'24 MS DL Kamarion Franklin (Ole Miss commit)

#3
#3
During his time Monday in the Memphis area, Mack also went to Lake Cormorant (Miss.) High School, where he extended an offer to Class of 2024 defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin. The 6-foot-5, 253-pound Franklin visited Tennessee on Nov. 20 for its home game against South Alabama. He also holds early offers from Indiana and Memphis.
-Callahan
 
#5
#5
North Mississippi defensive end Kamarion Franklin got a visit from Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner last week. Then on Saturday, Franklin was on Rocky Top for Tennessee's junior day where he felt plenty of love.

"I got to know the coaches and they showed love," Franklin said. "I liked the photo shoot really well. I liked the facilities and just the overall visit."

Garner has identified the 2024 edge rusher as a priority for that class of prospects. He spent a solid amount of time with him on Saturday.

"He's a pretty good coach," Franklin said. "He let me know that this is the place to be at and he showed love."

Franklin visited for a game this fall. He loved the atmosphere and pageantry of a fall Saturday at Neyland and as for this trip, it was a different perspective.

"I felt the love and the vibe at the game this fall," Franklin said. "The fans, the players and the coaches all show love. They are united together.
"Today I learned how they work and how the operate."

At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, Franklin is long and aggressive. He plays the game with a never say die attitude. That's something that Garner and other college coaches have told him they like.

"They love my effort, my size and my talent," Franklin said. "They love the way that I chase plays and play with effort. My motor as I don't stop. It's just how I am."

Indiana, Memphis, Texas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State join the Vols in the early mix for Franklin. He got to hear from Garner and defensive coordinator Tim Banks about how they defense is set up and how it would benefit him.

"How the defense is set up," Franklin said. "The aggressive mindset they have is appealing to me.
"They were telling me how I'd set up on defense, how I'd be able to make plays and how they would use me. They need me and they see me playing defensive end that would fit my play style."
-VQ
 
#8
#8
From Rivals:

Alabama is the newest offer and the Crimson Tide could shoot to the top for the 2024 defensive end from Lake Cormorant, Miss., but others are recruiting hard as well. Franklin has noticed a lot of attention from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Memphis and Florida State as his recruitment really ramps up.
Rodney is going to push as hard as he can for him. He "LOVES" this guy per the VQ people
 
#9
#9
Lake Cormorant (Miss.) four-star 2024 defensive end Kamarion Franklin earned an invite to the Under Armour All-American Game at the brand's Dallas camp a couple of weeks back as his stock continues to grow as he develops.

The potential of Franklin has a large group of Power Five schools interested at this point in his recruitment process as he starts to see which programs are prioritizing him early.

Tennessee, Florida State, Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas have been the schools in most contact recently as he's coming off a visit to Tallahassee to see the Seminoles in early March.

The communication at Tennessee has stood out recently as the interest in the Volunteers begins to grow for Franklin.

"They've been recruiting me the hardest these past couple of months," he said. "They let me know that I'm wanted and where I fit in at. It's a pretty good school, I like it."
- Rivals
 
#10
#10
DL KAMARION FRANKLIN, LAKE CORMORANT, MISS.

247Sports ranking: No. 45 overall prospect, No. 6 defensive lineman

Tennessee gave the 6-foot-4.5, 260-pound Franklin his first SEC offer in late November, a little more than a week after he attended the Vols' home game Nov. 20 against South Alabama. He visited them again in January to attend their first junior day of the year. The Memphis-area standout also has received early offers from Alabama, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas and Arkansas.

-Callahan
 
#12
#12
LAKE CORMORANT, Miss. — The list of major programs pursuing Kamarion Franklin only has continued to grow since Tennessee gave him his first SEC scholarship offer nearly six months ago. But the Vols are still one of the teams that have caught his attention in the early stages of his recruitment.

The four-star Class of 2024 defensive lineman from Lake Cormorant High School, just outside Memphis, Tenn., has visited Tennessee twice since November, and he said he’s hoping to visit the Vols again this summer. Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner stopped at Franklin’s school last week to check on him, and while he’s not ready to name any early favorites, he said he holds the Vols’ program in high regard.

“I really like it,” said Franklin, who’s ranked by 247Sports as the No. 45 overall prospect and No. 6 defensive lineman in the 2024 class and the No. 1 sophomore from the state of Mississippi. “I wanted to get up there for their spring game, but, of course, they’re having renovations done on their field, so we couldn’t really just come make that happen.

“I like Tennessee, though. Tennessee’s pretty cool.”

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Franklin now has received offers from 13 schools, including Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas, Florida State and Arkansas. He has visited Alabama, Mississippi State and LSU since late March.

The competition for him has continued to heat up, and it’s not likely to slow down any time soon. But he said he hasn’t forgotten that Tennessee was one of the first schools to extend an offer to him, and the Vols already have made it clear that he’s important to them.

“They were really the first school to start recruiting me hard,” Franklin said. “They haven’t stopped yet. They’re letting me know that I’m still wanted. After all the offers and stuff like that, they’re letting me know they still (want me).”

