The excitement and hype surrounding the Virginia Tech football team in 2026 is real. Why shouldn't it be? James Franklin was hired after being fired at Penn State in October, and a roster overhaul by Franklin and his staff has things trending in the right direction in Blacksburg.
There is nowhere to go but up following a dismal 3-9 season in 2025. The hiring of Franklin alone is one reason for fans to be excited going into the fall, but the long-term outlook is what a lot of fans are excited about. Is the College Football Playoff a legitimate goal? Probably not, but with the field expanded to 12 teams, anything is possible.
Read More: Virginia Tech football gets stunning preseason ranking in James Franklin's first season
There has been a lot of much-needed turnover in Blacksburg, and Andy Staples on On3 revealed what Franklin's biggest offseason move was in terms of decisions made once he was officially hired.
College football writer shares James Franklin's biggest move after being hired at Virginia Tech
Staples broke down who the ACC's top playoff contenders are. He listed the Hokies as a dark horse with Duke and California. However, that might be a little ahead of schedule, given it might take a year or two for Franklin to completely turn the roster over. Staples also mentioned what his biggest move has been since arriving in Blacksburg.
2026 ACC College Football Playoff Picture🔥
— On3 (@On3) June 24, 2026
(via @AndyStaples) https://t.co/2gKhbRuUUX pic.twitter.com/03uqYjynL7
"But one of the most important moves Franklin made might have been convincing Brent Pry, who was fired as the Hokies’ head coach last season, to come back as the defensive coordinator. This allowed the new Hokies staff to thoroughly evaluate the roster and keep the best parts,'' wrote Staples.
Let's get this out of the way and say it again, it is still bizarre that Brent Pry was fired as head coach in September, but agreed to return to the same building and same program three months later as the defensive coordinator. It is all part of Franklin's getting the band back together in 2026 from their Penn State and Vanderbilt days.
It has been said before and will be said again: it takes a lot of pride for someone to go through what Pry went through and then walk back through the doors as if nothing happened. It takes a certain person to be able to do that. Let's be honest, he was still a really liked person by Virginia Tech fans who knew that he just wasn't a head coach. If he can thrive in the role as a DC in Blacksburg, then what a decision by Franklin, if he's able to pull it off and have it end up working out?
There is no doubt that the roster is better for Virginia Tech than it was in 2025, but Staples is right, if maybe the biggest move made by Franklin was bringing back Pry three months after being fired. We'll see how things end up working out.
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