Franklin Taking Austin Trip ($)

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, good recruiting news! Despite maintaining for the last several weeks (ever since returning from Norman) that he didn't have a trip planned to Austin, Franklin changed his mind and will visit with the Longhorn coaching staff Thursday evening. Only weeks away from his decision, and with OU holding a slight lead because of a higher comfort level, things didn't look good for the Longhorns being able to make up that extra ground. Until now. With Will Muschamp and Mack Brown getting a final chance to raise Franklin's comfort level with the program and pitch Longhorn football, the odds of landing Franklin increase, perhaps not substantially, but significantly. This is right in Mack's wheelhouse and Muschamp's intensity and vision for the defense only helps.

almost 3 years ago Wescott Eberts (GoBR) 17 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Finally.

Any good news in recruiting lifts my spirits these days after the way things have gone with Matthews, White, etc.

Hook 'em.

by 4th and 5 on Jul 30, 2009 6:02 PM CDT reply actions

Great news for sure.

Hopefully he will trade this mascot,

for this one.

by NeTexHorn on Jul 30, 2009 6:03 PM CDT reply actions

Our depth chart has to be much more appealing than OU's at LB

I think we may finally end our drought. He seemed to be pretty understanding about the late offer due to his injury. Glad he is better and he must have really killed it when he camped at Texas. If we get him this will be a top LB class to fill a serious need regardless if we get Hicks. Hicks is seriously great, so I do hope that we get him too.

by jkovach on Jul 30, 2009 6:19 PM CDT reply actions

So how do our LB targets compare?

GoBR, how would you describe Benson, Franklin and Hicks? Do you see them in different LB positions or are they all cut from the same mold? Benson and Franklin seem to have similar measurables and look to be sideline-to-sideline guys while Hicks is 15lbs heavier and might be more suited to the Buck. Obviously if we manage to snag Franklin, does this potentially impact Hicks’s decision?

by Rickyspub on Jul 31, 2009 8:22 AM CDT reply actions

Despite the perceptions about Hicks as a little bigger and more physical,

he and Benson are really about the same size — same listed height and within five pounds of each other in weight. Both are good blitzers and good strikers, but Benson is more fluid in coverage. Benson could end up playing any of the three positions, but Hicks is probably best suited playing more downhill at this point until he improves his hip fluidity and overall flexibility, so he’s a more likely Buck package guy early in his career. . Benson is probably faster. Franklin is a little bit smaller but is probably the fastest of the three after running some sub-22 second 200s in the spring — he’s more in the mold of a Corey Nelson spread/hybrid linebacker-safety at this point and needs the most work in the weight room.
As for Tevin Jackson — he’s a bad mofo and probably the best candidate of the four for the Buck Package early because he’s just straight-up mean. He could end up challenging for a fifth star by the time his senior season is over and may end up being the best linebacker in the state of Texas. He’ll probably end up higher on the LSR than Nelson because his body is college-ready and Ketchum loves Jackson, as do I.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jul 31, 2009 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for the LB breakdown. They all look great!

Obviously this is great news to have Franklin back on campus….is a commit expected over the weekend? Do you think we will continue to taget Hicks hard if Franklin commits?

I like his highschool Mascot…good looking mean longhorn!

by jkovach on Jul 31, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Probably no commitment over the weekend.

It’s still a possibility, but i think Texas has too much ground to make up for that to happen.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jul 31, 2009 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks!

I completely forgot about Jackson…for some reason I thought he was a DE, which perhaps has now been conflated in my mind with the Buck. Jackson definitely looks like the meanest of the bunch and I guess I was thinking of him mauling QBs from the end position.

Seems like you aren’t as high on Hicks as some others considering he is supposed to be one of the top handful of LBs in the country.

by Rickyspub on Jul 31, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions

I like Hicks.

I’m not down on him at all, but I think if the Longhorns can add Franklin to the mix, then losing out on Hicks isn’t that big of a deal because Jackson and Benson combined can do all the things that Hicks can do and Franklin rounds out the class nicely. I think Jackson, Hicks, and Benson could all play on the field at the same time, but there is some redundancy of skills there. Not a dig at Hicks, who is a great player, but to me it’s more about getting one of Hicks and Franklin just from a numbers standpoint.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jul 31, 2009 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Good to hear...

I don’t know enough about Franklin to get too excited about him. I initially thought he was a tweener, but his size (6’1" 205, right?) seems fine for the position as a frosh. I really thought Hicks was cut from a different mold than Nelson and Benson and therefore was an important piece to pick up, but its good to hear Benson and Jackson are solid in all facets.

by Rickyspub on Jul 31, 2009 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions

GoBR - D Johnson?

Not to change the subject, but I didn’t know where to ask. Any word on whether Johnson is definitely coming back or not? I know there was a lot of worry, then a post saying everything will probably be OK, but nothing since. Any news?

by UT_BKC on Jul 31, 2009 12:01 PM CDT reply actions