When Virginia Tech officially hired James Franklin as their next head football coach, the veteran went right to work in recruiting. There was still about six weeks until the Transfer Portal opened, but when it came to the Class of 2026, Franklin had some work to do.
Some commits in the class who had committed to former coach Brent Pry stayed, while others de-committed after he was fired last September. Franklin, however, went to work with some familiar names and faces from his previous stop at Penn State.
Franklin was able to flip several commitments he had at State College before he was fired, and some who de-committed after he was fired. Some player reopened their recruitment, which is normal after a coach gets fired. One player who Franklin was hoping to bring to Virginia Tech with him was cornerback Amauri Polydor, who committed to Penn State in June of 2025. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports listed some incoming freshmen in the ACC to watch this fall, and Polydor was one of them.
CBS Sports names Virginia Tech freshman Amauri Polydor as a player to watch in 2026
Polydor is someone who could see some snaps this upcoming season for defensive coordinator Brent Pry. The Hokies' secondary has a mixture of youth and veterans, but Polydor had a good spring, and if he carries that over to the fall, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Baltimore native could see some meaningful snaps. Crawford explains why Polydor could be on the field sooner rather than later.
All glory to god 🙏🏽 #signed #COMMITTED pic.twitter.com/u9SuXk5fzd
— Amauri Polydor (@amauri_polydor) December 4, 2025
"This Baltimore native from national powerhouse St. Frances Academy arrives with polished coverage instincts, length, and the kind of ball skills that translate quickly at the Power Four level. James Franklin typically redshirts freshmen, but Polydor has already earned opportunities thanks to his maturity, route recognition, and competitive edge. Virginia Tech beat several Power Four programs for his commitment, including flipping him from Penn State, reinforcing the belief that he has the ceiling to become one of the Hokies' next standout defensive playmakers,'' wrote Crawford.
Virginia Tech has had some good defensive backs come through Blacksburg, and who knows what Polydor's future holds, but if he is as good as advertised, then redshirting him for the season and keeping his snaps limited might be tough for Franklin to do.
Deion Sanders and Colorado were in on him before he committed to Tech. Regardless, incoming freshmen with the opportunity to play as true rookies is something that Hokies fans are going to have to get used to under James Franklin.
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