Arkansas football: Feleipe Franks has quietly been among the best QBs in the SEC
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We’ve heard about Mac Jones and Stetson Bennett. We know Kellen Mond and Kyle Trask.
But where is the love for Feleipe Franks?
The Arkansas quarterback might not be on a contending team, but he has quietly been one of the better signal-callers in the conference. He has so far led the Razorbacks to their first SEC victory since 2017 and almost notched another this past week against Auburn.
With star running back Rakeem Boyd sidelined with a lower leg injury the past 2 games, Franks has shined. He has thrown for 530 yards and 6 touchdowns in that span. His emergence has been a breath of fresh air for an Arkansas offense that struggled to find a starting quarterback last season.
His only “bad” game came in the season opener against a Georgia defense that is currently ranked 2nd in the country. Although it is a small sample size, he has the 5th-best quarterback rating in the conference since. It should also be noted that Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak’s numbers received a huge boost for his performance against LSU last week, but Franks is likely the better of the two.
He ranks ahead of Mond, Bennett and Myles Brennan in efficiency. With 7 TDs overall, he’s tied with Mond for 5th in the SEC.
Can Franks keep it up when the Razorbacks take on Ole Miss and their prolific offense this week?
The Rebels lost to Alabama in a shootout this past week, 63-48. Arkansas’ defense has been good so far, but a Lane Kiffin team provides the chance for another barn burner. If that’s the case, look for Arkansas to again lean on Franks and the passing game.
In addition to Boyd, Arkansas has also been without its top receiver, Treylon Burks, for the past 2 weeks. It’s unclear whether either will be available to play against Ole Miss.
But that hasn’t deterred Franks.
He has found other targets, like De’Vion Warren, who has had a touchdown catch in each of the past 2 games. Junior Mike Woods has also stepped up.
Franks showed signs of becoming one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC when he was at Florida. He had the 7th-best QB rating in the conference as a sophomore. But we all know the story. His junior season was cut short because of an ankle injury, and Kyle Trask took off.
He was somewhat forgotten and forced to transfer to the least desirable program in the conference. It’s good to see Franks find success with another program — one that might have needed him as much as he needed it. He is starting to make us remember that he’s not too bad of a quarterback.
It’s still early this season but one thing is clear: Arkansas is not the same team it was last season.
It has Franks to thank for that.
Chandler Vessels covers the SEC West for Saturday Down South. Previously, he worked for the East Texas Sports Network in Tyler, Texas, covering high school football and recruiting. You can follow him on Twitter @ChandlerVessels.
