True freshman Daniel Richardson prepares to become future at quarterback
Daniel Richardson stood on the sideline.
He wore a gold beanie accompanied by a maroon team logo adjacent to his forehead.
Richardson holds an important job, one that must be executed flawlessly for the Central Michigan football team to have success.
Wearing a headset, he relayed messages back and forth to the coaching staff in the press box at UB Stadium, and he worked closely with first-year coach Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Charlie Frye on the field.
"He does all the signaling," McElwain said. "He's advanced, there's no doubt about it. It's something he can handle. He's done a good job."
Each time a call came through, Richardson got the chance to hear the play, speak the play and get a feel for what he would do if he were in the game.
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound quarterback left the Oct. 26 loss to Buffalo the same way he showed up – with a spotless jersey.
Like all the other games in 2019, the true freshman quarterback didn't play.
But it's a part of the process, a process that has McElwain preparing him to take over as the starting quarterback.
"He's got to be ready to go," McElwain said. "He's got to have a great spring and continue to do the things he does – be a good leader. At that position, that's so important going forward."
Richardson has been praised by his coaches and teammates since arriving at Central Michigan for classes in January.
Before the 2018 season, the NCAA announced a new redshirt rule that allows players to participate in a maximum of four games per year without losing a season of eligibility.
Richardson hasn't played once and three regular season games remain.
And he might not get a chance to compete. McElwain isn't making it a top priority to get Richardson on the field.
"I don't know," McElwain said of if he'll play Richardson. "He's been ready. We'll see how it goes from there."
The notable comment is that Richardson is already prepared to play. The only thing that's holding him back is graduate transfer quarterback Quinten Dormady, a two-time transfer from Tennessee and Houston.
When star sophomore wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton described Richardson, he immediately tapped his head to indicate the true freshman's football knowledge.
"D-Rich could be a great player," Pimpleton said. "He reads those coverages. When we are on the field together, he gives us feedback on what he sees and what he believes we could do better. He's one of those younger guys, but he has an older mindset."
Getting the plays and signaling them to the offense is Richardson's job, and it's the path from the coaching staff to the players that allows the game to flow the way the Chippewas want.
Without Richardson on the headset, play-calling wouldn't be easy.
"He's very mature," Pimpleton said. "He can handle whatever you throw at him. He stays in the playbook and the film (room). I know they trust him a lot."
McElwain began raving about Richardson's talent in the spring, shortly after he brought the three-star quarterback to Mount Pleasant from Carol City High School in Miami.
The dual-threat quarterback holds Miami Dade County career passing records for yards (9,791) and touchdowns (116). Richardson was all-state three times and all-county four times while also leading his team to a state title in 2015.
Richardson has experience. Maybe not at the college level, but he's played more than his fair share of snaps to prepare for the next step in his career.
During fall camp, on Aug. 7, McElwain once again expressed how impressed he was with Richardson's development.
"You know what, Daniel Richardson has done a heck of a job," McElwain said. "It's good to see."
There have already been a variety of opportunities where McElwain could've used him.
Yet, he hasn't.
On Sept. 11, shortly after Dormady, the season-opening starter, went down with a knee injury, McElwain named junior quarterback David Moore the starting quarterback in his absence.
But McElwain didn't forget about Richardson, and he even mentioned him as a player that could see time on the field in the coming weeks.
Richardson never got that chance – even in a 45-24 victory on Sept. 14 against Akron at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. He also didn't play in Central Michigan's 42-16 win against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 5 at home.
Shortly after the game against the Eagles, Moore was suspended by the NCAA after a positive test for a banned substance. It occurred just as Dormady, the former starter, was finally back to full health.
Since Dormady was healthy, he assumed the starting role.
Once again, McElwain didn't forget about Richardson when speaking about the quarterback situation. He first mentioned senior Tommy Lazzaro but gave his true freshman a shoutout.
"He's done a really good job for this football team," McElwain said of Lazzaro. "He's done a lot of things for us, even in special teams. He'll be ready.
"It might be time to dust off Daniel and throw him in there. I'm excited to see what that little bugger can do."
The day before McElwain spoke highly of Richardson, senior center Steve Eipper did, as well. He made it clear the depth at the quarterback is something that is of value to the Chippewas.
Coming from a team that didn't have much depth at the position in 2018, Eipper said it's made all the difference. A lot of the trust starts with the coaching staff.
"I believe in every one of the quarterbacks we have back there," Eipper said. "If it was our fifth-string quarterback, then I know we'd have the right coaching and game plan for them to be successful."
Even in a 42-28 victory against winless New Mexico State, Richardson did not play. He also didn't get on the field in Central Michigan's 38-20 victory against Bowling Green.
And when the Chippewas were losing by 23 points late in the game against Buffalo, McElwain kept Dormady on the field – even though Richardson made the trip.
What would it take for McElwain to put Richardson, a player he's spoken highly about, on the field?
"I guess if we need him," McElwain bluntly responded.
But one thing is for certain.
"He's getting better every week," McElwain said. "I'm glad he's with us."
