Q&A: Ambitious and versatile, Brailyn Franklin brings it all
Born and raised near Arlington, Texas, Brailyn Franklin moved to Haymarket, Va., just over one and a half years ago. He suited up for Battlefield his junior season, played multiple positions, including wide receiver, cornerback, linebacker and even nose guard, and caught the attention of multiple Division I football programs.
Virginia Tech was one of the first to recognize him and also the first to offer. Buffalo, Kansas, Maryland, Syracuse and Temple all followed suit, and Penn State eventually did, too. But it took a voluntary visit from Franklin in order to first grab the coaches' attention.
How the PSU coaches found out about Franklin is different than many, and that's somewhat fitting. As you'll read in the following Q&A with BWI's Tim Owen, edited for length, Franklin is a unique type of prospect. Although he's recruited at LB for the Nittany Lions, he has played just about every other position on the field.
Tim Owen: You visited a couple times before the offer, once in March and again in May. Then you got it when you came back a third time. Can you go back to the beginning and recap how this all came about with Penn State?
Franklin: When I took my first visit up there, we (he and his HS teammates) all just went up there to check out campus. It was during spring break at that point. Our coaches wanted just to check it out and see what it was like. We were like, OK cool, because were checking out a couple other schools also. So, it was good watching spring practice and stuff like that, but I didn’t get a chance to talk to the coaches at all. They didin’t talk to me whatsover, but I was cool with that because the coaches didn’t know me at all anyway. But after that visit I guess my coach talked to Coach (Brent) Pry. Then Coach Pry (contacted) us and said he checked my film out and then he started loving me. He said, "Man, you’re one of the (better) I’ve ever seen as far as outside linebackers. We’re looking for a dynamic power guy like you and you’re just that." I just said, Yes sir.
What role does he want you to play as a linebacker?
It’s like a hybrid outside linebacker. Somewhat like a strong safety that can come down and play outside linebacker, or just stay at the linebacker position. It’s like a mix of a linebacker and a strong safety put together. I can cover and I can give quarterbacks some problems as far as rushing. ... But it's an outside linebacker.
Reason I ask, Brailyn, is because you play like every position on the field, right?
Yes sir. (laughs). Growing up I’ve always played all over the place. My first position I played was middle linebacker. I pretty much aspired to play middle linebacker, because at the time I lived in Texas and my favorite player was Dat Ngyuen. He was a middle linebacker for the Cowboys. He pretty much inspired me, so I had his number when I was a little kid playing linebacker. After that, when I turned 7, I played center and I played defensive end. Then when I turned 8, the next year, that’s when I played running back. On offense I played running back and tight end. On defense I was switching in between defensive end to middle linebacker. Basically all my life I’ve been pretty much a defensive guy. ... In my head it’s like, I don’t want to do that. In my heart, I say, that’s pretty much who you are. (Kansas offered) as a receiver. All through little league I played linebacker, tight end, running back and defensive end. Once I got to middle school I played quarterback. That was my first time playing quarterback. My seventh-grade year, the coach came to me, beacuse I was playing receiver. He asked, "You ever think about playing QB? You get the ball a ton." I was like, Well if you get the ball a ton, that sounds great! So I just played it. I just stuck at it from there, running the option and throwing the ball every now and then. When I got to high school I really wanted to play receciver. So, I went out for receiver and I was playing there until I moved to Virginia.
When I got to Virginia, I started out the year playing receiver and corner. I was playing a lot of corner. That's what I was playing when I first got here. Toward the middle of the season one of our guys got hurt, so Coach asked, "What do you think about playing a little nose guard?" I was like, Well, I played a little nose guard before in little league. He was like, "Show us what you can do!" So I went out there and did it – shoot the gap or just use my hands.
What does that say about you as a player that you’ll play, really, any position?
As long as I can go out there and have fun and play, I’m good for it. That’s pretty much what it is for me. As long as I’m able to play, I’m good. People tell me that I’m just naturally an athlete. I’m like, OK, that’s really not telling me anything. As far as just doing it, though, that’s when I can actually see it.
Like when you switch from corner to nose guard? (laughs)
Yeah, when I just do it, I can do it. I just see how other people do it, take it down, take it in, and watch people who’ve done great at it, as far as NFL players and college players, and say, OK, I can do this. Then I go ahead and do it. But I think (what) has helped me play the positions that I play and do the things that I do is the fact that I’ve played running back. That has gotten my vision straight. That’s how I’m pretty much able to see the backfield and look for everything that's going on because I know where holes are and where holes will be.
What other sports do you play?
I do wrestling, basketball, football, track and field events. That’s pretty much about everything, but growing up I did swimming (and cross country). .... I might also do rugby this year.
Last one: What’s Penn State getting from you?
Penn State is getting a guy who is going to stay true to his word and fight and basically give it his all. A guy who is going to study as much as possible, a guy who is going to be there to help his team out. Honestly, I’m the type of guy who actually cares for his team. And really likes to lead, a big-time leader.