Strength in Unity.
Posted: 03 Aug 2020, 10:54
Richardson's breakout season ended due to broken tailbone; to evaluate options at the end of the regular season
Anthony Washington -- The Tampa Bay Chronicles
University of South Florida junior linebacker Shelton Richardson will miss the rest of the season with a broken tailbone he suffered in the team's win over West Virginia.
Richardson, a third-year starter, had career numbers with 73 tackles and 22 tackles for loss this season along with an interception and three forced fumbles. He was recently named a finalist for the Bednarick Trophy, the Nagurski and the Butkus Trophy.
The junior linebacker said on an Instagram post that he's "looking forward to getting healthy and deciding what's best for my family". While Richardson is a draft eligible player, questions about his size could hurt his draft prospects. He's listed at six-foot-one and 225 pounds, excelling in the team's 4-3 scheme which favors speed over power. Despite this, he was able to have success as an edge player in his first two seasons, recording 5.5 and 4 sacks in his first two seasons as an edge rusher.
Replacing Richardson will most likely be redshirt junior linebacker Matt Thompson. In three seasons, Thompson has five career tackles and has mainly played special teams. At six-foot-six and 230 pounds, he brings more size to the position but isn't as athletically gifted as Richardson.