James Franklin just landed his 1st Virginia Tech commit and it's a 4-star playmaker

As soon as James Franklin was fired at Virginia Tech, all eyes shifted as to what could come next. The former Penn State head coach hit the ground running, and it started with recruiting, specifically with the Class of 2026. That doesn't mean he's ignoring the other classes, but he's quickly making the senior high school class a priority.

Virginia Tech's recruiting ranking is near the bottom of the ACC and FBS, but that is about to change and change quickly. It began on Tuesday when four-star running back Messiah Mickens committed to Franklin after originally committing to him at Penn State in August of 2023.

Last week, the Harrisburg, Pa. native announced a final three of Indiana, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss, but Franklin reached out to him and got him in Blacksburg for a visit this past weekend when 13th-ranked Miami visited in Tech's final home game of the 2025 season.

Virginia Tech picks up commitment from 4-star RB Messiah Mickens

Ladies and gentlemen, the James Franklin effect is real and just starting at Virginia Tech. The Hokies beat out three powerhouse programs, two from the SEC and one from the Big Ten, for Mickens, and there is a good chance that all three could be part of this year's 12-team College Football Playoff.

Both Rivals and 247Sports each logged predictions for Mickens to commit to Virginia Tech in recent days after his visit. This gives Franklin a potential monster running back room in 2026. Current Virginia Tech freshman Jeffrey Overton, Jr. is turning heads since returning from an injury, and now that he's healthy, he is showing promise for the future. Another player who should be retained is Marcellus Hawkins. If that happens, that's a great running back room.

There were several other recruits on campus, and with the early-signing day around the corner, expect more commitments coming for Franklin.