Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin was among the best pass-catchers in the country. Franklin lit the nation on fire by making standout plays on a weekly basis. Franklin helped make the high-powered Ducks offense a nightmare matchup for every opponent on their schedule.
The No. 16 overall player in our latest TDN100 update, Franklin spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about his route-running prowess, high-pointing the football, approaching different matchups, and more. Franklin also discussed the chemistry he’s developed with starting quarterback Bo Nix.
JM: You broke out of your shell as a sophomore last season, leading Oregon with 61 receptions for 891 yards and nine touchdowns. You’ve surpassed those numbers this season. What changed for you from last year to this season?
Troy Franklin: I’ve been doing a better job making the most of my opportunities, you know? I’m not letting a single opportunity slip through my fingers this season. We’re getting out to faster starts this season as well. I obviously put in a ton of work during the offseason, too. That’s made a big difference this year. I’m paying close attention to the details of my routes. I’m dialed in right now.
JM: One thing that strikes me about your 2022 season is that you got to go up against Christian Gonzalez every day in practice. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall. How did iron sharpen iron?
Troy Franklin: That’s definitely a great question. Christian Gonzalez was a first-round talent. I had an opportunity to practice against that every single day. It pretty much doesn’t get better than that. I probably won’t be facing a cornerback as talented as Gonzalez is until I get to the league. That gave me all the confidence in the world. It worked out well for both of us.
JM: When combing through your tape this year, it’s impossible to ignore the eight-catch, 154-yard performance against Washington. Although Oregon lost that contest, what was it like being in the zone for that game?
Troy Franklin: It was pretty cool. Of course, I wish we executed a few more drives to pull out the win. I was able to produce and do it against a great team in Washington. They have a bunch of highly-rated cornerbacks. They’re a great team. It was good to go out there and ball against them.
JM: You’re a big-play threat waiting to happen. You’re averaging more than 16 yards per catch this season. How did you develop that aspect of your skill set?
Troy Franklin: I have a great understanding of opposing coverages. That’s probably the biggest thing. I always know where I need to be on the field. I’m a man beater and a zone beater. I always know where my quarterback needs me to be as well. He knows where I’m going to be as well. We stay in the film room. I’m always working on my technique. I’m a freak athlete as well (laughs). All of that combines to make me a big-play threat.
JM: You’re a route-running technician. It’s obvious on tape. Do you have a favorite route to run?
Troy Franklin: I love a good post route. It’s a deeper route that allows me to run for the ball. It sticks in the air for a while and I get a chance to get underneath that ball, to attack that ball. I can catch that ball pretty much any kind of way. There are different ways to catch it. Over the shoulder, or I can go up and pluck it. It could be right down the sideline.
JM: How does running that post route open things up for you in the short-to-intermediate areas as well?
Troy Franklin: That route keeps a defensive back on their toes. It gets them off the grass. It lets them know I can run that deep route. They have to worry about that, which allows me to do more damage underneath.
JM: With that said, what are the three most important traits of route-running?
Troy Franklin: I would probably say speed, deception, and hands. You need to have great speed to separate yourself. You need to be deceptive in order to keep a defensive back guessing. Of course, you need to have great hands in order to complete the route by making the catch when the football is thrown in your direction.
JM: Do you approach bigger cornerbacks in coverage differently than you do smaller, shiftier ones?
Troy Franklin: Yeah, for sure you have to approach those guys differently. The bigger guys play a little differently from those smaller, shiftier types. I’ll probably use more speed against those big guys because they can’t match speed with speed. With the smaller guys, it’s more about the short-area quickness to beat them to your spot.
JM: Are there any receivers that you love to study and watch on tape?
Troy Franklin: There are a couple of guys, but not too many of them, you know? Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and Justin Jefferson come to mind. I basically watch the best receivers in the league. Other than that, I stick to watching my film and focus on how I can improve.
JM: You’ve developed outstanding chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix. How did that come about?
Troy Franklin: Bo Nix and I put in a lot of work during the offseason. We love working with each other every single day. That’s how we developed that chemistry you see on Saturdays. We’re always communicating and figuring out how we could be better. I think that’s what helped our chemistry the most.
JM: Do you think Bo Nix gets the credit he deserves as one of the best quarterbacks in college football? You hear a lot more about the other guys in your conference like Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr.
Troy Franklin: Yeah, I actually do think he gets the credit. He is now, at least. It wasn’t always that way, but I think everybody knows how great of a quarterback Bo Nix is. He’s being talked about.
