When James Franklin was hired as football coach at Virginia Tech, one of his first comments was about retaining what he could from the 2025 roster built by former coach Brent Pry. Several key players announced their intentions to return.
Running backs Marcellous Hawkins and freshman Jeffrey Overton, Jr., are both returning, giving Franklin a very good start to the running back room for new coach Norval McKenzie. Also coming in is Class of 2026 star Messiah Mickens.
As far as the wide receivers go, all eyes were on Ayden Greene, who has been getting better and better with each passing season. In 2024, with a loaded wide receiver room of veterans who returned, Greene made some big plays and then played well in the Duke's Mayo Bowl loss to Minnesota.
In 2025, he emerged as the top receiver for Philip Montgomery with 31 catches for 516 yards and three touchdowns. On Saturday, he announced that he is returning for the 2026 campaign under Franklin.
Virginia Tech WR Ayden Greene returning for 2026 season
Greene announced that he will be returning for next season, which is some huge news for Franklin and the new staff. After becoming the top target for quarterback Kyron Drones this past season, Greene will headline a wide receiver room for the next signal caller that comes to Blacksburg out of the portal.
As a freshman in 2023, the Tennessee native had five catches for 56 yards, then a year later, he caught two touchdowns and 268 total yards before the 6-foot-3 receiver broke out under Montgomery.
Wide receiver is a position that Virginia Tech needs to address through additions in this portal cycle, which could include recruiting some tight ends. Getting Greene to return is a significant win in terms of retention for Franklin.