Photos courtesy of Noah Eisner
On Saturday morning, M-A alum ‘21 Troy Franklin was selected as a fourth-round pick and 102nd overall for the Denver Broncos in the 2024 NFL Draft.
At M-A, Franklin was ranked as the No. 2 overall wide receiver in the nation under former head coach Adhir Ravipati.
Franklin was initially expected to be selected as a late first or early second-round pick, but possibly due to an oversaturated receiver class and an underwhelming combine performance, Franklin fell to the fourth round.
Regardless, many still predict he could turn into the next Amon-Ra St. Brown, a 2023 Pro Bowler who was also drafted in the fourth round at pick 112.
As a three-year starter, Franklin accumulated a total of 102 career catches for 1,790 yards and 28 touchdowns. He helped lead the Bears to win the state championships in 2018 and 2019, the PAL championships in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In 2021, Franklin was selected to play in the All-American Bowl.
Franklin had immense potential from the beginning of his high school career, receiving five collegiate offers in his freshman year, ten his sophomore year, and another seven his junior year––22 in total.
In the summer of his junior year, Franklin signed and committed to the University of Oregon, where he played in the 2022 Holiday Bowl, 2024 Fiesta Bowl, and played first-team in the All-Pac-12 in 2023.
In his 2023 season with the Ducks, Franklin set several single-season records, with running 1,383 receiving yards, 14 receiving touchdowns, and eight 100-yard receiving games. At Oregon, Franklin set the record for all-time receiving touchdowns––25, tied for most 100-year receiving games with 11, and also placed second for most consistent catches––30 consecutive games.
In Denver, Franklin will play alongside his Ducks’ quarterback, Bo Nix, continuing their successful connection from college.
