Tag: Zakhari Franklin

Former UTSA WR Zakhari Franklin reveals transfer destination

Top wide receiver available in the transfer portal is heading to the Sip.

Another big-time wide receiver from the Group of Five level is heading to the SEC. Former Texas-San Antonio Roadrunner’s wide receiver Zakhari Franklin announced his decision on Twitter.

Over the past two seasons, Franklin has hauled in 175 passes for 2,163 yards with 27 touchdowns. That breaks down to 12.4 yards per reception and one touchdown every 4.7 receptions. Franklin will now join an Ole Miss team that has added Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State), Walker Howard (Louisiana State), and Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech) through the transfer portal this season.

Franklin, who stands in at 6-foot-1, gives the Rebels a big-time receiver target on the outside. Last year the offense was very run heavy with the nation’s leading rusher Quinshon Judkins emerging as one of the best rushers in college football. Sanders, Judkins, and Franklin give head coach Lane Kiffin one of the top trios across the landscape.

The offense should be fun to watch as long as the Rebels can eliminate their turnovers on offense. Franklin was rated as a four-star transfer and the best available at the position at the time of his commitment.

Coming out of Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, Texas, Franklin was listed as a two-star prospect and the No. 373 wide receiver in the country according to 247Sports. Just further prove that it isn’t about how you started, it is about how you finish.

UTSA star WR Zakhari Franklin is available; Can Will Stein and the Ducks land him?

UTSA WR Zakhari Franklin is now one of the top players in the portal. Oregon OC Will Stein has a close relationship. Might the Ducks reach out?

There are a lot of very talented wide receivers currently on the Oregon Ducks roster, from Troy Franklin to Tez Jonson; from Kris Hutson to Traeshon Holden.

That doesn’t mean that head coach Dan Lanning, and particularly offensive coordinator Will Stein don’t want to add more if they have the ability, though. Lanning has consistently said this spring that they will always look to add more talent if it becomes available.

It just so happens that one of the most talented players in the nation just became available via the transfer portal, and the Ducks’ offensive coordinator might have as good of a relationship as anyone in the nation.

[lawrence-related id=42518]

Former UTSA Roadrunner’s wide receiver Zakhari Franklin entered the transfer portal over the weekend, becoming one of the hottest names on the open market. Franklin leaves UTSA as the school’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Will Stein spent three seasons with Franklin at UTSA, where the WR saw a massive breakout, scoring 37 touchdowns over those three years.

The Ducks are clearly in the market for a transfer portal WR, which has been highlighted by their recruitment of former USC WR Gary Bryant Jr., who is projected to commit to the Ducks in the coming weeks.

[lawrence-related id=42336]

Might they also try and add Franklin as well?

It may make the room a bit crowded, but it’s hard to argue against the notion that the former UTSA star’s presence would up the level of talent in that room significantly and give QB Bo Nix yet another elite WR to target in the offense.

Keep your ears to the ground for an Oregon offer on this one, it seems more than likely that they reach out in the coming days, if they haven’t already.

Zakhari Franklin’s Transfer Portal Profile

UTSA wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has entered the transfer portal. Could Texas A&M be a fit?

UTSA wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has reportedly entered the NCAA transfer portal. Could Texas A&M be a seamless fit for the CUSA standout?

The college football transfer portal just added one of the most productive players from the Conference USA, and he’s already drawn the interest of multiple Power 5 schools. Should Texas A&M be considered in the mix as a potential landing spot?

According to a report from On3’s Matt Zenitz, UTSA wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Following the news made on Thursday, Franklin immediately becomes one of the most productive and soon-to-be sought-after players available in the portal.

In four seasons with the Roadrunners Franklin logged 3,348 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns with an average of 12.8 yards per reception. The UTSA standout is coming off arguably the best collegiate season of his career in which he tallied 1,136 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, which earned him first-team All-Conference USA honors in 2022.

Per Pro Football Focus, Zakhari received a 75.8 offense grade (141st / 1051 WRs) and a 77.7 receiving grade (110th / 959 WRs). During the 2022 season, he logged 819 snaps on the outside and 142 snaps in the slot.

Texas A&M has been a prime candidate to leverage the college football transfer portal, which re-opened on April 15 and is set to close on April 30. The Maroon and White have already added the likes of cornerback Josh DeBerry and linebacker Jurriente Davis. But wide receiver depth remains a need for the Aggies in the short term.

