After James Franklin was hired at Virginia Tech, the former Penn State coach hit the ground running in recruiting. He went back to his Penn State commits in the Class of 2026 and flipped several of them to join him in Blacksburg.
It wasn't surprising that it happened, and when the dust settled, Franklin secured a Top 25 recruiting class, which is something Virginia Tech has not seen in a while. Now that the dead period has hit, Franklin has been working hard at putting together his first Virginia Tech staff, and as he did with recruiting class, he returned to his State College roots to begin rounding out his staff.
He is not only reportedly bringing two assistant coaches with him from Penn State to Virginia Tech, but he is also reportedly targeting former Hokies' head coach and his former defensive coordinator at Penn State, Brent Pry, to assume that role in Blacksburg. In a couple of weeks, he'll turn his attention to building the 2026 roster and hit the Transfer Portal to add pieces.
He has had a couple of quarterback options enter the portal as it is a dire need that needs to be addressed, but a former Nittany Lions cornerback is reportedly hitting the portal and would be a perfect fit for Virginia Tech.
Penn State cornerback Elliot Washington II is reportedly entering the Transfer Portal
A former four-star recruit of Franklin's at Penn State, Elliot Washington II, is reportedly entering the Transfer Portal, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Given how young Virginia Tech was in the secondary last season, and losing Dante Lovett to the portal after Pry was fired, a player like Washington is someone who Franklin should be in on.
Washington played in nine games for Penn State this season with 13 tackles and an interception. In three years for the Nittany Lions, he has recorded 53 tackles and two interceptions. He registered a career-high 24 tackles in 2024. This screams like a reunion with Franklin at Virginia Tech for the Florida native.