The UCF Knights landed running back Mark-Antony Richards, a former four-star recruit and redshirt freshman from Auburn, on Tuesday.
The aforementioned Auburn product was recruited by UCF’s new head coach Gus Malzhan in 2019 out of West Palm Beach High School in Florida.
While at West Palm Beach, Richards racked up over 3,000 all-purpose yards — including 1,300 yards rushing — his senior season.
Prior to committing at Auburn, Richards ranked as the No. 4 athlete nationally, according to 247Sports.
If you went by Richards’ high school ranking, he’d be the highest-rated player ever to commit to UCF in its history.
“Great school and a great fit for me,” Richards said to 247Sports on Tuesday. “Program is on the rise and I want to be part of that.”
During Richards’ time as a Tiger, the former four-star recruit tallied 20 carries for a total of 76 yards, throughout the course of Auburn’s final four games.
Prefacing Richards’ first career appearance in a game against Ole Miss, he had suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for 11 months.
“The rehab process is tough,” Richards said. “It was my first time getting surgery. So, I bounced back and then we had COVID and missed some football. Going into the summer I had to reprove myself. Then I faced some nicks and bruises leading into the season. … I knew I had to keep my head straight.”
Richards enters a crowded but yet inexperienced running back room other than redshirt senior Bentavious Thompson.
Thompson will likely lead the charge for the Knights in the running game this season, looking to improve from his 358 rushing yards and five touchdowns as the teams feature back.
Outside of Thompson, the younger Knights did not see the field as much due to the upperclassman play of Otis Anderson and Greg McCrae — who both declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Johnny Richardson 11 rushed for 71 yards and one score last year, while Damarius Good totaled 14 rushing attempts for 24 yards.
Trillion Coles suffered a torn Achilles tendon back in July, resulting in him sitting the 2020 season out.
Prior to the injury, Coles showed promise from the running back spot, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 33 attempts in 2019.
R.J. Harvey will be looking to contribute after coming off his redshirt campaign.
How does the newly acquired Richards fit within the running back rotation?
Over his tenure as Auburn’s head coach, Malzhan has proven to be fond of the running back by committee approach.
With Richards’ ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, expect him to contribute early and often on passing downs.
Richards best outing of his four-game stretch game against No.1 Alabama, where he averaged 4.1 yards per carry on a total of 57 rushing yards.
“It was a moment I waited for,” Richards told 247Sports. “I felt like I ran the ball pretty well. I just put my head down and worked throughout the season. … The Iron Bowl was a chance to show what I could do with protection, catching and running.”
The Knights have secured a promising playmaker with the potential to be one of the biggest grabs from the transfer portal.
Check back with Knight News for more UCF football coverage.
