As soon as it was official that Virginia Tech was hiring James Franklin as their next football coach, the former Penn State coach made some changes over the next couple of months with an eye toward the 2026 season and beyond. A lot of that had to do with the roster, which was in need of multiple things.
One of those things it needed was depth. Last season, after Brent Pry was fired following a Week 3 loss to Old Dominion, some players decided to hit the Transfer Portal just after three games. Some players stuck things out under interim coach Philip Montgomery and finished out what was a difficult season.
Shortly after being hired, Franklin rehired Pry as his defensive coordinator in a move that nobody saw coming. One reason he brought his good friend back was to help determine which players on the roster the staff should try to retain. They were able to get some key retention, and after a roster overhaul, the Hokies are in a better position going into the upcoming season than they were a year ago. Franklin drove home that point on Thursday at ACC Media Day.
James Franklin doesn't mince words on Virginia Tech's 2026 roster
If there is one thing that Franklin knows from his previous stops at Vanderbilt and Penn State, you can never have too much depth. One thing that Franklin has done is given him and his staff plenty of depth going into the season.
"We are bigger, we are stronger, we are faster than we have been,'' said Franklin. "There's no doubt about that, and I think our depth is in a position to be able to compete. So, from an expectation, from a standard, from a culture standpoint, I think we're in a really good place. Again, we feel like we have won the offseason.''
Franklin's quote was taken out of context about winning the offseason. Penn State fans want to make everything Franklin says about themselves into some bizarre obsession, but part of what he meant about winning the offseason was that the Hokies are in a good place in terms of depth on the roster and the culture being put in place that he wants. It's his first offseason in Blacksburg, and anyone should be able to figure out that it takes time for that to happen.
However, when it comes to Franklin, Penn State fans leave no stone unturned whenever he comments on anything. Depth is needed in college football, and Franklin is setting the Hokies up for success with it in 2026 and beyond.
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