Franks’ resilience earns QB job
Strength in face of adversity a positive
GAINESVILLE — Few Gators bore the weight of UF’s 4-7 record last season as much as quarterback Feleipe Franks.
But Franks, whom new coach Dan Mullen tabbed Monday to be the 2018 Gators’ starter, did not break last year. Turns out Franks actually became stronger while being yo-yoed from the field to the bench by his head coach and vilified for his struggles by a social media mob.
The quarterback race with fellow redshirt sophomore Kyle Trask was close, but Franks’ determination helped carry him across the finish line.
“I think the biggest thing was just the way he came to work everyday,” wide receiver Josh Hammond said of Franks. “He got guys on, when things got tough, when things got hard, just his leadership potential I think really pushed him over the top. I think all of our guys have leadership potential, as well, but I think just Feleipe, I guess you could say he put himself more in that position and showed that he really wanted to be a starting quarterback more than anybody else.
“I think that was the biggest thing." Mullen said he and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson decided Franks gave the Gators a better chance to win games and offered better ability to extend plays and run the football in a spread offense.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Franks’ arm strength, of course, is well known, highlighted by his game-winning 63-yard touchdown pass last September against Tennessee.
"He can make throws that a lot of people can’t just on pure talent,” Mullen said. “I think he’s got very good athletic ability. That can show in his ability to run the ball, show in ihs ability to scramble and extend plays. He’s got good size to be a physical player. He’s not worried, he’s not nervous about being a physical player. He’s got some toughness that way.
“When you look at those things, those are some things that we’ll build on."
Trask, at 6-foot-5, 234 pounds, possesses similar size and arm talent. He also showed during preseason camp he was a willing and
physical runner.
Trask, though, has never played in a college game while Franks started eight times in 2017. Mullen said he did not factor those games into the decision since he did not coach Franks last season.
Yet, Franks used his time on the field and in the huddle to establish a bond with teammates, who stood by him through the ups and downs of last season.
“I’ve known Feleipe since The Opening, back in high school and his commitment to LSU [he later changed to UF,]” junior defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson said. “That’s always been my boy; we sit next to each other in meeting rooms. Like I tell Feleipe every day, it’s your turn, it’s your year.”
Gardner-Johnson had his own issues last season due to a rash of missed tackles during the first half of the season. While Gardner-Johnson received plenty of backlash himself, it was nothing like the cacophony of criticism Franks endured.
“If you’re the quarterback, you’ve got everybody on your shoulders, everybody in your head,” Gardner-Johnson said. “You just got to do what you’re going to do and take care of all 108 guys in this room.”
Known for his ability to develop quarterbacks, Mullen coached Alex Smith at Utah, Tim Tebow at UF and Dak Prescott at Mississippi State. Along the way, the 46-year-old Mullen has seen how a top quarterback impacts everyone around him.
“He’s improving at that stuff,” Mullen said of Franks. “I mean, we spent time showing, ‘Look at your body language here or look at your body language after a good play or after a bad play or after an average play. After all the different things, what’s your demeanor, what’s your attitude, how are you talking to the guys? How are you raising the level of play around you having to understand individually your teammates because everyone responds differently to different things?’
“I’ve talked to all of them, to play quarterback for us, you’ve got to have some thick skin because you’re the quarterback of the Florida Gators.”
Mullen said Franks, Trask and first-year freshman Emory Jones all have a long road ahead to fulfill their potential.
Franks might be a little bit farther along. But Mullen said Franks has to continue to improve his accuracy and his ability to make reads and get rid of the football quickly.
“They're a long way, all of them are a long way from finished product of what we need to see,” Mullen said.