When James Franklin was fired at Virginia Tech, there were several reasons for Hokies fans to be excited. However, when a new coach is brought in, there are going to be some big changes when it comes to the roster.
Along with some players coming in through the Transfer Portal for the 2026 season, Franklin also brough in some freshmen who the coaching staff was high on, and some were expected to make an impact this season. That has been the case, but Franklin had a message for some other ones who he feels like maybe they should be making more of impact.
James Franklin has a subtle message for freshmen Virginia Tech football players
This season, Franklin has had some young players make some big impacts already through eight games. Richmond native Davion Brown, who goes by "Fat Rat" among his teammates and Franklin, has 13 catches for 184 yards and a touchdown. He has had at least one reception in all eight games, with his best game being two catches for 42 yards and his first college touchdown against Pittsburgh earlier this month.
He is part of a very talented wide receiver room in Blacksburg, and the fact that Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer has gone to him in some big situations is surprising, but not surprising that he has come up with some big catches. He turned some heads in fall camp in August, and he has carried that into the season.
Another freshman who has taken advantage of getting on the field is freshman offensive lineman Benjamin Eziuka, who has played some big snaps at guard with injuries mounting up for position coach Matt Moore and Franklin.
However, at his latest media availability on Tuesday, the former Vanderbilt and Penn State head coach believes that nearly a half dozen more true freshmen have not taken advantage of the opportunity to play more snaps through the first eight weeks of the season.
"I still think there are some guys that kind of, in their minds, are already thinking about spring ball and next fall, and they're not attacking it the right way," Franklin said. "There's probably four or five other freshmen that I think could be factoring in right now."
The problem is, there is no more "redshirt" seasons available anymore and if a player has that mentality, well, that's not going to get you far with Franklin and his staff. If there is one thing that Franklin is afraid to do, it's put freshmen into the lineup right away. If they can help, they will play. Davion Brown is proof of that; so is Benjamin Eziuka.
Special teams is a way for a young player to crack the lineup under Franklin, and some players haven't been able to take advantage of that, which is a little surprising. Franklin seems a little frustrated by his comment, and he is sending a rather subtle message ahead of the Hokies' bye. We'll see if anything changes over the final four weeks.
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