John Franklin III will be at his fourth school in the last five seasons after bailing on yet another Power Five program and heading back to South Florida.
Stop me if you have heard this one before, FSU football fans: John Franklin III is transferring from a program because he is upset over playing time. Yes, the same former quarterback who was upset he couldn’t beat out Jameis Winston in Tallahassee has decided that he can’t handle being the backup at another school – so he’s taking his football and heading closer to home.
Florida State Seminoles Football
Franklin, who spent two seasons in Tallahassee moving back and forth between quarterback and receiver, is heading from his second Power Five school – this time, the Auburn Tigers – to play for the Florida Atlantic Owls. A native of Plantation, he will be a lot closer to home so that his family and friends can see him warm the bench.
Normally, we wouldn’t make a big deal about players who have already left the Florida State program. In most cases, we wish them well because sometimes it just doesn’t work out. In the case of John Franklin III, it’s different because he comes off as a spoiled player who is upset that his number hasn’t been called.
The news of the transfer came one day after Auburn named their starting and backup quarterbacks – and neither one of those spots was filled by Franklin. On his way out the door, he thanked the Tigers (in much the same way he did FSU, I will give credit) and said he had to do what is “for the betterment of myself as a player, and a man.”
Here’s an idea of how to better yourself as a player and man, John – live up to your end of the deal and stay committed to one place for longer than a year. The Owls will be the fourth program he has played for…IN THE LAST FOUR SEASONS. Tell me how the coaching staff at FAU is supposed to believe he is going to stick around the whole season?
The irony of the whole thing is that if Franklin had stayed in Tallahassee, he would have been in the race to be the starter in 2015 and things could have turned out much differently. Instead, he seemed to be afraid of competition and didn’t see the big picture.
If John Franklin III thinks he’s going to waltz into the quarterback spot down in Boca Raton, he might be in for a rude awakening considering the likely starter has already been decided with De’Andre Johnson – another former FSU football paler turned JuCo transfer – in that spot. If players could transfer in the middle of the season, I’m pretty sure that might be something JFIII would do.
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Now, for all we know there could be a new John Franklin III in South Florida – one who does what needs to be done and doesn’t bail when things go a different way. If that is the case, best wishes to the former Nole. If ego gets in the picture when he isn’t the main man, well who knows what will be in store.