Recruiting is going to pick up big time for Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin. Currently in the Class of 2027, he has one commitment from defensive lineman Alexander Taylor. There are several other recruits, especially at quarterback, that the Hokies are in the mix for.
As far as other offensive players go, one player that Brent Pry and his staff were in on was running back Connail Jackson. He was offered by the previous staff last May, and Franklin and his new staff are keeping the offer to Jackson. After taking this week, he has locked in an official visit for June, and the Hokies are certainly in the mix.
Virginia Tech to host 3-star running back Connail Jackson
Jackson is coming off a dynamic junior season where he took off after a very good sophomore year. As a junior, he rushed for 2,452 yards on 217 carries, which gave him 11.3 yards per carry. He rushed for 39 touchdowns in 15 games.
As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,604 yards on 169 carries and 28 touchdowns. He has several offers in his pocket, but with Norval McKenzie in Blacksburg as the running backs coach under Franklin, it'll be interesting to see where this goes.
Expect this to be an active recruiting cycle for Franklin and his staff. Several recruits are in on that that maybe wouldn't have been under the previous staff. When it comes to recruiting under Franklin, this should be an area where fans see a big improvement.
The Hokies have a young running back room that includes Jeffrey Overton, Jr. who is returning after a good showing in a small sample size after coming back from an injury. They also have incoming freshman Messiah Mickens. Also back is veteran Marcellous Hawkins. June is going to be a big month in terms of recruiting.