we can do for HIM and what he can do for US--and balance both of those with "the good of the TEAM", and its future.
Of course, the one big caveat here is the question of just how "good" ("dazzlingly dominant"? "Generational"?) we believe he really can be...and even here, you imply another big question:
ie.The idea that no matter WHAT we do, he may well not grow/mature into the amazing specimen so many project him to become for a few years yet--and may have to move ON, for reasons you note and more (as much situational as personal) before finally being fully "READY-FOR-PRIMETIME".