Breaking: QB Feleipe Franks Announces Intention to Leave Florida
And then there were two.
Florida Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks has announced, via Instagram, that he intends to leave the University of Florida to pursue other football opportunities, either by transferring or entering his name in the 2020 NFL Draft.
"It has been my dream to play at the University of Florida," Franks stated in his post. "To play for a top program and contribute to winning games. I have been fortunate to meet as many amazing people as I have while being here, coaches, players, and fans as well."
After thanking head coach Dan Mullen and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, Franks continued: "My heart is heavy... There will be a lot that is missed, I plan on exploring my options of entering the NFL Draft or playing my final year elsewhere. Thank you everybody for believing in me, especially all my teammates I've played with here."
Franks suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 3 against Kentucky that ruled him out for the remainder of the 2019 season. In his place, redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Trask led the Gators to a 7-2 record, passing for 2,636 yards, 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
Trask's backup, Emory Jones, has also flashed in moments this season, and the redshirt freshman is expected to compete for the job come spring camp. Jones has tallied 267 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, as well as 224 rushing yards and four rushing scores in 2019.
It was clear that Franks was the odd man out at this point, given Trask's success and the progression of Jones.
A redshirt junior himself, Franks should be eligible to play immediately as a graduate student wherever he decides to transfer, should that be the case. In his Gators career, Franks has thrown for 4,593 yards, 38 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He's also added 438 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
