QB Franklin Richardson (6-2 220) of Sumter is a load of a runner when he takes off from the shotgun. He’s such a good runner; colleges are recruiting him for running back. On Saturday, while at USC to watch the Gamecocks practice, Richardson was offered. Not by quarterbacks coach Kendal Briles, but by running backs coach Stan Drayton.
“I watched their practice, and then I went and toured the academic facilities, and then we saw the athletic facilities,” Richardson said. “I sat down with the coach, and he told me he wanted to offer me a scholarship. He sat down and then talked with my family, and that’s when he offered me a scholarship.”
Richardson said that at Sumter High, his former coach, Mark Barnes, viewed him as an excellent athlete who could play quarterback. And Drayton told him what he’s learned at the quarterback position will be a plus for him as a running back in college.
“He can tell that I study the game,” Richardson said. “He said he likes that playing quarterback is going to help me survey the defense while I’m playing running back. I’ve played running back before, so I’m not completely new to the position. And I’m a quick learner. I catch on quickly. Coach tells me what I need to, and I see it done, I can do it.”
Richardson, who camped at USC last summer, watched the Gamecocks practice on Saturday, and he had his eyes squarely focused on Drayton and the running backs.
“I like the way they practice with intensity,” Richardson said. “They had like a formal scrimmage at the end, and it had high energy and intensity, and I really like that. Coach Drayton is really a hands-on coach. He’s in the middle of the drills. He’s telling them what they need to know. He gets all the running backs straight.”
As for where the Gamecocks stand with him after the offer, Richardson said, “South Carolina is definitely high up on the list.”
Richardson, who is not related to former Sumter and Penn State quarterback Wally Richardson, also has offers from Duke, East Carolina, and Coastal Carolina. He has also visited Duke and ECU and has official visits scheduled with each for June. He said he also plans to get back to USC and Duke this spring. Currently, Duke is standing out to him.
Last season, Richardson averaged 163 rushing yards per game in leading the Gamecocks to a 9-2 record.