Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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42 OCT. 19, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE SINGER Many commitments come with a de- cision date and ceremony with hats on a table, but that wasn't the case Oct. 1 when Greenville (Ga.) High's Antavi- ous Richardson announced his pledge to Notre Dame. It came out of the blue. No predic- tions from internet writers. No teases of a decision. Just a social media post from On3's Hayes Fawcett to break the news, and Notre Dame landed a major commitment. Richardson, who is On3's No. 12 ath- lete and No. 294 overall player in Amer- ica, was originally committed to Geor- gia State. He made that decision back in April, but his recruitment picked up later in the spring, adding offers from South Florida, Mississippi State and a few others. He flipped to the Bulls, just to have his recruitment blow up again — this time on a different level — adding Notre Dame, Alabama, Louisville, Duke and North Carolina to his offer list. He visited both Alabama and Notre Dame this fall, and on Oct. 1, Richard- son called up the Fighting Irish staff to inform them of his decision. And within the hour after that call, he made the news public. "The school, coaches, atmosphere, players and people in general up there — it felt like home," Richardson told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "Those are the main reasons why I chose Notre Dame." While Richardson's commitment may have come as a surprise, he knew pri- vately for a while. "I came to that decision two days af- ter my visit," said Richardson, who offi- cially visited for the Miami (Ohio) game the weekend of Sept. 21. Richardson informed the Irish staff of his decision right before he announced the news publicly. "I told them about my commitment in the afternoon," he said. "I was on the phone with [general manager] Chad [Bowden], Coach [Mike] Brown and ev- eryone. They were excited and happy to hear that I was committing to Notre Dame." Irish head coach Marcus Freeman was an important figure in Richardson's re- cruiting process as well. "He meant a lot," Richardson said. "He's really the one who got me out there. I like how he talks and explained to me about why he wanted me up there for a good cause. He sold himself well to get me up there." Richardson was committed to South Florida as a cornerback, and Alabama was in pursuit of him to play safety. And at Notre Dame, Richardson is expected to come in to play wide receiver, a posi- tion he's never played before. But he feels confident in his future position coach's ability to develop him. "I'm pretty fired up about it," Rich- ardson said about playing receiver in college. "Coach Brown meant a lot in my recruitment. He showed me players he coached who played a different posi- tion in high school and ended up playing receiver and went to the league. "He was saying how he was in my shoes at one point and went through the same thing." Through five games of his senior season, Richardson has passed for 465 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 inter- ception. He had completed 60 per- cent of his passes, and had run for 718 yards and a score on 55 carries. On the other side of the ball, Richardson had compiled 42 tackles (6 for loss) and 1 interception. In nine games as a junior, Richardson threw for 423 yards with 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while adding 69 rushes for 801 yards and 2 scores. And he was third on his team in total tackles with 54, and added 4 stops for loss, 3 passes broken up and 1 fumble recovery. "I'm a hard worker and love to put in the work," Richardson added. "I'm go- ing to bring something special to that team." Richardson is on his third commit- ment, and he plans on it being his last. "I don't think I'll be taking any other trips," he said. While he has a calm, cool demeanor, Richardson is fired up about his com- mitment to the Irish. "I definitely am," Richardson stated. ✦ Notre Dame Beats Out Alabama For Dynamic Peach State Athlete COMMITMENT PROFILE ANTAVIOUS RICHARDSON Richardson, On3's No. 12 athlete and No. 294 overall player in America, flipped his commitment from South Florida to Notre Dame Oct. 1. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 FILM ANALYSIS "Before Antavious Richardson announced his decision, Notre Dame needed explosive offensive playmakers in the 2025 class. They still do. But by Richardson committing to the Irish, he gave them one. As a junior, Richardson played quarterback and defensive back and returned punts and kicks. This season, he has excelled at quarterback and linebacker, demonstrating some of the qualities the Irish value as a pass catcher. "Even though the Irish primarily recruited him as a wide receiver, do not be surprised if Richardson plays more than one position during his collegiate career. As other schools believed, he could also ex - cel at defensive back. Richardson is also a candidate to return kicks and punts with his speed. "Richardson is a true athlete who could start his career at one position and finish at another. Plus, having a former high school quarterback on the roster for trick plays and emergency situations doesn't hurt. "Notre Dame needs more dynamic players on their roster, and Richardson gives it one." — Blue & Gold Illustrated recruiting reporter Kyle Kelly "The school, coaches, atmosphere, players and people in general up there — it felt like home." RICHARDSON ON WHY HE PICKED NOTRE DAME