Missouri’s Franklin To Have Shoulder Surgery

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Missouri junior quarterback James Franklin will have surgery to repair his injured right shoulder on Friday.

Franklin, who injured his throwing shoulder during a practice session last week, will miss the remainder of the spring but is expected to return for the start of the 2012 season.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel released the following statement on Monday:

“We’re disappointed for James, but this is absolutely the right thing to do, and we all know he’ll be in great hands, as we have the best doctors and trainers in the nation. James has an outstanding work ethic, and he’ll be able to get past this setback just fine. We expect him to be 100 percent and ready to go for the season. Until then, our younger guys will benefit from more reps and more work with the number one offense, and we’ll look at that as a positive.”

Franklin’s return will be critical for Missouri’s offense as the Tigers prepare for their first season in the SEC. Franklin passed for 2,865 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 981 rushing yards and 15 more scores on the ground in 2011.

Franklin’s timetable for a return will be determined following the procedure, according to the school’s release.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Corbin Berkstresser will handle quarterbacking duties with Missouri’s first team. Berkstresser was ranked by Rivals as the nation’s No. 16 pro-style quarterback in the 2011 class.