When Tyrell Grant Jr. woke up on Wednesday morning, he was fully committed to Fran Brown and Syracuse, where he committed six months earlier. The Suffolk, Virginia, native and Nansemond River High School talent began to have second thoughts.
When the dust settled, he decided at the last second to flip his commitment from Syracuse to Virginia Tech and new coach James Franklin. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound athlete will remain in the Commonwealth to play his college football. So why did he flip is his commitment at the last second? Well, because of James Franklin, of course.
Tyrell Grant Jr. explains why he flipped from Syracuse to Virginia Tech
Since arriving in Blacksburg, Franklin has been busy in recruiting, and that has paid off with multiple flips in the Class of 2026 and vaulted the Hokies' ranking inside the Top 25 according to most outlets. As for Grant Jr., the message from Franklin was loud and clear and made the decision an easy one.
"You know, Coach Franklin and that new coaching staff just coming in and establishing their relationship with me, it was something special,'' Grant Jr. said to Marc Davis of WTKR News. "I truly believe in Coach Franklin's vision. That moved me and my parents a lot, and just being able to get up on that official visit and meet some of the recruits as well, that played a big part in my decision."
Grant Jr. is projected to play safety for Franklin at Virginia Tech. What made the decision easier is Franklin's ability to recruit and lay out a path for Grant Jr., not only in Blacksburg but beyond as well.
"He said I have that NFL build," said Grant Jr. "He said I was a great athlete. He said that he would have the coaching staff develop me into the best person on and off the field. I just trusted his judgment. Coach Franklin has made a huge impact with the college football game over the past few years, so him saying I have the opportunity to play at the professional level, I just couldn't say no to that."
Recruiting has been a strong point for Franklin at Penn State, and it should be at Virginia Tech as well. It's just the beginning in Blacksburg of building something special.