Scouting Tulsa QB Kirk Francis

Francis, a local product, walked on to play for the Golden Hurricane after starting three seasons at Metro Christian Academy in Tulsa. After walking on as a freshman in 2023, Francis started the final two games of the regular season. He earned a scholarship following the season and was able to fend off Cardell Williams and experienced Utah State transfer Cooper Legas for the starting job in 2024.

2024 Statistics

3 GP, 53/89 (60%) for 651 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs, 38 rushing yards, and no rushing TDs.

For his efforts, Francis has earned a 74.8 PFF grade through 168 snaps this season.

Let's take a deeper dive into his numbers.

Passing Numbers by Level

At LOS or Behind | 12/14 (86%) for 64 yards, 0 TDs & 0 INTs

0-9 Yards Downfield | 25/33 (76%) for 271 yards, 0 TDs & 1 INT

10-19 Yards Downfield | 11/20 (55%) for 155 yards, 1 TD & 1 INT

20+ Yards Downfield | 5/19 (26%) for 161 yards, 4 TDs & 0 INTs

Passing Pressure

Kept Clean | 45/68 (66%) for 557 yards, 5 TDs & 0 INTs

Under Pressure | 8/21 (38%) for 94 yards, 0 TDs & 2 INTs

Not Blitzed | 40/68 (59%) for 491 yards, 5 TDs & 1 INT

When Blitzed | 13/21 (62%) for 160 yards, 0 TDs & 1 INT

Kirk Francis provided a spark to end the season that the Golden Hurricane desperately needed, but the jury is still out on Francis in 2024. He diced up Northwestern State in the opener, but we saw that same Demons defense give up 87 points to South Alabama two weeks later. Versus Arkansas State, a more comparable opponent, Francis’ stat line was much more pedestrian.

A certainty that we do know about Francis is that Head Coach Kevin Wilson trusts the redshirt freshman tremendously. Through three games this season, Francis has averaged just under 30 pass attempts per game for Tulsa. Although Francis is not much of a threat with his legs, his deep ball should be a concern for the Bulldogs on Saturday.

The number one player that Tech’s defense has to worry about is 5’8 senior wide receiver Kamdyn Benjamin. Also a former walk-on, Benjamin has been on fire to start the season, leading the Golden Hurricane with 17 receptions for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite his size, Benjamin plays 82% of his snaps at receiver out wide rather than in the slot.

After suffering a tough loss at NC State, it will be interesting to see if the Bulldogs’ defense is able to continue its impressive start to the 2024 season.

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