Rivals100 tackle hauls in offers
It didn't take long for the offers to start coming in for the Rivals100 offensive tackle Marquis Franklin. Standing at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds and carrying what coach Thomas Brooks calls a "mean streak," Franklin won't likely stop with the several offers he's already received.
Written offers have already come in, verbal offers have added to that, and so far the talented young lineman says that things are going according to plan.
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"When you go to John Tyler and you see how many kids coach has sent to Division I, it's not hard to realize that if you work hard, it will happen for you," Franklin said. "I just got my written offers from Iowa, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State. Texas and Miami have verbally offered me."
"I kind of expected this to happen sooner or later."
In fact, it was one particular moment that Franklin knew he had arrived as an elite prospect. Going into the game against Kilgore, last year's defensive end duo Eddie Jones and Wayne Daniels, he knew that the pressure was going to be on him to play at his fullest potential.
A solid performance had him walking off the field feeling a lot better about his career as a college Division I tackle.
"Those were two bad dudes on the defensive line," Franklin said. "We had to go into that game prepared to compete. It's just how I played against them though. I felt like I had arrived to some degree."
However, Franklin has more in common with the talented five-star defensive end Jones who gave him quite a test last year. Jones signed with Texas and that is the leader for the talented East Texan.
"Texas, it's just Texas at the top for me," Franklin said about his favorite. "My man Tim Crowder has been talking to me about them. He says I just have to keep focused on my grades and then I can come there with him. I'm just waiting on my test score."
Franklin also is planning on taking in the Texas Junior Day this weekend along with his teammate Kendall Hunter. However, he also wants to go and check out a school quite a bit farther from home than Austin.
Wide receiver Kerry Maddox who signed with Washington last year has Franklin intrigued about the Pac-10 school.
"My coach and I are going to go up there for a visit," Franklin said. "That's where Kerry is going, so I just wanted to check that out for myself. I'm pretty open to distance from home. That won't make or break my decision."
While the offers roll in, Franklin says that academics are his main concern.
"I'm working hard man," he said. "When I get these scores back, I'll know where I stand and where I'm at with my grades. But, overall they're good right now."