All-Metro Recruiting Report: Dacion Francis (Armstrong-2020)

Robbinsdale Armstrong was legit this year. Featuring studs at almost every position group on both sides, the Falcons went undefeated in the regular season and continued on into the section final where they met a tough Elk River team and lost a hard-fought 32-29 battle to one of the best 5A teams in the state. Anchoring the Falcons gritty and physical defense was MNFootballHub Second Team Defense selection: . The 6'2, 225 lb. thumper was a heat seeking missile all season for Armstrong, and was all over the field finishing with 91 total tackles (69 solo) with 17 TFLs, six FF's, 4.5 sacks, three FR's, and two interceptions. His Hudl is a good one, as Francis is an explosive ILB that crumples ball carriers and hits so hard it routinely knocked the ball out, hence the six forced fumbles! What I also found intriguing about Francis was his obvious ability to diagnose and identify offensive plays whether it's run or pass, or something more difficult such as screens or trick plays. His coverage and ability to read and react to destroy running back and wide receiver screens was a constant occurrence on his highlight film, and upon diagnoses Francis always obliterates the intended target. With an AP All Day Elite Camp invite, as well as Mankato State, Bemidji State, and Southwest Minnesota State scholarship offers, Francis still has some time before he really needs to make a decision on a college program, and I won't be surprised when the senior gets a few more offers his way before signing day rolls around. Based on his film, size, and accolades, Francis looks like he'd have the ability to play at the D1 FCS level, and I hope this articles brings some well deserved exposure. Enjoy! Senior Year Hudl: <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CKHEy">http://www.hudl.com/v/2CKHEy</a> NFN: Hello and thank you for your time, Dacion. Please introduce yourself to our readers and share with us what you enjoy about playing football. Francis: “I'm originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and started playing football at the age of 5. I've always played a level or grade up from my own because of my advancement and natural talents for football. What I like about playing football besides the contact and the hunters mentality is how it unites a group of guys into a family to create a brotherhood and the more successful team is the one more of a solid unit physically and mentally. Having everybody with the same goal is like no other. Height: 6'2” Weight: 220. 40:4.9 and lifting: bench: 320. Squat: 450. Clean: 240. Past years stats: 91 total tackles. 69 solo 22 assist. 17 TFLs, 4.5 sacks 2 INTs, 6 Forced fumbles, 3 Fumble recoveries.” NFN: Solid. Elaborate on what it has been like to play football at Armstrong, as well as how you thought the 2019 season went. Francis: “Being at Armstrong all 4 years and knowing those guys since 6th grade it was easy to build the chemistry part and all of us seniors already had a brotherhood connection outside of sports. We had huge expectations since freshman year. Some of our road bumps happened early when we lost our defensive coordinator which a lot of us had built a great connection with. He was fortunate to find a better coaching position at a college. With that happening, us as a defense knew we had to be more crisp in everything we do to help our head coach learn the defense and get more comfortable switching sides quicker. The season for me personally I felt like I left it everything I had to give and feeling like that, there's nothing I can feel down about personally but being a team player of course, not achieving the ultimate goal of state stings.” NFN: Great answers. Share with us a little bit about your recruitment process thus far, who has contacted you, and what you are looking for in a college. Francis: “I've always wanted to represent my home state and be a Gopher at the U of M but the recruiting process for me has been a lot slower than I thought it would be. As far as looking at a college I want somewhere not too far from home at all, somewhere more so in the city so the population and school size is bigger. A few D2 coaches have contacted me since my junior year like Bemidji State, SMSU, U of Mary, and Mankato.” Stay tuned to find out if Francis' recruitment picks up, as the hammer of a LB has worked hard and balled out for the Robbinsdale Armstrong Falcons and can make an immediate impact on a college football program. Congratulations on the career, Dacion!