Tennessee football career passing leader No. 9: Jeff Francis (1985-88)
- 5,867 passing yards
- 31 passing touchdowns
- 62.0% completion
- 7.6 yards per attempt
Francis took over as the starter in 1986 after only attempting 20 total passes as a freshman. In his sophomore season, he completed 64.4% of his passes (1st in the SEC) for 1,946 yards and nine touchdowns. The Vols went 7-5 that season, but the next year he led the team to a 10-2-1 record.
As a junior, Francis actually completed fewer passes and threw for fewer yards, but the team was much better. He led Tennessee to a Peach Bowl victory.
Finally, in his senior season, he led a 5-6 campaign despite throwing for over 2,000 yards for the only time in his career. Francis was drafted in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the LA Raiders.