James Franklin is hitting the ground running at Virginia Tech. As soon as it was announced that he was the school's next head football coach, he hit the phones and started lining up recruits for this weekend's last home game of the 2025 season against Miami.
Franklin has seven Class of 2026 commits from Penn State scheduled to come to Blacksburg this weekend. It remains to be seen just how many of those players will actually follow Franklin to Virginia Tech, but times have changed, and kids are not committing to schools, but the coaches.
Franklin has nailed recruiting for years and is getting some of the best recruits in Pennsylvania and the DMV. That is expected to continue at Virginia Tech, as he would come into the area and pluck the recruits right from under the Hokies.
Virginia Tech to host four-star safety Matt Sieg
Per Tom Loy of 247Sports, Class of 2026 four-star safety Matt Sieg is expected to be in Blacksburg this weekend, and if Franklin could ever complete a flip, what an addition he would be. The 6-foot-0, 185-pound Sieg from McDonald, Pa, is the 17th-ranked player at his position and the sixth in Pennsylvania according to On3 Industry Rankings.
Franklin being fired in October by Penn State and being hired before Thanksgiving at Virginia Tech gives him a huge advantage over other schools and coaches in terms of preparing for 2026 and beyond. The coaching cycle is going to be nuts over the next couple of months after the regular season ends Thanksgiving Weekend.
There are still a number of high-profile jobs open, and most of them will likely be filled by coaches leaving their current positions. We see it every year, and this year will be no different. Franklin is certainly taking advantage of the opportunity he has and is trying to raid his Penn State commits to Virginia Tech. The fun is just beginning.