Franklin Spurns Lifelong Favorite
For several weeks now people on both sides of the Red River had been wondering when Marshall, Texas three-star linebacker Aaron Franklin would come to his final decision. Which Big 12 South power would he make his future home, Oklahoma or Texas?
On Friday afternoon, the 6-foot-1, 206-pound defender finally made the call between college football's most bitter of rivals.
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And fortunately for Sooner fans Franklin will join the ranks of Adrian Peterson and Malcolm Kelly as lifelong Longhorn fans who chose to don the Crimson and Cream for Bob Stoops.
"I just felt it was the right time to do make my decision," Franklin said. "I went ahead and committed to Oklahoma.
"Actually I called Oklahoma to let them know but I'm guessing they are at practice so I didn't get a chance to speak to them.
"After that I called coach Will Muschamp and let him know what I was doing. He said it's all great and he still is happy for me and said I'm a good person and that he wished me good luck. He was cool about it.
"It was a tough call to make but I feel good now that it's over."
Franklin also says he is pleased that the recent fuss that has been made over his recruitment can now come to an end and he can simply focus on returning a district title to Marshall.
There is no denying he has wanted to make his team his focus for quite some time but over the past few weeks he had been working to make sure the decision he thought he had, was the right one.
"I had been feeling it was Oklahoma for about a week or two I had been feeling that way," he said. "The relationship with coach Brent Venables and the program and just everything I just felt good about it, I had a good feeling.
"Also it is something my family is happy with."
Franklin began speaking to SoonerScoop.com at the time of Darius Jones' change of heart from Oklahoma to Baylor last winter, but says that in spite of one of his friends pleas for him to reconsider what the Longhorns have to offer he won't be having any such doubts.
"I'm happy to be done with all of this. I'm final with it, I'm not switching, Oklahoma is the place for me," he said. "My friends all know and most of them are really excited but I can't lie one of them wants me to go to Texas."
Franklin has no plans to go about upsetting any of the numerous Texas fans in Marshall saying he'll keep his commitment low-key.
However, he is already thinking about his future with the Sooners and Venables has made it clear where he will fit into his future plans at linebacker.
"He sent me a little packet about my first day there and it says I'll be playing outside linebacker. He is going to put me at whatever position I have the best chance to play at. I'll just have to work to get the signals, and the calls and verbiage."
So what does Franklin think of the reality that he'll be butting heads with burnt orange rather than wearing it?
"It's going to feel weird, but I'll get over it."