Oklahoma DB Franks: 'Tebow would be fourth-best QB in Big 12

Jan 4, 2009 - 6:08 PM FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (Ticker) -- Tim Tebow already has won a Heisman Trophy and a national championship.

But Tebow evidently has not won the respect of Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks, who feels that the Florida star would have been the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12 Conference.

Four days before the Sooners and Gators square off in the BCS championship game, Franks emphasized the quality of Big 12 quarterbacks during media interviews Sunday, ranking Tebow behind Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Texas' Colt McCoy and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell.

"I'd say (Tebow) would probably be about the fourth-best quarterback in our conference," Franks said. "I really think with those three guys, it's a lot harder to prepare for those guys."

Tebow won last year's Heisman Trophy, becoming the first sophomore to claim college football's most prestigious honor. The southpaw finished third for this year's Heisman despite receiving more first-place votes than the winner, Bradford.

But despite throwing 28 touchdowns against only two interceptions this season, Tebow's passing numbers dwarf the impressive statistics put up by Bradford, McCoy and Harrell.

"We're coming in and facing Tebow, and he wants to run the ball a lot more," Franks said. "He's predominantly a running quarterback.

"So to me, it's going to be a lot easier for us to prepare to stop the run than having to face a quarterback that might throw the ball 40 or 50 times a game."

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables did not agree with the assessment made by Franks, a sophomore.

"I don't know, maybe it's just a young guy who doesn't know any better," Venables said. "He doesn't watch enough tape. I really mean that. But I think he's going to bat for a lot of guys who he has a lot of respect for."

Franks, Venables and the Sooners have been forced to answer questions regarding an Oklahoma defense that ranked 63rd overall nationally and 98th against the pass.

The top-ranked Sooners will take on Tebow and No. 2 Florida in Thursday's BCS championship game at Miami's Dolphins Stadium.