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Wisconsin Football: Freshman TE Jaylan Franklin

By Sam Land

MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 21: The Wisconsin Badgers flag is out against Northwestern Wildcats on November 21, 2015 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Tom Lynn/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 21: The Wisconsin Badgers flag is out against Northwestern Wildcats on November 21, 2015 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Tom Lynn/Getty Images) /
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Jaylan Franklin is an incoming freshman from Wisconsin’s 2018 recruiting class. He’s the newest player in the Freshman Focus series from Badger of Honor.

Recruiting profile

Jaylan Franklin is from Brownstown, Michigan and attended Oscar A. Carlson High School. He did a little bit of everything over his high school football career, recording 1,504 passing yards, 888 rushing yards, 145 receiving yards, and 33 total touchdowns. Franklin also was a key player of defense, racking up 60 tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 defensive touchdowns as a linebacker.

He was a 3-star recruit who chose Wisconsin over other offers from programs such as Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Purdue, and Syracuse, and Vanderbilt.

Franklin was one of five prospects from Michigan who Paul Chryst signed in the 2018 class. As was the case for most of those players, pulling him away from Big Ten rival Michigan State was a huge recruiting win for the Badgers.

What to expect

In high school, Franklin was utilized primarily as a quarterback on offense. However, the plan is for him to play tight end at Wisconsin, and it’s easy to see why.

At 6’4, he has the right frame for the position. However, he will likely need to take a redshirt this season in order to focus on putting on weight and adding strength.

Franklin also possesses outstanding athleticism. In addition to his prowess on the gridiron, he was an all-state hurdler in track and field and a standout on the basketball team. He can jump out of the gym, a deadly weapon to have as a tight end.

His high school highlights also show a player with exceptional speed and agility for his size. Assuming he is able to fill out his lean frame and gain the strength he needs to compete at this level, we are talking about a kid with the tools to become an elite tight end in the Big Ten.

Next: Wisconsin's College Football Playoff Scenarios

I wrote a piece about another promising Wisconsin tight end, Jake Ferguson, last week. Like Ferguson, Franklin boasts athletic traits that you simply cannot teach. He has a good chance to become an NFL prospect if developed properly.