Arkansas Razorbacks add Florida grad transfer quarterback Feleipe Franks
With no time to spare, the Arkansas Razorbacks have enrolled Florida grad transfer quarterback Feleipe Franks for the spring semester. Franks decided to visit Fayetteville on the final day to enroll for classes and committed to play for first-year head coach Sam Pittman and offensive coordinator Kendall Briles.
A former Rivals 4-star and the No.3 pro-style quarterback coming out of the 2016 class, Franks had 12 offers including Alabama, Georgia and Clemson. Franks was at one point committed to LSU and Les Miles, but ultimately headed to Gainesville where he'd redshirt his first season. The only other program he publicly visited after announcing his intention to transfer this past December was Kansas, Miles' new team.
In 2017, Franks became the first redshirt freshman quarterback to start for the Gators since 1988 when he started eight games. He ended up throwing for 1,438 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in head coach Jim McElwain's last season at Florida.
Dan Mullen's first season with the Gators was also Franks' first season as the full-time starter. In 13 games, including a win in the Peach Bowl, Franks threw for 2,457 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also tallied 350 rushing yards on 110 carries and seven rushing touchdowns. The Gators finished the 2018 season with a 10-3 record with wins over ranked Mississippi State, LSU, Missouri and Michigan.
Franks returned in 2019 as the incumbent starter for the Gators but was only able to play three games before a severe broken ankle injury forced him to get surgery and ended his redshirt junior season. Franks was completing passes at a career-high 76.1 percent clip before the injury with 698 yards passing, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
After going down, Franks was replaced by long-time backup Kyle Trask who shocked many by finishing the season as the second-most accurate quarterback in the SEC with 245 passing yards per game and second-most touchdowns behind Heisman winner Joe Burrow. Trask is now seen as perhaps the best returning starter in the SEC in 2020.
To make things even tougher for Franks, Florida also played true freshman dual-threat Emory Jones who Dan Mullen is grooming to be the future of the Gators. Those factors ultimately led to a situation where it was best for Franks to find a new home.
Currently, Franks has just one more year to play but, due to his injury, he could apply for a medical redshirt retroactively and play one more season in 2021. Arkansas does not play Florida until 2023. As far as his recovery is concerned, Franks looks mobile enough to participate when spring practices in March roll around.
In 2018, his best season, Franks ranked 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game and completion percentage, 8th in yards per attempt, fifth in touchdowns and middle-of-the-pack in interceptions with six.
The Florida native has never been heralded as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC but for Arkansas's current situation, he's a very nice addition to the room. Briles was dealing with a room of just three scholarship quarterbacks, none of which threw more than 31 attempts in 2019. The Razorbacks have yet to land a quarterback in the 2020 class but will have two officially visit this weekend, Malik Hornsby and CJ Dixon.
Arkansas's 2020 QB Room
Feleipe Franks
Jack Lindsey
John Stephen Jones
K.J. Jefferson
Cade Pearson (walk-on transfer from UNT)
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