MU quarterback James Franklin has been a quiet individual by all accounts, but he has been one of the most interesting personalities on the football team by far this year.
He’s displayed absolute brilliance throughout the season, especially towards the end of the year. He has struggled at other times, usually as a result of hesitation on his part in the middle of a play. Franklin hinted earlier this week that he is trying to cut down on second-guessing himself, writes Harry Plumer of the Columbia Missourian:
"Quarterback James Franklin said he’ll take some of the lessons from finals week onto the field.“I start second-guessing myself and that’s where I really mess up, I just need to stick with that first answer and be confident,” Franklin said. “That kind of transitions over to football, I need to see my first read and be confident in my throw, I can’t just second guess … That’s something I can learn from the academic aspect of it.”"
Franklin played more confidently as the season progressed, and he has shouldered more of the load on offense since running back Henry Josey suffered a season-ending knee injury against Texas Nov. 5. He seems to have gained a lot of confidence and composure over the course of the season, and will only continue to keep tapping into his potential.
MU football coach Gary Pinkel has an impressive list of quarterbacks who have developed under his tutelage, but Franklin could end up outshining any of them.