Texas State Athletics

2024 (Redshirt junior)
Enrolled at Texas State in January 2024 … Registered a touchback rate of 63 percent (83-of-132) in 3 years at Georgia Southern (2023) and Nebraska (2021-22)... Played in all 13 games as the Bobcats primary kickoff specialist... Registered 78 kickoffs for 4,994 yards... Had 64 touchbacks and 0 out of bounds.
 
PRIOR TO TEXAS STATE
Georgia Southern (2023)
2023 (Junior)
Played in 4 games … Took over kickoff duties late in the season … 9 touchbacks on 16 kickoffs (56 percent) … Had one kickoff vs. The Citadel on Sept. 2 but took over kickoff duties starting on Nov. 11 at Marshall … 3 kickoffs and a successful onside kick against Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
 
Nebraska (2021-22)
2022 (Sophomore)
Handled Nebraska’s kickoff duties for the second straight season … 36 of his 54 kickoffs were for touchbacks (67 percent) … 24th in the nation in touchback percentage … 43rd in the country in kickoff average (62.85 yards per kick) … Helped the Huskers rank 32nd in the nation in kick return defense (18.0 yards per return).
 
2021 (Freshman)
Won the job as Nebraska’s kickoff specialist in his first season as a Husker … 38 touchbacks on 62 kickoffs (61 percent) … 19th in the country in kickoff average (63.68) … 36th in the nation in touchback percentage … Made the team after a tryout in June 2021 … Had intentions of playing soccer for Bellevue University in 2021 before trying out for the Huskers.
 
Morningside College (2020)
Freshman (2020)
In one season at Morningside (NAIA), he served as the kickoff specialist … 3-of-4 on PATs … 35 touchbacks on 59 kickoffs (59 percent).
 
High School
Was a kicker for Gretna High (NE) … After quitting football when he was younger, he started playing again in his junior year of high school … Played the last 4 games of his junior year and then all of his senior season as a kicker … Also the starting goalie for the Dragons’ soccer team and had aspirations of playing college soccer out of high school as opposed to playing football.
 
Personal
Born in Gretna, Neb. … Son of Jason Franke and Krissy Simon, and his stepfather is Dave Simon … Has three siblings: Taylor Danley, Kortian Franke and Elisa Franke.