Florida football: Which transfer will the Gators target to play QB next year?

Anthony Richardson announced his intentions to go to the NFL Draft this morning, leaving Florida football without a clear QB 1 heading into next year. With a slew of transfer portal QBs on the market, however, Napier will have plenty of options to go after during the offseason.

This is a big chance for the Gators and Napier to make a splash in the portal, as well as flex some NIL capabilities if they can outbid other schools for a certain arm.

Who’s available, and who might the Gators go after?

Florida football: Devin Leary could bounce back in Orange and Blue

After a superb 2021 campaign for Leary, he came back down to earth this season before getting injured against FSU and missing the rest of the season. In the five and a half games he played this season, he threw for 1,265 yards and 11 TDs, on just four interceptions.

Assuming Leary’s shoulder is back to 100% this season, he’ll be a great guy to have under center for the Gators. His pure arm talent and ability to lead a team would be a fantastic addition to the Florida QB room.

He also showed how he’s never nervous and performs best under pressure in the Wolfpack’s game against UNC last season.

Florida football: Sam Hartman is the dream scenario

He hasn’t yet announced his intentions to transfer, but there is a lot of buzz that the Wake Forest QB is going to look for a change of scenery for his final year of college.

We already talked about what Hartman would do for the Gators, but it’s worth bringing up again, as he has the best pure-arm talent of any QB in the portal right now.

While he doesn’t move like Richardson, Hartman wouldn’t be too big of a drop off from AR’s speed and mobility, and could still be a threat in UF’s run game.

Like Leary, Hartman came back down to earth a bit after a spectacular 2021 but still threw for 3,421 yards with a 35:11 TD-to-INT ratio.

Florida football: Austin Reed is a name under the radar

Austin Reed of Western Kentucky may not be the most talked about transfer QB, but he would be lethal in the Gator offense.

This season he threw for the second-most yards in FBS with 4,247 and had a 36:10 TD-to-INT ratio. He has great zip on his throws and features a majestic deep ball that not many QBs can throw at the college level.

This is college football. Under the radar guys are what make this sport so special. Austin Reed just might be that guy for the Gators.

Florida football: If you’re desperate, go to DJ

Let me be entirely transparent here. I go to Clemson as a student but have always been a bigger UF fan. I’ve watched DJ up close for two years. He’s the exact same player as Feleipe Franks.

Big arm, and decent enough mobility, but can’t make decisions and struggles with timing. In the ACC Championship this past weekend, when Cade Klubnik went in, all the receivers were suddenly open, the timing was better, and the offense started looking good.

It’s the exact same situation as when Trask came in for Franks when Feleipe got injured.

DJ should not be a priority target for Napier, but if everything else falls through, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

When DJ is on, he’s really, really good. In Clemson’s game against Wake Forest this season he threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns. On the other side, when he’s bad, you wonder why you ever started watching football. In the Tigers’ game against South Carolina, he threw for 99 yards and only one score.

There are much better options in the portal than Uiagalelei, but he would fill the hole for UF for a season if necessary.

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