Feleipe Franks will be the starting quarterback when the Florida Gators open the 2018 season against Charleston Southern.
“e felt Feleipe and some of the ability to extend plays, some of his athleticism, right now will give us the best opportunity to win games,” Mullen said when asked why Franks was given the nod.
In 2017 he became the first redshirt freshman to start a season opener at Florida since 1988 (Kyle Morris). Franks completed 54.6% (125-229) of his pass attempts for 1,438 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Franks played in all 11 games last season including sight starts. At the time, the redshirt freshman was named the starter by then Coach Jim McElwain but was pulled in the middle of the first game. Franks started the first three games before being replaced by Del Rio. he started three more games before being replaced by Malik Zaire, then started the final two games of the season.
Franks was named the starter over redshirt sophomore Kyle Trask and true freshman Emory Jones.
“It was pretty close,” Mullen said of the competition. “If you go to the grades, they were right there. It was the extra little things of the extending plays, the intangibles. I think they were pretty even, back and forth with learning the offense and developing.”
Florida opens the season with Charleston Southern at 7:30 on SEC Network. Tom Hart, Jordan Rogers and Cole Cubelic (sidelines) will have the call.