It's hard to believe that we are into January, but we are, and now it's time for James Franklin to begin the process of building his 2026 Virginia Tech roster with some Transfer Portal additions. There will be just one portal this year, opening on Jan. 2 and running through Jan. 16.
Over the last couple of weeks, several Virginia Tech players have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal, while others are returning to play for Franklin and his staff in 2026. The biggest retention so far is with the running backs room, where Jeffrey Overton, Jr., and Marcellous Hawkins are both coming back.
The quarterback position is a position of need for Franklin this cycle, with Garret Rangel and Pop Watson entering the portal and Kyron Drones out of eligibility. With that said, here are three portal predictions for Franklin and Virginia Tech.
Zuriah Fisher: Edge
You have to think that Franklin will get some former Penn State players to come to Blacksburg, and one of them who would be a huge addition is edge Zuriah Fisher. This season, Fisher had 19 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble for the Nittany Lions. In 35 games for Penn State, he racked up 41 tackles and got better each season in State College. He has one year remaining and would be a big addition to the Hokies' defense.
Tawfiq Byard: Safety
Virginia Tech could use an addition in the secondary, and Colorado transfer Tawfiq Byard would be a big one, to say the least. In 2025 for the Buffaloes, Byard racked up 79 tackles, eight for a loss, and forced a pair of fumbles. There will be several suitors for him this portal cycle, but this will be a test of Virginia Tech's new athletic budget. It'll take more than money to get him to Blacksburg, but you can always dream big under Franklin.
Beau Pribula: Quarterback
Out the three names on this list, Missouri transfer quarterback Beau Pribula is the likely one that Franklin can get through the portal. He played at Penn State for Franklin and QB coach Danny O'Brien and the fit seems to be a good one that makes sense. Franklin will likely need to add another signal caller through the portal, but freshman Troy Huhn is expected to come and push any veterans for the starting job.