Garner is one of the coaches who have already started to build strong relationships with Franklin, he said, along with LSU defensive line analyst Patrick Hill and Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis. Franklin said he has enjoyed getting to know Garner during his two trips to Knoxville, including his most recent visit with the Vols on Jan. 22 for their first junior day of the year.

“He’s been watching me closely,” Franklin said of Garner. “He told me he’s been watching me. He’s going to continue to keep watching me and recruiting me hard.

“He can’t really just do much because I’m Class of ‘24, but as time goes on, he’s going to be watching me pretty hard. He says he loves me. He loves my film. He loves how I get after it and stuff like that. …

“I know he’s put a lot of guys in the NFL. I like that about him. That’s a good thing. He knows what he’s talking about. We sat down and talked for a little bit. He showed me, like, some type of stuff that will help me out on the field and stuff like that. He knows what he’s talking about.”

Garner and Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack, who recruits the Memphis area for the Vols, both have started to stay in contact with Franklin, although college coaches aren’t allowed to directly contact Class of 2024 prospects at this point.

With Tennessee coming off a 7-6 season last year, and with the Vols currently having a top-10 recruiting class — headlined by five-star quarterback commitment Nicholaus Iamaleava — in the 247Sports Composite team rankings for the 2023 class, Franklin said he also believes Tennessee is on the right track under second-year head coach Josh Heupel.

“I feel like they’re going to be good,” Franklin said. “I’m only in 10th grade, so a lot can change as I’m getting closer to my junior and senior year.”

He said he also has started to talk more with LSU since the Tigers extended an offer to him on April 1 during his first trip to Baton Rouge, La. He said he’s “talking to LSU more than anybody right now.”

“LSU, I talk to the coach at least once a week,” Franklin said, referring to Hill. “Ever since they offered me and I visited the school, he’s letting me know that he wants to get a closer relationship with me, even if I don't attend Louisiana State.

“Either way it goes, he wants to get close to me. He wants to keep the relationship, build something. I talk to him every week, though. He lets me know that they’re going to be recruiting me hard, as well, and stuff like that.”

In-state schools Ole Miss and Mississippi State also are making Franklin a priority.

“Ole Miss, Mississippi State, they hit me up all the time letting me know they want me and stuff like that, in case I want to stay home or anything,” he said. “Ain’t nothing like home, so stay somewhere like that.”

Growing up, Franklin said he didn’t have a favorite college football team, adding that he “really wasn’t into college ball like that.” He said his family “all like NFL and stuff like that.”

Tennessee is one of at least a couple schools he expects to visit this summer.

“This summer, I’ve got a lot of camp invites,” he said. “But I haven’t figured out, like, which ones I’m going to. I want to make them all, but I’m trying to see how they’re going to fit into my schedule. … I’m supposed to be going to a camp at Tennessee, and I wanted to go to an Oklahoma camp. They invited me. They sent me something. That’s pretty much it right now.”

As Franklin continues to explore his options, he said he’s hoping to find a school where he can make an early impact on the field.

“When I’m looking for a school, I want to come early — I’m going to early enroll into college — so I want to go into school early and have a chance to play early,” he said. “I want to go to a place that feels like home and stuff like that.”

His timeline for a decision remains open-ended for now, with Franklin entering the final days of his sophomore year.

“I’m not even sure,” he said. “My recruiting’s, like, expanding, so I don’t know when I’m going to just lock down. I want to do it kind of early, but I’m not sure yet.”
-Callahan
 
#13
#13
Kid sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulders kinda crazy to here them say "I'm only in 10th grade"...Now let's talk about Lsu lol Cmon now I'm not the only one that read that and thought 'Well that's a little strange but okay..Hill sounds like he's been hanging around Kelly a little to much with the

"he’s letting me know that he wants to get a closer relationship with me, even if I don't attend Louisiana State.“Either way it goes, he wants to get close to me. He wants to keep the relationship, build something...🤷🏻‍♂️
 
#17
#17
He said he has enjoyed getting to know Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner during his two trips to Knoxville, including his most recent visit with the Vols on Jan. 22.
“I know he’s put a lot of guys in the NFL,” Franklin said of Garner in May. “I like that about him. That’s a good thing. He knows what he’s talking about. We sat down and talked for a little bit. He showed me, like, some type of stuff that will help me out on the field and stuff like that. He knows what he’s talking about.”
-GV247

Third trip here in a year

Coach G effect is real
 
#21
#21
Later this month, Franklin will make his third visit to Tennessee. He was last in Knoxville on Oct. 29 for the Volunteers’ 44-6 win over Kentucky. Multiple staffers are recruiting Franklin to Tennessee. They include head coach Josh Heupel and defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
“They do a good job recruiting me,” Franklin said. “A lot of schools tell you what you want to hear. They just tell me what it is. They just tell how they want to use me and I think they could possibly be a fit if I’m thinking about narrowing it down again.” The Volunteers were ranked No. 1 in the country at one point. Even though they finished with two losses, Heupel and Co. still earned an Orange Bowl trophy.
“Last season, they told me they were going in the right direction,” Franklin said. “They felt like they were going in the right direction. That’s the improvement from last year to this year. Like I said, they did everything they said. For the most part, they did everything they said they were going to do.”
-Simmons
 

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