Kyler Murray has set the gold standard in becoming the first person ever to be a top 10 pick in both the MLB and NFL drafts but don’t expect Florida signal-caller Feleipe Franks to follow in the Heisman winner’s footsteps just yet.
The redshirt junior QB is nowhere near the prospect as the former Oklahoma star was in either sport but that didn’t stop the Boston Red Sox from drafting him on Wednesday with their 31st round (out of 40) pick -- No. 947 overall -- in Major League Baseball’s 2019 amateur draft. Despite the selection, Gators fans have no reason to worry as Franks is sticking with his preferred sport and will be on the gridiron at the Swamp this fall and not anywhere near a diamond.
“I’m flattered that the Red Sox picked me this afternoon,” Franks said in a statement from the school. “However, I’m living out my dream being the quarterback of the Florida Gators. We’re all working extremely hard this offseason and I cannot wait to hit the field this fall.”
The school notes that Franks, who hasn’t played baseball since 2015 after enrolling early in Gainesville for football, was at one time the No. 500 prospect in the sport and a top 50 pitcher nationally at Crawfordville (FL) Wakulla High. Interestingly the Red Sox were also the same team to draft a UF quarterback last too, nabbing Jeff Driskel in the 29th round back in 2013.
Franks threw for 2,457 yards and 24 touchdowns last year for the Gators, leading them to a New Year’s Six Bowl win and resurgent 10 win season under new head coach Dan Mullen. He is set to be the starter once again in 2019 for the team and with another good effort on the gridiron, can start thinking much more about an NFL team drafting him than a MLB one.