Since he was hired at Virginia Tech, James Franklin has hit the ground running the last six months with recruiting, roster building, and building his staff. After doing damage by flipping several Penn State recruits in the Class of 2026 and then attacking the Transfer Portal, Franklin and his staff turned to recruiting in the Class of 2027.
After a slow start, man, things have been booming. They collected their 23rd commitment on Wednesday with three-star athlete Semaj Dozier committing and will likely play cornerback. Over the last six weeks, there have been several priority recruits who committed to the Hokies, including three four-stars on Sunday.
On Wednesday, aside from Dozier, four-star edge Rion Jackson was making his commitment between Virginia Tech and Auburn. When it was time to make his decision, well, he joined a growing list of players who trolled Franklin and the Hokies.
Class of 2027 edge Rion Jackson commits to Auburn while throwing shade at James Franklin and Virginia Tech
Jackson, from Maryland, was supposed to visit Blacksburg two weeks ago, but instead, things changed with Auburn. He ended up committing to the Tigers on Wednesday, but without first making it look like he was committing to the Hokies.
4-star EDGE Rion Jackson fakes out Virginia Tech and commits to Auburn🦅
— Rivals (@Rivals) June 10, 2026
“I’m an SEC guy. I wanted to play in the SEC.” https://t.co/nbLXJHE06g pic.twitter.com/aHvcLf4zh5
“I was supposed to officially visit Virginia Tech on May 29,” Jackson told Rivals. “But I had dinner with Coach Durkin and Coach Hutzler, and we were just talking when they saw me in the spring. Things changed. I was like, what do I have to lose by visiting down there?”
Jackson was going to commit to Virginia Tech, he said to Rivals, but that didn't end up being the case. Auburn had a big advantage over the Hokies, according to Jackson. It was the conference they're in, the SEC, compared to the ACC.
“I was going to commit to Virginia Tech,” Jackson admitted. “But then I got down there, and it was just different.
“Definitely the brotherhood. Definitely the conference too. I’m an SEC guy. I wanted to play in the SEC. At the end of the day, I feel like I have a better chance of being developed and becoming the player I want to be there. I feel like that’s the right fit for me.”
Best of luck to Jackson, but here's hoping it works out for him at Auburn. If it doesn't and he hits the portal, well then that commitment troll job won't age well. Sure, playing in the SEC just means more, but it doesn't always mean more wins or more success.
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