What is the Future for JF III?

Following a disappointing Iron Bowl that saw Jeremy Johnson make what looks to be his final start in a rocky career, John Franklin, III didn’t wait long to voice his frustrations. JFIII relieved Jeremy Johnson in the second half of the Iron Bowl and provided some life to an Auburn offense that had been abysmal. He finished the contest with 85 passing yards and 14 rushing yards in a losing contest.

James Crepea from Al.com was quick to ask the transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College a pertinent question. Crepea asked about JFIII’s future at Auburn. 

“I’m going to decide at the end of the season, go over that with my family, but right now my plans are to stay here [and] finish out my fifth year,” Franklin said. “I’ll worry about that when the season is over with, I ain’t (sic) really worrying about it right now.”

A player opponents have criticized for being unable to pass effectively went on to say, “It’s not like I can’t throw, it’s just my strength is running the ball, so why not go with my strength? … I run whatever [the coaches] call.” Throughout the year, fans could sense the frustration from a player who didn’t come to Auburn to be a backup quarterback. Many have called for JFIII to be a starter.  

There is a much justification for the frustration. With the long pass to Eli Stove, JFIII now owns both the longest pass and the longest rush of the the year. Perhaps more importantly, he has the highest per-rush average of any player with ten or more attempts. He averages over ten yards every time he touches the ball, three yards or more than any other player. He is Auburn’s highest rated passer with a 154 rating and also leads the Tigers in yards per attempt. Despite being labeled a run-first player with questions about accuracy, he is tied with Jeremy Johnson in completion percentage. 

Still, the questions about his future have less to do with this season than with the player who was visiting Auburn on Tuesday. Former five-star recruit and Baylor starting QB, Jarrett Stidham, took in an Auburn basketball game after meeting with Auburn coaches. Given the relationship of Malzahn to Stidham’s former coaches Art and Kendal Briles and that Kendal Briles is potentially Auburn’s next offensive coordinator, it seems likely that Stidham may land at Auburn. If Stidham moves to Auburn, Sean White gets healthy, and second-year QB Woody Barrett is ready to compete, JFIII’s path to the field as QB is murky. 

On the Cube Show Wednesday morning, Auburn 247 writer Brandon Marcello addressed the topic with former Auburn center Cole Cubelic. Essentially, Marcello pointed out that very few schools outside of Auburn wanted JFIII to begin with and with his graduation being in the summer, his options as a graduate transfer were severely limited and he would be best served fighting for the starting role and hoping for packages as a backup.

A related question that Auburn beat reporters haven’t asked Gus Malzahn, nor has the fan base broached it: Why hasn’t John Franklin, III swapped positions to running back?

From a production standpoint, there is no denying that he has absolutely elite speed, known since he competed on Florida State’s track team. His ball skills were clearly evident throughout the season as he torched opponents. JFIII finished as Auburn’s third most productive rusher with over 400 yards and two touchdowns while averaging the aforementioned ten yards per carry. 

Is he an every down back? No, as evidenced by his propensity to fumble and his size. However, he is clearly not a player that needs to spend his career on the bench. The game against Georgia would have been the perfect opportunity to showcase his ability, as leading rusher Kam Pettway was out with an injury. Perhaps having another gamebreaker on the field against Alabama would have helped, as it was clear that Pettway wasn’t 100%.

Truly, this question could have been asked back in September when Auburn was looking at starting the season missing not one, not two, but three backs. This left Auburn with just Kerryon Johnson and question marks behind him. Obviously Pettway and Kam Martin have done admirably, but Auburn clearly needed depth at the position even before the season kicked off, and that lack of depth really hurt Auburn in November.

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