11th 4-star for AU
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Auburn's junior college quarterback signee received a ranking upgrade from Rivals.com on Wednesday.
John Franklin III became the 11th signee/commitment in the Tigers' 2016 class to have at least a four-star ranking.
Franklin is now ranked the No. 30 overall player and the No. 3 quarterback in Rivals' updated junior college ranking. Jérod Evans (1) and Troy Williams (2) are the only two quarterbacks ranked higher than Franklin. Evans signed with Virginia Tech. Williams is headed to Utah.
Franklin, who signed a National Letter of Intent with Auburn on Dec. 16, completed 38-of-64 passes (58.2 %) for 733 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions as a sophomore at East Mississippi Community College. The former Florida State quarterback also had 43 rushing attempts for 451 yards (10.5 avg.) and nine touchdowns.
Auburn's second junior college signee, defensive end Paul James III, is ranked the No. 38 overall player and No. 4 strongside end in the updated ranking. James, who was recently named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) First-Team All-American, has a three-star ranking from Rivals.
James signed a NLI with Auburn on Dec. 16. The soon-to-be junior finished his sophomore season at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) with 14 sacks in nine games. His 14 sacks were the fifth-most in the country. James also had 47 total tackles, with nearly half (22) being for a loss.
James and Franklin both are scheduled to officially report to Auburn on Jan. 10 and begin classes Jan. 13. Each has two years of eligibility remaining.
Auburn's 2016 recruiting class is ranked No. 7 in the country and No. 3 in the SEC behind Ole Miss (1) and Florida (4).
Franklin III Sophomore Highlights
James III Sophomore Highlights