In a move that felt forthcoming since the start of spring football, wide receiver Tyrin Smith officially re-entered the transfer portal after a brief stint with the Aggies. A&M still boasts a talented receiving room headlined by the likes of Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad III, and returning senior Ainias Smith, but one or two injuries to those key pieces can throw a wrench into the potential of this offense.

The best way to combat those worst-case scenarios is to build adequate depth behind your star names. It’s the justification behind former USC WR Gary Bryant Jr. having the Aggies on the radar, so throwing Franklin in the mix doesn’t seem too far-fetched.

With the portal’s close fast approaching, all eyes will be on whether the Aggies prove to be aggressive down the stretch in adding depth. Franklin feels like a realistic get and a seamless fit for the Maroon and White, so here’s to hoping he feels the same way.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=5]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdd4pnb49trk727 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

UTSA star wide receiver Zakhari Franklin enters transfer portal

One of the nation’s top wide receivers has entered the transfer portal.

There is a new big-name wide receiver in the transfer portal. On Friday, it was reported by multiple sources that UTSA star wide receiver Zakhari Franklin is in the transfer portal. It was first reported by Chris Hummer of 247Sports. 

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver broke onto the national scene in 2021 with 81 receptions, 1,027 yards, and 12 touchdowns. This past fall, Franklin followed it up with an even better season, recording 94 receptions, 1,136 yards, and 15 touchdowns. All in all, over his last two seasons in San Antonio, Franklin recorded 175 receptions, 2,163 yards, and 27 touchdowns.

He is one of four wide receivers in the country over the last two years to record at least 150 receptions, 2,000 receiving yards, and 25 touchdowns joining Houston’s Nathaniel Dell, USC and Pittsburgh star Jordan Addison, and Wake Forest’s A.T. Perry.

Franklin was a two-star recruit by both 247Sports and Rivals in the 2019 recruiting class and chose the Roadrunners over Colorado State, Liberty, Hawaii, Lousiana-Monroe, Bowling Green, UT Martin, Howard, and Alcorn State.

It’s safe to say that his offer sheet this time around will look much different as he’s expected to be one of the top wide receivers in the transfer portal with a large group of Power Five programs vying for his services.

Any NCAA football players who want to enter the transfer portal and be eligible for next season must do so by April 30 when the second offseason transfer portal window closes.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=15]

Contact/Follow us at the College Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of College Sports news, notes, and opinions.

Who is Will Stein? 5 things to know about Oregon’s new offensive coordinator

What are the Ducks getting in new OC Will Stein? Here’s a quick look into his coaching resume.

The question most asked when Oregon announced Will Stein had been hired to replace Kenny Dillingham as the Ducks’ offensive coordinator was, “Who?”

That’s not meant to be demeaning to Stein, who was described to Zachary Neel as a “rising star” in the coaching world. He is young, but has a lot ahead of him. It’s not a surprise many fans had to Google him once they heard the news.

The answer to that question, though, is an up-and-coming offensive guru from UT-San Antonio that should stick around for a few seasons as Dan Lanning’s staff stabilizes.

Stein has just one season of experience as an offensive coordinator. In that season, the Roadrunners took off to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Duluth Trading Co. Cure Bowl in Orlando.

UTSA ran a very similar offense to what the Ducks ran this season, which might have been the deciding factor in hiring him. There shouldn’t be a big transition for the current players.

Here are some things that you need to know about Stein:

2023 NFL Draft: 15 players to watch during the Houston vs. UTSA matchup

Fifteen 2023 NFL Draft prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch during the Houston vs. UTSA matchup

The 2022-23 college football season is upon, and with the NFL season a little under a week away, the intertwining of draft talk and prospect watching will now commence.

Philadelphia has a ton of NFL draft assets for 2023 and 2024.

With Howie Roseman looking to inject even more youth into a talented roster, this college football season will provide the best overall group of talent to enter the league in years.

There are plenty of opening weekend matchups to watch, and one intriguing showcase will pit the Houston Cougars against the UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome.

Houston is looking towards a potential berth in the College Football Playoffs, and they’ll look to avoid a potential stumbling block in this road date against the reigning Conference USA champion Roadrunners.

Head coach Jeff Traylor has a winning formula with UTSA, and the contest could be a shootout, with two talented quarterbacks under center for both teams.

The Cougars went 12-2 last year and are ranked inside the Top 25 to open the season for the first time since 2016.

UTSA is also coming off a successful season, going undefeated in its first 11 games and finishing with a 12-2 overall record.

With the kickoff scheduled for Saturday afternoon, here are 15 prospects to watch on both teams.