College Football, Florida Gators

Gator Nation’s faith grows in Feleipe Franks

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I remember waiting out the Summer hoping Kyle Trask or Emory Jones would start at quarterback. After all, the prospect of repeating 2017’s 4-7 travesty behind Tom Brady Feleipe Franks would be too much to handle. I refused to convince myself that he could make a positive impact in his redshirt sophomore season.

After the first win, I was still hesitant to support Mullen’s decision. Five TD passes in a game would be awesome, had the opponent been formidable. When the Gators 31-year winning streak over Kentucky was broken, I had deja vu… and not the good kind. I finally found myself warming up to #13 after the Tennessee win. Now, with Florida’s 5-1 season that features two wins over ranked teams and a functioning offense, it’s time for the Gator Nation to begin embracing QB1 for who he is.

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(Mostly) Out With the Old, In With the New

Franks still struggles with things even casual fans can see. While the tight end is his primary read on this play, he misses a wide-open Malik Davis in the end zone.

And the interception last week against LSU was a backbreaker that kept Florida from extending its lead and left them vulnerable to a late drive by LSU that never materialized.

But when it comes down to it, Franks is winning games. The Gators are tied for second in an increasingly competitive East. Yes, Florida’s deep run game, star receivers, and bruising defense are making a (maybe even the) difference.

Yes, Franks doesn’t currently measure up well against Will Grier, Dwayne Haskins or Tua Tagovailoa. But, through the prism of the SEC, he’s consistently grazing the upper crust of QBs. In the East, he’s taking a narrow silver every week to Jake Fromm’s gold.

This is a far cry from Franks’ preseason ranking of 14th in the SEC… out of 14. Halfway into the season, he’s pretty far from it. Although his completion percentage (54.9) has not improved much from last year (54.6), he’s already thrown for 1122 yards compared to last year’s season total of 1438.

Sizing Up to the SEC

Last season, one Hail Mary to beat a Tennessee team that finished 0-8 in SEC play was Franks’ claim to fame.

However, his year also included multiple game-ending interceptions, a zero point performance against Georgia**, and a blowout by a pretty evenly matched FSU team. (**The final score against the Bulldogs was 42-7, but Malik Zaire was QB during the scoring).

The blame for these disappointing losses is not squarely on Franks. With Franks being shuffled in and out of the lineup last season, it fell upon David Reese’s shoulders to call out the team for lack of effort following the loss to Missouri.

This season, the leadership is visible. Franks is remaining aggressive after a mistake. Do you think he would have been able to execute this play after the previous interception in 2017?

But it’s not just anecdotal signs of improvement. Numbers don’t lie.

Feleipe Franks improvement from 2017 to 2018. (Olivia Granaiola/Read and Reaction)

If Franks can maintain that QB rating throughout 2018, he’ll end up with the third highest QB efficiency for a Florida QB only behind John Brantley in 2011 (140.1) and some guy named Grier in 2015 (145.6).

In the SEC, Franks is tied with Mississippi’s Jordan Ta’amu for second in touchdowns with 13 against 4 interceptions. That is even more impressive when you consider Florida’s schedule has been more consistently difficult, as the Gators have four conference games under their belts compared to Mississippi’s two 70-plus point outings against Southern Illinois and Louisiana Monroe.

Franks’ QB rating of 139.3 tops both Missouri’s Drew Lock (137.7) and Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (126.4). It’s no secret that Lock and Stidham have yet to live up to their overhyped expectations this season. But, who would’ve guessed halfway through the season that they would have been outplayed by Franks?

Franks’ QB rating sits sixth in the conference. Tagovailoa, Fromm, Ta’amu, Tennessee’s Jarrett Guarantano, and TA&M’s Kellen Mond sit in front of him. But Franks already got the best of Guarantano on the field and Florida only has to face Fromm moving forward (barring an appearance in the SEC Championship game).

Coming into the season, you might have considered Florida at a disadvantage at QB against Vanderbilt, Missouri, South Carolina and Florida State. Based on the stats, particularly QB rating thus far, Florida has a distinct advantage against them all.

Coaching Matters

Jim McElwain loved to talk about how he could transform a quarterback. Dan Mullen has actually done it.

Dak Prescott was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 after not cracking the top 600 recruits in the 2011 class. Alex Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 draft and he’s still in the league at 34 years old. Nick Fitzgerald drummed up some Heisman buzz last season and look at where he is this season. And who could forget that Mullen worked closely with good old Tim Tebow?

Mullen deserves credit for many things in transforming this Florida team. But above all, his ability to harness the talent in Feleipe Franks bodes well for Florida moving forward, this year and in the seasons to come.

Will Franks win the Heisman in 2018? No way. But he has clearly put in the work to improve, and it is showing.

Final Thoughts

Gators fans are used to elite QB play. Steve Spurrier set a standard that was met or even exceeded by Urban Meyer. That Tebow had his number retired on a day when a Franks-led team had a significant statement win is poetic justice.

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The shadow cast by Tebow has been significant, with every signal caller since being compared and falling short. Franks isn’t Tebow, but he doesn’t have to be.

Last season, this team did not even play in a bowl game. Much of that was due to sub-standard play at the most important position. But that isn’t a one-year thing. Florida’s QB woes date back to 2009.

When the Week One depth chart listed Franks as QB1, another year of offensive struggles looked to be on the horizon. Instead, the Gators are 5-1 after facing three ranked teams.

Up next, Florida takes on Vanderbilt. Then, it’s Florida-Georgia. Will the Gators leave Jacksonville with a dub?

Maybe not. But they might… with Feleipe Franks at quarterback.

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2 Comments

  1. Is every great QB born that way? I doubt it. He has raw talent, and now a great coach. Every game he has improved. He has heart, and very much a team player. The feeling in my bones is that he is going to be a very pleasant surprise by the end of the season. And thanks for readandreaction.

  2. Sean A Nicholson

    I believe Frank’s is the highest rated QB Mullen has had since Tebow. Probably has the best arm of any other QB under Mullen too. He moves like a basketball player, maybe not quick or fast but certainly nimble. With Mullens leadership Franks will get a shot at the pros after next season, just because he can make all the pro throws.