James Franklin, QB

05/05/2013 - Missouri quarterback James Franklin, who struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness his junior season, will have to beat out two challengers for the job in fall practice. Coach Gary Pinkel said after the annual Black and Gold game Saturday that he'd announce a pecking order for quarterback and every other position next week. He said Franklin had his best spring with the team, but said sophomores Maty Mauk and Corbin Berkstresser also had good springs. ''Competition is good,'' Pinkel said. ''It's great to me that it goes right into August.''

Franklin, who injured his shoulder last spring and was sidelined by a knee injury and concussion during a 5-7 season, said he didn't mind competing for the position. He thought he had the advantage Saturday and expects to be No. 1 heading into the fall. ''I hope so, yes sir,'' Franklin said. ''We'll see what happens.'' To help solidify his spot, Franklin plans on working on fundamentals learned at a camp in California like footwork. ''It's the little things, so I don't have to come out thinking about it, just try to get the muscle memory down,'' Franklin said. ''So spring ball's over, it doesn't mean we don't play catch, we don't run routes, we don't work on footwork, things like that.''

Missouri was 5-7 in its first season in the SEC, struggling on both sides of the ball. Pinkel pinned the school's first losing season since 2004 on too many costly mistakes rather than a step up in competition. - AP Sports

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Tigers coach Gary Pinkel and offensive coordinator David Yost don't get enough credit nationally for the work they've done with Missouri's quarterbacks. Each of their three previous passers have gone on to the NFL (Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert), and with only one starting season under his belt it is clear that Franklin is on his way toward extending that streak to four.

A multi-dimensional athlete capable of beating defenses with both his strong right arm and legs, Franklin emerged last season to score 36 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. He completed 63.3% of his passes and has an efficient, over the top release that aids the fact that he's shorter than scouts would prefer.

While short, Franklin has a solid, athletic build and is a true scrambling threat, rushing for 981 yards and scoring 15 of his touchdowns a season ago via the run.

There is no denying that Franklin, entering his true junior season, has a ways to go as a traditional NFL passer. Like the former Mizzou quarterbacks coached under Pinkel and Yost, he's been aided by the Tigers' relatively simple passing attack that features a great deal of screens and intermediate crossing routes designed to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly.

He flashes the ability to drop deep balls in the bucket but too often forced receivers to adjust slightly to off-target passes, limiting run-after-the-catch possibilities.

He showed the type of moxie, athleticism and arm talent last season, however, to give Tigers' fans plenty of optimism that he'll handle the adjustment to the SEC just fine... that is, if he's completely over the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that required surgery during the offseason.

--Rob Rang