SYLACAUGA, Ala. - Sylacauga senior quarterback CJ Franklin is headed to the next level, announcing his commitment to play football at Clark Atlanta.

Franklin spent the last two seasons as the Aggies' starting quarterback, but his impact started even earlier. As a sophomore, he was called on to step in and ended up taking the majority of the snaps after an injury. From there, he grew into the role and became the steady leader of the offense.
 

Head coach Chris Smelley has been consistent in how he describes Franklin. "CJ is a great athlete. He's got a strong arm, and he's tough to bring down when he gets out in space," Smelley said. "He's also a great person, and he will do well at the next level."

That showed up on the field and in the record book. Franklin leaves Sylacauga as the program's single-game record holder for total offense with 481 yards. He also owns the school record for most passing yards in a game with 344 yards and most completions in a game with 21, a testament to both his arm talent and command of the offense.

He was able to make plays in different ways, whether it was pushing the ball downfield or extending plays with his legs. 

Now he'll take that experience to Clark Atlanta, where he'll continue his career at the next level.

For Sylacauga, Franklin's commitment is another example of a player developing through the program and earning an opportunity to play college football.