Dan Mullen reportedly suggested Feleipe Franks transfer to play for offensive guru in Pac-12
Dan Mullen reportedly suggested an interesting team for departing Florida QB Feleipe Franks: Mike Leach’s Washington State Cougars.
The news comes from Theo Lawson of the Spokesman-Review. Lawson writes, “According to a Spokesman-Review source, Florida coach Dan Mullen recommended that former Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks take a serious look at the Cougars and consider spending his final college season in Pullman in order to ‘get developed by Leach.’”
Lawson suggests Leach and company have some work to do if they want to make it happen:
[T]he source said the ex-Florida starter wasn’t familiar with Pullman or the Palouse. The Cougars seem to be aware of him, though, and Franks is followed on Twitter by outside receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr…
Since Franks announced he would not be returning to UF for his 2020 season, he has visited one familiar coach: Les Miles. In a recent social media post, Franks indicated he was traveling to Lawrence, Kansas, where Miles coaches the Kansas Jayhawks. Franks originally pledged to Miles at LSU before flipping his commitment to Jim McElwain and the Gators.
Lawson notes that grad transfers have had mixed results at WSU. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew had a record-setting season in Leach’s offense in 2018 after transferring from East Carolina. This past season, former Eastern Washington QB Gage Gubrud was unable to win the WSU starting job and appeared in just two games as a backup. Gubrud suffered a lower-body injury during the Cougars’ spring workouts.
Franks had a rough redshirt freshmen season (125-of-229 for 1,438 yards, 9 TD, 8 INT) in 2017. His passing numbers drastically improved playing for Mullen in 2018 (188-of-322, 2,457 yards, 24 TD, 6 INT). In three games of the 2019 season, Franks was 54-of-71 for 698 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions before his season came to an end due to injury.
What’s with Emory Jones? Seems like in tight games Mullen doesn’t let him throw in critical passing situations. In the Orange Bowl – an unexpectedly tight game – Jones came in and ran the first two plays of a series, and facing 3rd down and 6, I thought we’d get to see Jones throw, but Trask went in to throw and got the 1st down. Looks to me like Mullen is not fully comfortable with Jones. Why? Both Trask and Jones have had the same amount of time under Mullen. Is it a “still learning” issue?
Mullen develops QBs. He doesn’t like putting them in positions where they can fail and negatively affect their growth. EJ will now have plenty of time under the system. Next year will tell the story. I fully expect his athleticism and running ability to win the job in the spring.
1. Trask and Jones have had the same amount of time in Mullen’s “system” to develop.
2. Before this season Trask and Jones had the same amount of time starting college games – zero – with Jones having many more high school starts.
3. Many QBs are able to start and perform reasonably well their FRESHMAN year (Fromm, Nix, etc.). Why not Jones? Athleticism alone doesn’t cut it.
One thing is coaching and developing a player. Another thing is the actual decision-making, instincts and judgment by that player on the field. Like speed, it’s tough to teach some things. Franks certainly got more than a fair chance to make it work. He did a lot right and we appreciate his effort. I certainly wish him the best and hope it works out for him wherever he goes.
Agreed. Many of our “fans” forget how much he developed in 2018. I’ve never seen another QB at that level make that much of a change. I think Dan wants him to go somewhere that he knows has the guys who can continue that growth.
Jame is Winston for the bucs lol
Franks is a great guy and a good player, but he wouldn’t sniff the starting job in Mike Leach’s offense. His system isn’t complex, but it does require his QBs to be decisive and quickly progress through all of their reads. Franks doesn’t have the instincts to excel in an offense like that.
Mullen probably thinks that this is what Frank’s needs to develop and Leetch’s offense would help him develop this part of his game.
Everyone knows Leetch has his players repeat the same 7 plays over and over until they become second nature. So maybe this can help Franks develop his reads.
Pac12 also lacks strong DL and secondary play. Franks would put up huge numbers in that offense.
Hopefully, wherever he ends up the game slows down for him in his head. He has incredible athletic ability, but his time at UF was a roller coaster ride. I don’t remember another player that could make me jump for joy and throw the remote at the tv within two plays of each other. Maybe Jeff Driscal, and it all worked out for him.
Tailwhip that comment reminds me of our QB guarantano’s play. Except without the same raw athletic ability/arm strength.
Treyon gave me acid reflux
Agreed…he’s big and physical and has arm talent that Leach likely hasn’t had before.
Seems like a running QB like Franks would be a poor fit for Leach’s air raid system. He’d definitely be breaking their current QB mold, I doubt this amounts to anything. Then again, seeing him battle Jake Bentley on the west coast could be fun #goutes
Serious question for Gator fans. Does having Mullen as HC, two offensive co-coordinators, and a QB coach on staff seem like there may be too many people who might have a hand in coaching up a QB?
I don’t know the answer to that, but bringing in a 2-star QB that hasn’t played much since 10th grade in high school and winning 11 games seems to be working pretty well. Not trying to be a smarty pants but what other coach could’ve pulled that off?
Don’t think Hevesy or Gonzalez have a lot to do in coaching up theQBs. That’s Mullen and Brian Johnson