For all the news about Arizona bringing in recruits for 2017 in recent days, there was bound to be some news in the opposite direction.Β
Monday, linebacker Kendal Franklin announced on Twitter that he will transfer from the UA.
The freshman out of New Orleans redshirted last season after coming to the Wildcats a three-star recruit in the 2015 class.Β
"Sad to say that I am going to be transferring from the University of Arizona," Franklin said in his Twitter post.Β
Franklin, listed at 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds, would likely have had to battle his way into playing time in the fall, as the Wildcats added four linebackers β Jacob Colacion, Kahi Neves, Francisco Nelson and Jalen Cochran β in the 2016 class, along with California transfer Michael Barton. The Wildcats also return DeAndre' Miller, Jake Matthews and Cody Ippolito.
To top it off, in 2017 the Wildcats are set to add, at least, Joshua Brown, Kylan Wilborn and Tony Fields to the fray.Β
Franklin came to the Wildcats rated the No. 6 defensive end in Louisiana with offers from Boise State, Louisville, Houston, Utah, Memphis, Louisiana-Lafayette, Tulsa and Louisiana Tech. It's possible Franklin transfers closer to his home in New Orleans for his next destination.Β
The Star spoke with Franklin after the final spring practice in late-March.Β
"This was kind of like, my defining point," Franklin said of spring practice. "There was no film of me or anything, nobody knew what I was going to do with the new coaches. So it was just like, come out, make big plays, show that they can win with me and then, hey, hopefully get some time on Saturdays."
Sad to say that I am going to be transferring from the University of Arizona
β SOSA (@Almighty_6) June 21, 2016
