Take Two: Which program will land Mark-Antony Richards?
MORE TAKE TWO: Will five-star WR George Pickens stick with Auburn?
There are only seven players in the Rivals100 that remain uncommitted and four-star all-purpose back Mark-Antony Richards is one of the most intriguing because it’s still unclear what he might be thinking when it comes to his recruitment.
The Palm Beach (Fla.) Wellington standout has been pegged to Miami for some time but then Auburn has made a serious push and Georgia cannot be counted out, either, since the Bulldogs had a recent in-home visit as well. Florida is very much in the running, too.
Ranked as the No. 99 prospect in the 2019 class, Richards is a do-it-all type of recruit who can run the ball with the best of them but who can also catch the ball out of the backfield and line up in the slot if needed.
He’s the third-best all-purpose back in this class behind Penn State’s Devyn Ford and Oregon’s Sean Dollars. Richards is going to be a huge pickup for some team. Which one will it be?
FIRST TAKE: ROB CASSIDY, SOUTHEAST RECRUITING ANALYST
“I still like Miami for Richards but I don’t know if I’d stake much money on that take. He’s been incredible when it comes to playing things close to the vest. Here’s what I do know:
“Georgia had some work to do headed into that in-home visit, but Kirby Smart and company have been incredible closers in this region as of late. Auburn, Georgia and Miami are all players. Any other choice would shock me. I’m on record predicting Miami but I’m far less certain of that than I was a month ago.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, NATIONAL RECRUITING DIRECTOR
“I think he ends up at Miami. Auburn is the darkhorse to watch out for here. Georgia already has a lot of running back depth but he’s the type of kid who can play all-purpose back, he can play slot receiver, he can do a lot of different things. If he decided on Georgia he could definitely find a place but to me he’s sort of like James Cook light and they already have that role filled where Miami could really use him as a pass-catching, slot receiver, hybrid guy. Auburn is definitely a darkhorse here because it can recruit Florida really well but I still think he’s going to go to Miami.”
