Wakulla quarterback Feleipe Franks tries to evade the tackle of Rickards’ Javon Peterson during a playoff game last Friday night. Franks decommitted from LSU on Monday, opening up his recruitment by others, including Florida.
Wakulla quarterback Feleipe Franks goes under center for a play during a playoff win over Rickards last Friday. Franks has opened up his recruitment after decommitting from LSU on Monday.
The whispering coming out of Wakulla High School for the last several weeks suggested War Eagles quarterback Feleipe Franks wasn’t sold on the verbal commitment he gave to Louisiana State on June 5, 2014.
On Monday night, Franks took to Twitter to confirm he was decommitting.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound four-star prospect said:
“For about a month now I have been talking with LSU about decommitting. I have given this process a lot of thought and feel that is only best for me to make my decommitment public. I want to thank the LSU coaches, staff and amazing fans for all of their support.”
Wakulla quarterback Feleipe Franks throws the ball against Rickards during a playoff game last Friday night. Franks has decommitted from LSU and could soon be heading to Florida.
Wakulla is currently 11-1 and hosts Live Oak Suwannee (10-2) on Friday night in the FHSAA Region 1-5A finals. Franks, rated the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback nationally by Rivals, is a blend of knowledge from various formations.
Every game he’s under center running veer option handoffs and three-wide pro-style formations, or he can step back into shotgun, five-wide sets. This season, he’s completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,125 yards and 28 touchdowns versus just two interceptions.
But back to the change of heart.
Wakulla flies ahead to regional final
Clearly this isn’t a surprise, especially when LSU lost three straight games and rumors out of Baton Rouge were that head coach Les Miles will get fired after the season is over. Even if the Tigers’ staff somehow avoided the axe, the offense looked very vanilla. That’s not exactly enticing to a recruit.
For Franks, he’s been most keen on the Florida Gators, having taken several visits this fall. He’ll be at The Swamp on Saturday for the FSU-Florida game.
His decision come National Signing Day in February, not long after playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 9, is ultimately a personal one, though I’m sure his long-time girlfriend is loving the in-state tuition idea.
Wakulla quarterback Feleipe Franks goes under center for a play during a game against Rickards last Friday. On Monday, Franks opened up his recruitment by decommitting from LSU.
Going to Gainesville presents a few interesting speculations that could wind up as a post-Christmas haul for the Gators.
What if Franks’ brother Jordan transfers from Central Florida, which just completed an ugly 0-11 season?
Football roundup: Franks’ 3 TD passes guide Wakulla to district title
Jordan Franks, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver, just wrapped his sophomore season with 19 catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights played him at linebacker as a true freshman, which was clearly not where his skill set lay after catching 62 balls for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns as a high school senior.
Who had interest in him back then? Florida. Maybe a package deal gets arranged. Feleipe redshirts and Jordan sits out under NCAA transfer rules. Hello, 2017 season.
Central Florida wide receiver Jordan Franks, right, runs past Connecticut safety Junior Lee, left, after a reception during the first half of a game, on Oct. 10, 2015, in Orlando.
But what if Feleipe’s current teammate and friend of the brothers since childhood, Keith Gavin, is also privy to the discussion— a sort of small-town Big 3 arrangement. (Not sure who Chris Bosh is in this analogy.)
The 6-3, 220-pound Gavin, a four-star prospect that will play in the Under Armour All-American game On Jan. 2 in Orlando, decommitted from FSU before the 2015 season began. He’s still high on the Seminoles, along with Alabama, but the Gators have been creeping up the list as well.
Wakulla’s Keith Gavin high on FSU, Alabama
“I think he’s feeling Florida,” Gavin told GatorCountry.com about Franks during his visit to UF on Nov. 7. “He’s feeling them a lot. He’s always talking about them. He’s wearing his gear … I don’t know, I think (Florida has) got a shot. Me and him grew up together. We talking about going places all the time. Me and him are just about in the same boat really.”
It could be quite the coup for Florida.
Wakulla receiver Keith Gavin returns a punt for a touchdown during a playoff win over Rickards last Friday. Gavin decommitted from FSU before the season began and could now follow his quarterback Feleipe Franks to the same college after Franks decommitted from LSU on Monday.
