A couple of weeks ago, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer picked up a commitment from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina native Jaiden Kelly-Murray, a Class of 2027 wide receiver. That is a big pickup for the Gamecocks coach against some other power programs.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound star at Oceanside Collegiate Academy recently took a visit to Virginia Tech, and it appears that the trip left him reconsidering his options despite being committed to Beamer and South Carolina. It is up in the air enough for Kolby Crawford of VTScoop to place a Crystal Ball prediction for James Franklin to flip Kelly-Murray to the Hokies.
Back by popular demand🔮
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) April 10, 2026
Have placed a Crystal Ball flip pick in favor of Virginia Tech to eventually land South Carolina commit WR Jaiden Kelly-Murray
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Virginia Tech picks up Crystal Ball flip commit for coveted Class of 2027 wide receiver from South Carolina
Dare we say that Hokies fans should get used to the James Franklin effect? He has always been successful at flipping recruits. Heck, he even did it to his good friend and new defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Brent Pry, with wide receiver Matthew Outten two years ago. He flipped from Blacksburg to State College. The dirty business of college sports right now.
It appears that he's trying to do it again, this time to South Carolina and Shane Beamer. Kelly-Murray had 64 receptions for 957 yards and 14 touchdowns last fall. In 2024, he caught 81 passes for 1,202 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also rushing for 215 more yards.
If we're being honest here, sure, Franklin is involved in his recruitment, but so is wide receivers coach Fontel Mines. He was the primary recruiter for Pry when he was the head coach at Virginia Tech, but Franklin retaining him was huge for several reasons, including recruiting.
Virginia Tech has some commits already along the defensive line for the 2027 class, but Kelly-Murray is clearly a priority target that is scheduled to take an official visit later this spring. Imagine Shane's father, Frank, giving Franklin his blessing to coach the Hokies and then doing Shane dirty? That's the current state of college sports.