When James Franklin was hired as Brent Pry's replacement at Virginia Tech, it was a major win for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he was the biggest name on the coaching market after he was fired at Penn State. Second, if there was someone who could come in and turn things around quickly in Blacksburg, it's Franklin.
Third, it's hard to ignore his success when it comes to recruiting. Prior to Franklin being hired in Blacksburg, the Hokies' Class of 2026 recruiting class was ranked near the bottom of the ACC and FBS schools. That is all about to change, and change in a very big way.
On Tuesday night, four-star running back Messiah Mickens committed to Virginia Tech and Franklin just days after taking a visit. Last week, he narrowed his list of schools since de-committing from Penn State to Indiana, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss. Then James Franklin swooped in and struck gold.
James Franklin pulls off first feat Virginia Tech has seen since 2009
According to David Cunningham of Tech Sideline, Messiah Mickens is the first unanimous four-star running back to commit to Virginia Tech since David Wilson in 2009. In three years in Blacksburg, Wilson rushed for 2,662 yards, including 1,709 in his junior year in 2011 when he scored nine of 18 career touchdowns. He went on to be a first-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2012 Draft.
Something tells me this isn't going to be the first feat that Franklin pulls off at Virginia Tech anytime soon. There are predictions that have been logged for a number of other four-star recruits to commit to Franklin.
He is just beginning to lay the groundwork at Virginia Tech, and while the 2025 Hokies are in Charlottesville this upcoming weekend for the annual Commonwealth Clash with Virginia, he'll be back in Blacksburg hosting recruits. Early-signing day is next week, and expect more Franklin fireworks in recruiting in the coming days.