The Dead Period is almost here, and that means things are going to slow down in recruiting with the calendar about to turn to July. That means things are going to slow down in recruiting with the Class of 2027, but the commitments are going to come all summer long ahead of the rising senior season for a ton of players.
Virginia Tech has seen its recruiting ranking soar under James Franklin in his first full recruiting cycle in Blacksburg. According to 247Sports, at the time this article is being written, the Hokies have the 10th-ranked class. Not too shabby for a program that was regularly near the bottom of the ACC under previous staff. What a turnaround.
Read More: Virginia Tech football gets stunning preseason ranking in James Franklin's first season
On Tuesday night, one recruiting target of Franklin's and Virginia Tech was three-star offensive lineman Stafford Willis from Alabama. His final five schools were Virginia Tech, Virginia, Alabama, UCLA, and South Carolina. Franklin and offensive line coach Matt Moore knew they were up against the Crimson Tide, and that ended up being the case.
Virginia Tech loses recruiting battle to Alabama
This shouldn't come as a surprise that in the end, Willis picked Alabama to remain at home. The 6-foot-5 offensive tackle from Arab, Alabama, made it clear why he made the decision he did.
BREAKING: 2027 3 ⭐️ IOL Stafford Willis has COMMITTED to Alabama! 🐘
— Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) June 24, 2026
The 6’5 290 IOL chose the Crimson Tide over South Carolina, UCLA, Virginia, and Virginia Tech
Willis is ranked No. 1200 nationally, is the No. 83 IOL in the country, and is the No. 46 player in Alabama pic.twitter.com/0t7tmBLp6E
“I’m Bama born and Bama bound.”
Sure, this is a loss for Franklin and Moore, but they will turn the page. Currently in the Class of 2027, the Hokies have commitments along the trenches on the offensive side of the ball from Dlyan Latell from Ohio, Kaden Buchanan from Maryland, Junior Saunders from Woodberry Forest, Virginia, and Luke Braham from West Virginia.
Read More: Virginia Tech Hokies News: Transfer portal additions, NBA Draft, welcome to Blacksburg
Willis visited Virginia Tech back in March for an unofficial visit before returning in early June for an official visit. However, his final visit ended up being the one that sealed the deal when he visited Alabama this past weekend.
It's back to the drawing board for Franklin and Moore along the offensive line, but in the end, losing this recruiting battle to Alabama and Kalen DeBoet is not a surprise.
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