Sumter High's Richardson enjoying the process as recruitment gains speed

Sumter High quarterback Frank Richardson has been a staple for the Gamecock offense for the last two years. Now, the college football world is starting to catch on.

Richardson, who is heading into his senior season at Sumter High in the fall, has seen his recruitment skyrocket since February. While he picked up his first Division I offer in the fall from East Carolina, an offer from Duke on Feb. 2 opened the floodgates. Richardson added an offer from Coastal Carolina on March 27 before the other Gamecocks put an offer on the table two days later, as a spring practice visit to South Carolina turned into yet another Power 4 opportunity. The SHS QB added his fifth DI offer on April 1 from UConn. No. 6 came on April 14, when Richardson received an offer from Maryland.

"It's been great," Richardson said of the attention from Power 4 programs. "It really shows that all of the work I've been putting in hasn't been for nothing."

College recruitment can seem like a wildfire at times. Often, one spark from a DI offer can lead to a flurry of scholarship opportunities.

While at Duke, Richardson was able to get an inside look at his potential future in college football. He attended practice and was able to sit in on meetings to really immerse himself in the program.

"It was kind of like a day in the life, so we went to all of the meetings and got to sit down with the coaches, so that's when we really got down to talk about the scholarship, my position and the school itself," Richardson said. "(Their meetings) were really different than what I thought. I thought it was going to be like some big thing, but it's really a controlled area with the coaches and his one-on-one time with the players and really explaining and going in-depth over what the plays are."

Of course, as a South Carolina native, an offer from the Gamecocks was particularly special for Richardson.

"It means a lot actually; it was my first SEC offer," Richardson said. "It was great being on the campus, meeting all the coaches. Even before I got the offer, it was a great experience."

Richardson has a unique recruitment because he'll be making a position change in college. He's really served as an all-around athlete for the Gamecocks, using his legs more than his arm. As a sophomore, he passed for 1,209 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding 984 yards and 11 scores on the ground. He was able to share the load on the ground with a pair of star seniors, John Peeples and Kam Fortune. Once they graduated, Richardson was the center of the rushing attack. As a junior, he rushed for 1,424 yards and 31 touchdowns to go along with 651 yards and four touchdowns through the air.

College programs have looked at Richardson to fill a few different positions. He's heard everything from running back to linebacker throughout the process. Richardson is no stranger to moving around. When he plays 7-on-7 with 803 United, he lines up at receiver, and Richardson played some running back before making the jump to varsity.

"Some schools want me to play defense, a lot want me to play running back, some are open to both because they really don't know where they want to use me, right now," Richardson said. "I think I'll play running back at the college level, to be honest. I've thought about it a lot. I do like linebacker, but I really think it would be better for me at running back."

The biggest difference for Richardson might be the fact that he'd have to get ready to drop a block for his quarterback in passing situations, but he isn't afraid to get in the mix in pass protection.

"I'll get down there in pass protection and block somebody, there's no worry about that," Richardson said emphatically.

Of course, before Richardson makes that positional transition, he still has another season at quarterback at Sumter High. He's not putting the cart before the horse; Richardson wants to be prepared to lead the Gamecocks to a successful season before worrying about playing at the next level.

"I've changed up my workouts a little bit to include some running back stuff like footwork and ball security and stuff like that, but I still do have quarterback parts of my workout," Richardson said. "I'm not really rushing to make a decision right now, I'm just waiting to see what else comes. I'm just going to play, the same thing I've been doing.

"I'm really excited to see how this season goes. I feel like we can go really far this season."

Being a senior with extra attention from colleges can come with a mix of thrill and pressure. Richardson is more focused on the positives that come with his recruitment; he doesn't tend to pay too much attention to the outside noise around his game.

"It's not really pressure; I really look at it as a blessing from God," Richardson said. "This is what I asked for, so it ain't no pressure. It's really cool that I can be in this position. It's really just a blessing."