We are just over three months from the 2026 college football season beginning, and it's going to be an exciting one in Blacksburg, the first one under James Franklin.
When the school fired Brent Pry, the search committee picked by the school needed to nail the hire of the next coach. It's safe to say that they did that with Franklin. As soon as he became available after being fired at Penn State, he became Virginia Tech's No. 1 target.
All coaches are in the heart of recruiting season for the Class of 2027, and things have been going well for Franklin in terms of recruiting. However, with Memorial Day around the corner, it's also the time of the year when you get some wild comments from anonymous coaches. Everyone loves this time of the year. Anyway, some anonymous coaches had some things to say about Franklin and Virginia Tech.
Anonymous coach had a take that should excite Virginia Tech fans about James Franklin
The hiring of Franklin in Blacksburg should get the Hokies back in the mix in the ACC for years to come, or as long as Franklin stays there. He has built a talented roster for next season and beyond. All of the success he had at his two previous stops could translate to the ACC very well, according to one coach.
“The blueprint that (new coach) James Franklin has had in his career from Vandy to Penn State translates very well to that league.”
There are several ways to read into that quote, but one thing that a lot of people have said is that winning in the ACC is certainly going to be easier than winning in the Big Ten and SEC. It's just the nature of the beast right now. In the SEC, you're competing with the likes of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M, just to name a few.
When it comes to the Big Ten, thethere arere's not Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana yearly on the schedule. In the ACC, Duke and Virginia made the ACC Championship Game last year, and Clemson and Florida State are not what they had been in recent years. Miami made the College Football Playoff Championship Game and is loaded this year, and SMU is up-and-coming.
However, the path to a 12-team CFP field is easier in the ACC than in another conference. As for the roster, Franklin has brought several players from Penn State to Virginia Tech, and he did a nice job of plucking talent out of the portal. He also has some interesting incoming freshmen who could make an impact in 2026, along with some key retention from the Hokies' roster last season.
Look, who knows what to expect from Franklin and Virginia Tech in 2026, but rest assured, it can't be any worse than what they endured last in 2025, There is nowhere to go but up, however, in the ACC, going up and can happen more quickly than another conference and Franklin's formula should have an immediate impact in Blacksburg.
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