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Jake Dickert pulls off a flip on James Franklin and Virginia Tech that nobody saw coming

This was a shocker.
ByScott Roche
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Nov 6, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach James Franklin looks on during the first half against the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Nov 6, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach James Franklin looks on during the first half against the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Recruiting season is in full swing for college football, but so is flip season. Back in April, Virginia Tech coach James Franklin picked up a commitment from four-star Class of 2027 wide receiver Anthony Roberts from North Carolina.

He is part of a recruiting class that Franklin has as a Top 20 class at most recruiting outlets, and he was a good get for the Hokies and position coach Fontel Mines. However, on Monday night, Hayes Fawcett of Rivals reported that Roberts is staying home in North Carolina and flipped his commitment from Virginia Tech to Wake Forest.

Virginia Tech Class of 2027 wide receiver committ Anthony Roberts flips to Wake Forest

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According to Fawcett, Roberts is now going to be a Demon Deacon and head to Winston-Salem after flipping his commitment. This is big news, as Franklin not only loses a commitment from a player, but also loses him to Jake Dicket and Wake Forest, which is quickly becoming a factor in the ACC under their season-year head coach.

According to Brian Dohn of 247Sports, Wake Forest and Dickert have been working Roberts for a while in terms of getting a flip. He took a visit, according to Dohn, this past weekend when the Demon Deacons hosted Merrimack and it was such a good game, Wake Forest won, 77-0, that Roberts was convinced that he wanted to go there.

Before Roberts flipped to Wake Forest, Franklin had 26 commits in the Class of 2027, which has been reduced to 25 now. Virginia Tech's Class of 2027 ranking is currently 17th before Roberts' flip, and that should drop a little now. When it comes to recruiting, flips happen all the time, and if this were a few years ago, Virginia Tech losing a flip to Wake Forest would be more concerning than it is now.

What is more interesting is that Dickert is a name that has come up in terms of the Florida State coaching search to replace Mike Norvell. If Dickert doesn't leave for FSU, then there could be other schools calling, and does Wake Forest have enough to retain him? For what it's worth, Wake Forest visits Blacksburg next season.

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