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As good as the Rolla High School football team was in 2009, imagine what could have been if one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation had been added to the mix?
That’s what could have been.
A former Rolla resident is one of the prized recruits for the Mizzou Tigers who will go through the formality of signing his MU letter of intent today in Columbia.
James Franklin, who starred at quarterback the past two seasons at Lake Dallas High School in Corinth, Texas, verbally committed to Mizzou several months ago. Franklin lived in Rolla for several years as a youth before his parents moved away some seven years ago.
Franklin (6-3, 215) is the No. 1-rated quarterback from the Dallas area and the No. 4-rated quarterback overall coming out of talent-rich Texas by the Rivals.com recruiting service. He is a 4-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com and is rated as the country’s No. 4-rated dual-threat prospect at the QB position.
As a senior at Lake Dallas, in Texas’ Class 4A division, Franklin passed for 2,360 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 1,282 yards and 19 TDs in leading his squad to a 10-2 record. As a junior he passed for 2,464 yards, 23 TDs and 11 interceptions while rushing for 1,151 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Franklin is one of two nationally-ranked quarterback recruits brought in by the Missouri Tigers this recruiting season. The other is Tyler Gabbert of Parkway West in St. Louis. Gabbert is the brother of current Mizzou starting quarterback, Blaine Gabbert.
One recruiting service rates the initial Missouri recruiting class of 2010 the 17th-best in the nation.
Both Franklin and Tyler Gabbert have already enrolled at Missouri for the current semester and will both participate in spring practice. T. Gabbert, also a 4-star prospect, completed 109-of-229 passes for 1,148 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions for a 4-6 team in 2009.
Franklin ran a spread offense similar to the one Mizzou runs.
“I’m a big fan of James Franklin,” said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor of Rivals.com. “I think he might be the heir apparent to Blaine. He’s got good size, speed and great arm strength. He competed at the highest level in the state of Texas and produced great results.”
James Franklin seems to be a chip off the old block as his father, Willie, was also a star football player.
Willie Franklin was the pulpit minister for the Rolla Highway E Church of Christ in the late 1990s and early 2000s who, along with his wife, Pam, had three daughters and James.
After an All-America junior college career at wide receiver, Willie Franklin went on to play two years for the Oklahoma Sooners before spending a stint in the National Football League, including a couple of years playing receiver for the Baltimore Colts.
It was reported that as a high school sophomore James Franklin could throw a football 75 yards. James said that was 10 yards shorter than his father could throw it.
As good as the Rolla High School football team was in 2009, imagine what could have been if one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation had been added to the mix?
That’s what could have been.
A former Rolla resident is one of the prized recruits for the Mizzou Tigers who will go through the formality of signing his MU letter of intent today in Columbia.
James Franklin, who starred at quarterback the past two seasons at Lake Dallas High School in Corinth, Texas, verbally committed to Mizzou several months ago. Franklin lived in Rolla for several years as a youth before his parents moved away some seven years ago.
Franklin (6-3, 215) is the No. 1-rated quarterback from the Dallas area and the No. 4-rated quarterback overall coming out of talent-rich Texas by the Rivals.com recruiting service. He is a 4-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com and is rated as the country’s No. 4-rated dual-threat prospect at the QB position.
As a senior at Lake Dallas, in Texas’ Class 4A division, Franklin passed for 2,360 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 1,282 yards and 19 TDs in leading his squad to a 10-2 record. As a junior he passed for 2,464 yards, 23 TDs and 11 interceptions while rushing for 1,151 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Franklin is one of two nationally-ranked quarterback recruits brought in by the Missouri Tigers this recruiting season. The other is Tyler Gabbert of Parkway West in St. Louis. Gabbert is the brother of current Mizzou starting quarterback, Blaine Gabbert.
One recruiting service rates the initial Missouri recruiting class of 2010 the 17th-best in the nation.
Both Franklin and Tyler Gabbert have already enrolled at Missouri for the current semester and will both participate in spring practice. T. Gabbert, also a 4-star prospect, completed 109-of-229 passes for 1,148 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions for a 4-6 team in 2009.
Franklin ran a spread offense similar to the one Mizzou runs.
“I’m a big fan of James Franklin,” said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor of Rivals.com. “I think he might be the heir apparent to Blaine. He’s got good size, speed and great arm strength. He competed at the highest level in the state of Texas and produced great results.”
James Franklin seems to be a chip off the old block as his father, Willie, was also a star football player.
Willie Franklin was the pulpit minister for the Rolla Highway E Church of Christ in the late 1990s and early 2000s who, along with his wife, Pam, had three daughters and James.
After an All-America junior college career at wide receiver, Willie Franklin went on to play two years for the Oklahoma Sooners before spending a stint in the National Football League, including a couple of years playing receiver for the Baltimore Colts.
It was reported that as a high school sophomore James Franklin could throw a football 75 yards. James said that was 10 yards shorter than his father could throw it.
