It has been two head coaches since Frank Beamer retired as head coach at Virginia Tech. Justin Fuente and Brent Pry have tried to keep the tradition going, or in Pry's case, bring it back, only to fail. Pry was fired in September, which opened the door for James Franklin to take the position after being fired at Penn State in October.
This was a home run hire for the Hokies, who are looking to get back into the mix in the upper half of the ACC. Truth be told, if there is a power conference out there where a quick turnaround could happen for the Hokies to be in the mix in the top half of the conference as soon as next season, it's the ACC.
CBS Sports sends promising message about Virginia Tech's 2026 season under James Franklin
Franklin has had an overhaul of the Hokies roster for 2026 between incoming freshmen and the Transfer Portal. He has brought in some of his high school recruits from Penn State to Blacksburg, as well as some players through the portal. Carter Bahns of CBS Sports graded all new coaches with their work from the portal, and he had a message Hokies' fans have been begging for a long time.
"It is hard to find reasons why Virginia Tech cannot compete in the upper tier of the ACC under James Franklin. A strong transfer class gives the Hokies a chance to do that right out of the gate. The influx of former Penn State talent will help Franklin hit the ground running, especially if quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer delivers on expectations as a former top-10 recruit at his position. He will have a rising star tight end by his side in Luke Reynolds. Ex-Nittany Lions also construct a sizable part of the defense, which is promising given the program's reign of dominance on that side of the ball,'' Bahns wrote.
Grunkemeyer is a player that should excite Virginia Tech fans, as should Reynolds. There are a few other portal additions that are going to come in and make a huge impact. However, the main message is that the Hokies can quickly be a factor in the ACC in 2026 with Franklin on board and the additions. There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the future in Blacksburg.