FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks is the latest Razorback to declare for the upcoming NFL Draft.
Franks, the graduate transfer from Florida, made the announcement Thursday evening in a post to his Instagram account. He is the third Arkansas player this week to declare for next year's draft, joining defensive linemen Jonathan Marshall and Xavier Kelly.
"As my journey here at the U of A has come to a close, I want to thank my Razorback family for welcoming me with open arms," Franks wrote. "Thank you to Coach (Sam) Pittman and Coach (Kendal) Briles for your unwavering belief in me in very uncertain times. Your love and support for me has helped mold me in to the player that I am today. You have truly made my last year of college football better than I could have ever imagined.
"To my teammates, thank you for bringing me into your family. The friendships that I have made in just a short period of time will last a lifetime. To the Razorback fans, thank you for the constant support of me and our team. The Hog fan base is unmatched and a force to be reckoned with. Arkansas will always hold a very special place in my heart and I am blessed to always be able to call Fayetteville home."
In his lone season with the Razorbacks, Franks completed a program record 68.5% of his passes for 2,107 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He threw for 1,019 yards and 11 touchdowns against zero interceptions in Arkansas' road games.
Franks was one of the most accurate deep-ball passers in the country in 2020.
On passes that traveled at least 16 yards downfield, he completed 21 of 36 attempts for 851 yards and eight touchdowns. He connected on 5 of 6 such throws for 245 yards and a score in the Razorbacks' home loss to LSU.
Franks rushed for 204 yards and a touchdown on 105 carries. He totaled a season-high 91 yards on 16 carries at Texas A&M on Oct. 31. It was the first 90-plus yard rushing performance by an Arkansas quarterback since 2004.
In the final weeks of the season, Franks battled a ribcage injury that caused him to miss the Razorbacks' road loss at Missouri. He returned the following week and completed 8 of 10 passes for 90 yards against No. 1 Alabama.
Franks, who suffered a season-ending lower leg injury in 2019, was named a semifinalist for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year award on Dec. 21, and recently accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which is scheduled to be played Jan. 30, 2021.