clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Feleipe Franks, nation's No. 5 quarterback, commits to Florida in recruiting coup

A long-rumored flip came to fruition on Sunday.

By Andy Hutchins
Student Sports

The Florida Gators have been trying to reel in Feleipe Franks for more than three years now, with efforts to do so covering two coaching staffs, three offensive coordinators, and an amazing six different starting quarterbacks.

On Sunday, the big fish hopped in the boat.

Franks previously decommitted from LSU after spending more than two years as a Tigers commit last weekend, with rumblings at the time pointing to him eventually joining the Gators. And that's exactly what came to pass on Sunday, with Franks making his pledge after taking in three games in Gainesville in November.

Franks is a towering prospect (6'5", 220 pounds) with a cannon for an arm and good mobility, the sort of prototypical quarterback from a purely physical standpoint that virtually any coach would love to have. And the issues he shows in his highlights — fluidity, footwork, and accuracy — are largely coachable. (It's also worth noting that these are his 2014 highlights; Franks has reputedly improved in 2015, and his Wakulla High team is headed to the state semifinals next week.)

But regardless of any issues, Franks — who participated in Nike's Elite 11 competition this summer, and who is a consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 45 player and No. 5 pro-style quarterback in the 2016 class by the 247Sports Composite — has more than enough talent to start for Florida (or any Power Five team) if his weaknesses can be sanded down. An offer list stretching into the dozens is proof of that.

And given the miserable month of quarterbackery Gators fans have seen from the valiant but limited Treon Harris in November, a player who possesses a handful of traits and assets Harris frankly never will, there's going to be plenty of hype for Franks as a potential Florida starter during Will Grier's suspension to begin the 2016 season.

And Franks intending to enroll early in January will only magnify that hype.

So Florida's 26th commitment in its 2016 class — and third of Sunday, following JUCO wide receiver Dre Massey and massive offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor — is undoubtedly the most important and exciting of the cycle so far, and by far.

If you think Florida needs a savior at QB, you could do much, much worse when casting the role than Feleipe Franks. And you can't do much better.