While quarterback is far and away the most important position in all of sports, the expectation level for each and every starting QB can be a bit daunting.
But meeting those expectations is what separates the great quarterbacks from the rest of the pack, and after two years of some inconsistent play, Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks is receiving his opportunity to do just that.
A 21-game starter dating back to 2017, the rising redshirt-junior has posted a flashy stat-line of 3895 yards and 33 touchdowns in his career at the University of Florida. However, Franks pairs those stats with a completion percentage of 56.8% and a history of poor play under pressure. While he improved on his accuracy from 54.8% in 2017 to 58.6% in 2018, he still has some work to do in order to transform his game.
The 2019 Florida Gators spring program and Orange and Blue game gave fans and analysts a good look just to where Feleipe Franks’ growth meter is at, and compared to his previous few spring practices, it’s at an all-time high. According to fellow GatorsTerritory.com writer Jacquie Franciulli, who wrote about Franks’ spring game performance, Franks’ stat-line of 13-18 for 327 yards and four touchdowns blew his 2018 Orange and Blue game numbers (5-11, 58 yards) out of the water.
Now, Franks putting up some nice stats in the Orange and Blue game is all fun and good, but what comes next for the Gators’ veteran signal-caller is translating these numbers and his improvement to what Bleacher Report considers to be the eighth-toughest schedule in all of college football for the 2019 season.
Oh, and back to that expectation level thing? Franks has to become the complete QB that UF expects him to be with four new starters on the offensive line, and after losing three contributing skill-position players on offense.
2018 starting left tackle Martez Ivey, left guard Tyler Jordan, right guard Fred Johnson, and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, as well as swing lineman Kavaris Harkless, are all gone. Taylor is considered a first-round lock for the 2019 NFL Draft, Ivey should be drafted in the later rounds, Johnson should receive an NFL training camp invite, and Jordan and Harkless ran out of eligibility.
Running back Jordan Scarlett, who recorded 141 total touches and five rushing touchdowns in 2018, is also expected to hear his name called in the upcoming draft. Tight ends C’yontai Lewis and Moral Stephens, who combined for 17 receptions for 234 yards and three touchdowns are both out of eligibility as well.
This type of turnover, especially considering the NFL-caliber talent-loss across the offensive line, is a quarterback’s nightmare, and only further demands Franks’ growth as a passer to be evident come August.
The chemistry Franks has with center Nick Buchanan, the only returning starter on the offensive line, is a nice start. But the Ivey/Taylor tandem that allowed only four sacks in 2018 (per Pro Football Focus) is going to be very tough to replace after 22 straight games as Florida’s bookend tackles, as well as the contributions that the other previously mentioned players made in their UF careers.
Losing 80% of the offensive line that protected Franks so well in 2018 only furthers the importance of Franks' growth being necessary for Florida to win football games in 2019. Playing under pressure has been a somewhat regular issue for Franks in the past, despite a nice majority of his plays coming with no pressure behind such a sturdy front line.
One benefit that Franks has going into 2019 is the return of his entire veteran receiving corps., namely Van Jefferson (r-Sr.), Josh Hammond (Sr.), Trevon Grimes (Jr.) and Tyrie Cleveland (Sr.). This group combined for 107 receptions, 1448 yards, and 16 touchdowns in 2018, and if Franks can elevate his game beyond the natural regression the offensive line will have with four new starters, the WR group will be a huge plus for the Florida Gators’ offense.
The return of running back Lamical Perine (Sr.) is also a plus in order to both balance out the offense with a solid run game, and as a pass catcher out of the backfield - Perine had 13 receptions for 170 yards and a TD in 2018 - but even with several offensive skill positions returning, Franks' job will be to elevate each and every player on the offense in order to get the Gators firing on all cylinders. With a bunch of inexperienced protection in front of him and a couple of veteran skill players gone as well, Franks is responsible to keep things flowing as the leader of the squad.
His ability to handle the pressure, both physically in pass protection and mentally, is what will ultimately decide if Feleipe Franks can become a great college quarterback, and if he is able to continue Florida’s upward trend as a football program since head coach Dan Mullen took the reins.
All early returns from the spring program are looking positive, but Franks’ continual growth needs to be on full display come August 24th against the University of Miami and throughout the entirety of the 2019 season. 2019 is the biggest test of Feleipe Franks’ football career, and if he can continue to prove himself and lead the program following a large gutting of the Gators’ offense, Franks will be one of the best quarterbacks in Division 1 football by the end of the year.
And if Franks is viewed in that light come the end of the 2019 season, odds are the Florida Gators will be viewed as legitimate College Football Playoff contenders.
It’s a tall task, and a great example of the daunting expectations often flung onto a starting quarterback. But as Mullen has said, Feleipe Franks is his guy at quarterback.
Now is Franks’ time to prove just that.
All stats via Sports-Reference.com
