Miami Football commit breaks Florida State title game rushing record

Four-star junior running back Thad Franklin who is committed to the 2021 Miami football recruiting class set the Florida State Championship game record with over 330 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Thad Franklin a 2021 commit at running back to the Miami football program rushed for a Florida State High School Championship game record 333 yards rushing and five touchdowns on an astounding 47 carries. Franklin nearly single-handled carried Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna Prep to a 35-20 victory over Florida High.

Franklin is the second highest-rated commit and the highest-rated offensive player pledged to the Hurricanes for 2021. The only player rated higher committed to Miami for 2021 is a four-star defensive tackle, Savion Collins. Franklin is rated four-stars and the 202nd ranked player overall, sixth-ranked RB and 27th in Florida for 2021.

The performance by Franklin led Chaminade-Madonna to its third consecutive state title. They became the second Broward County football program to do so. St. Thomas Aquinas won consecutive state titles from 2014-16. Franklin will hopefully move up in the recruiting rankings after the dominant performance Friday night.

The victory by Chaminade Maddona was an impressive one on the road over Florida High who is located in Tallahassee and nicked name the Seminoles to give Miami Football fans added satisfaction. According to the Miami Herald, Franklin’s recording setting performance broke the previous high by Travis Henry.

Henry starred in college at Tennessee and played seven years in the NFL with Buffalo, Tennessee and Denver. The three-time NFL 1,000-yard rusher ran for 328 yards for Frostproof in the 1996 Florida State championship game. Frankin’s 47 carries broke the record of 44 set by Keith Taylor of Belle Glade Central in 2010.

Franklin showed he can be a bell-cow back late in the game to put a victory away. After Florida High cut the Lions lead to 28-20 after trailing 28-7, Franklin carried seven times on the ensuing drive that was culminated with a five-yard run to push the Chaminade-Madonna lead to 35-20. Franklin spoke after the title game.

"“I’m exhausted right now, but I’m happy. I knew I had a lot of yards at halftime but I really wasn’t thinking about any records or anything because winning the game was the most important thing and we needed to put it away late.But it’s great to get the record as well and it all just isn’t me, it’s my o-line as well which did a great job of opening things upfront for me all night.”"

Franklin will be part of what will be an exceptionally deep running back room for Miami in 2021. The Hurricanes will potentially have Cam’Ron Harris who will be a senior, redshirt junior Lorenzo Lingard, redshirt sophomore Robert Burns and 2020 commits Don Chaney Jr. and Jaylen Knighton.

Harris, Lingard and Burns will all be eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft. Burns and Lingard could be transfer candidates between now and then. Even with just Chaney, Knighton and Franklin, the Hurricanes backfield will be deep and dangerous.

Franklin like Chaney is a special player who seems is likely to be a future leader in the 2021 recruiting class for the Miami football program and on-campus once he signs. Chaminade-Madonna head coach Dameon Jones praised Franklin for his performance and his importance to the Lions after the game.

"“From the day he walked in here a few years ago, he’s been a special kid. He’s humble, works his tail off and is a good teammate to everybody. Tonight was a special night for him and it was a night where we just strapped it up and rode him home. When they cut our lead to eight, we knew who we had to go to put it away.”"

Franklin has another year to add to the legendary performance he put on Friday. He will attempt to lead the Lions to their fourth straight state title in 2020. The Lions would become the first team from Broward County to accomplish that. Miami football fans who saw the game got a glimpse of the future on Friday night.