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Franks likely not coming back, but has shown younger guys a real leader
Feleipe Franks probably won’t be drafted until the third day of the NFL Draft whenever it’s held, but he did what was expected of him at Arkansas.
Plus maybe a little more.
When the graduate transfer from Florida accepted a Senior Bowl invitation last week, the foregone conclusion is the Texas Bowl in Houston on Thursday night is his last college game.
There’s no complaining from Razorbacks fans … or coaches.
“I don’t anticipate him coming back,” Sam Pittman said Monday in his press conference before the team leaves Tuesday.
Coaches can say that and mean several different things. There are times coaches don’t want a player coming back, but that’s not the case with Franks.
He walked into a new team at a position with no stability, calmed things down and been an example to a team that really hadn’t seen a true leader in uniform what that looks like.
“Feleipe has done everything he can do for us,” Pittman said.
He’s not finished, yet. Maybe that shows every player on the team what a leader is. It’s not quitting with a couple of weeks left to prepare for the NFL Draft when you’re probably not even going to be picked like running back Rakeem Boyd did in November.
“I want to finish what I started,” Franks said last week. “I came here to compete for a season and that’s what I’m going to do. At the end of the day, I feel like I’ve gone to work week in and week out with these guys for 10 straight games, so why stop on the 11th?”
Unless something changes and he leaps up the draft boards, Franks won’t be an early pick. Most projects are fifth to sixth round and you don’t see many teams gambling on a pick at quarterback.
For a position that is often the face of a billion-dollar company, NFL teams look at more than how good of an arm quarterbacks have. History shows winning Super Bowls is often a lot more than arm strength.
Franks has those intangibles. His teammates of one year have noticed it.
“It says a lot about his leadership and his want-to,” offensive tackle Myron Cunningham said Monday. “He wants to be here and wants to play with us and finish the season the right way.”
Coming back for another season with the Hogs would probably boost him in the NFL Draft more than playing in the Senior Bowl, but that’s a decision for Franks to make. Pittman sounded confident in the future at quarterback.
Most of that’s because K.J. Jefferson had a big day against Missouri in his only start when Franks couldn’t go because of a rib injury and Malik Hornsby has a ton of potential.
“We feel we’re in good shape there at quarterback,” Pittman said.
Plus, those guys have seen what a leader is at that position.
That’s also why whatever he does after the Texas Bowl, the guess is he’ll be successful. He’s got a key ingredient for that.
“That shows a lot toward his character,” Pittman said of Franks staying with the team all the way through the season. “I’m really proud of him that he decided to play in the Texas Bowl.”
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Hammonds’ roller-coaster with Hogs will continue for sixth year
T.J. Hammonds has almost lasted long enough with the Arkansas football program to qualify for retirement benefits … and he’s not leaving.
Hammonds announced on social media Monday he will be coming back for his sixth season with the Razorbacks.
“After talking to my family and the man up top. I feel its best if I return for another year.”
He does add an element of speed to an offense that looked for a couple of years like it was moving in slow motion most of the time.
Hammonds’ time with the Razorbacks has had ups and downs after signing as a four-star recruit from Joe T. Robinson in Little Rock.
He’s bounced between running back and wide receiver, but his big plays have come when he could get in the open field and use his speed. For whatever reasons he never found much stability on offense through three coaching staffs.
But he has gotten a degree … and he’s apparently not in any particular hurry to leave.
Hammonds has 544 yards and two touchdowns on only 79 carries. His career 6.9-yard average would rank second only to Felix Jones’ 7.7 in UA history if he had enough touches to qualify. He’s also caught 13 passes for 221 yards and two scores, for an average of 17.0 yards per reception.
He was able to return to school for a sixth season because of a rule change by the NCAA. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, all football players have been granted an extra year of eligibility, regardless of how much they played this season.
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