When it comes to recruiting in college football, there are no better names that go with recruiting success than James Franklin back in his days at Penn State. When he was fired last October, he had one of the top recruiting classes lined up.
Of course, in the current state of college football, when a coach gets fired and someone else new comes in, commits will de-commit and head elsewhere. Actually, you don't need a coaching change for that to happen all the time. Flipping commitments has been happening for years and will continue.
Franklin has had his share of commits flip, but he has also had his fair share of players flip on him. It's just the nature of the beast. When it comes to getting some of the top recruits, getting it done is easier said than done sometimes, but since arriving in Blacksburg, Franklin has been hitting the recruiting ground running. Eli Lederman of ESPN listed schools in tiers when it comes to recruiting in the Class of 2027, and he stuck the Hokies in an interesting one, to say the least.
ESPN drops Virginia Tech into interesting tier in Class of 2027 recruiting
When it comes to Virginia Tech and recruiting in the Class of 2027, Lederman had the Hokies in the fifth tier, flying under the radar. Joining them in that group are Clemson, Ole Miss, Nebraska, and Georgia Tech. However, are the Hokies really flying under the radar?
"James Franklin immediately flashed his recruiting prowess in the weeks after his arrival to Virginia Tech last fall. For 2027, the former Penn State coach is making the most of familiar regional pipelines and showing once again what can be possible for the Hokies under his watch.,'' Lederman wrote.
Franklin has always had success recruiting in the DMV and Virginia while at Penn State and expects that to continue in Blacksburg. However, he had one huge addition to the class back in the spring when four-star quarterback Peter Bourque committed after he decommitted from Michigan following the school parting ways with former coach Sherrone Moore back in December.
"Franklin's most significant get across a busy spring was former Michigan quarterback pledge Peter Bourque (No. 96). Virginia Tech edged finalists Georgia and Penn State for ESPN's No. 5 pocket passer May 14, and Bourque will represent the program's highest-ranked quarterback addition since Tyrod Taylor in the 2007 class if he signs later this year,'' added Lederman.
That's some rather select company for Bourque to join in the same breath as Tyrod Taylor. However, should it surprise anyone that Franklin is already making strides in recruiting? There is a lot he can offer recruits quickly at Virginia Tech. However, we're going to disagree with Lederman and say that the Hokies should have been placed in a higher tier than under the radar.
There is nothing under the radar about James Franklin and recruiting. Sure, he's taking the program to places that were only dreams not too long ago, but under the radar is certainly not what Virginia Tech will be in recruiting under Franklin.
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