Florida football: Feleipe Franks says Gator expectations are high

Coming off a season where the Florida football program did what was expected by winning 10 games and capturing a bowl title, they now know the expectations aren’t going to slack off.

Any Florida football fan will tell you 10 wins is the norm, not the exception.

In fact, anything less than 10 wins is considered failure.

Now, the players for Gator Nation are well aware of that thought and have seemingly bought into the belief that anything less than what happened last season would be unacceptable in the eyes of many a Florida football fan.

"“Expectations are high. 10 wins is not easy to do, I don’t think anywhere. But, it is good when you do it. You get a lot of momentum,” said Florida redshirt junior quarterback Feleipe Franks during SEC Media Days."

Franks, who led the charge for the Gators last season by throwing for 2,457 yards and 24 touchdowns in the air, was also named to the 2019 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Watch List Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1151175159270858752

The honor comes a day after Franks was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List. Franks joined La’Michal Perine on the list for the nation’s most outstanding college football player.

Despite that, Franks said the mode now for the Gators is to build on the foundation built by the team during its 10-3 campaign last season.

“We are ready for this upcoming season. There is a lot of momentum built up, and I think we have all prepared the right way,” Franks said. “We have done everything the right way this summer, going into fall camp, to prepare us for next season. So I think it is all just preparation-based, and our team has done a great job.”

There will be a lot resting on Franks’ shoulders after his breakout year last season. Tying Chris Leaks’ 2004 season with 31 total touchdowns and coming just a few short of Tim Tebow’s 30 touchdown passes in a single season, and the pressure is on for Franks and the Gators.

"“You don’t just give up and turn your back. I never did that, where I said, ‘This isn’t going to work out.’ I worked harder and more diligently,” Franks said. “Not just me, but with my teammates, and it just helps me. I know I have been saying it all day, but I have always been the type of person that works super hard.”"

The Gators open the 2019 season with a trip to Orlando to face Miami in the Camping World Kickoff game Aug. 24. Franks said while Miami and Florida don’t strap it up too often, the Hurricanes should be considered rivals and the Gators are going to treat them that way.

“I love playing games that are highly anticipated, that you play a really good team,” Franks said. “The University of Miami is a really good team, and the University of Florida is a really good team. When teams like that play, that’s what makes it so awesome.”