Big 12 Football: 3 transfer landing spots for OK State QB Spencer Sanders

Florida

Another blue blood program that will be looking for help at the quarterback position this coming offseason is the Florida Gators.

After an up-and-down first year at the helm for new head coach Billy Napier, it looks like the Gators are bound to open up the quarterback competition next offseason. Junior quarterback Anthony Richardson improved down the stretch during the regular season.

But after Richardson declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, in a bit of a surprising move last week, the Florida quarterback room is left without a clear answer as to who will start next season.

Moreover, Richardson got a better understanding of this hybrid spread option offense that the Gators like to run as the season progressed. He was off on some of the timing throws that Florida runs at a high volume in the passing game early in the season.

Florida likes to run the ball up the middle behind its big offensive line and get some high-percentage short and intermediate passes to set the tone and get the offense in a good rhythm. That builds into some timing throws down the field off of play-action.

There are some concepts that Florida likes to run in this offense that Sanders is familiar with from his time at Oklahoma State. The rub routes and timing throws that come out of the spread formations for this offense are similar to some of the plays that OC Kasey Dunn runs at Oklahoma State.

But the biggest difference between Florida and Oklahoma State in terms of the fit for Sanders is the fact that the Gators have a more potent ground game and a more talented offensive line than the Pokes. Oklahoma State had Sanders running for his life throughout much of the 2022 season.

And the Oklahoma State run game was almost invisible in the last couple of seasons without the services of Jaylen Warren.

Sanders was an increasingly improved deep ball thrower in the last few years. Prior to the shoulder injury he suffered this season, Sanders was one of the three highest-graded deep ball throwers in the Big 12.

That deep ball proficiency we’ve seen Sanders improve upon in the last few years would be well-served in this Florida offensive scheme that likes to build up to connecting on the deep ball on play-action throws.

It’s also worth mentioning that Florida wouldn’t be losing a lot in terms of playmaking ability at the quarterback position year-over-year replacing Richardson with Sanders.