When James Franklin was hired at Virginia Tech, it was exciting for a number of reasons. First of all, he has been a strong recruiter with kids out of high school, especially in the DMV. Second, he has landed some key players through the Transfer Portal during his time at Penn State.
Virginia Tech has been looking for a coach to come in and dominate recruiting, both with high school recruits and through the portal. So far, he has been very active in the portal and landed some big commitments. He has landed commitments on both sides of the ball. There have been some players rumored to be taking some visits to Virginia Tech, but on Thursday night, Franklin landed a commitment out of the blue from the SEC.
Virginia Tech gets surprising commitment from SEC offensive lineman from Oklahoma
Virginia Tech picked up a commitment from Oklahoma offensive lineman Logan Howland. He comes to the Hokies after spending three years with the Sooners and playing sparingly. He played in five games this season for Oklahoma, which made the College Football Playoff and was bounced in the first round by SEC foe Alabama, before having his season cut short with injuries. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-6, 322-pound player played in 727 snaps over three seasons in Norman, Oklahoma, and grew up in New Jersey. He is going to be a much-needed depth and experience to an offensive line that is again going through a makeover with second-year coach Matt Moore, who Franklin is retaining. The Hokies have got some retention from some players already, and any more additions through the portal would be welcomed additions.
It is still early in the Transfer Portal stages, but so far, so good for Franklin in Blacksburg. Keep up with the comings and goings here.