After James Franklin was fired at Penn State, you could tell that when he made an appearance on ESPN College GameDay, he was itching to get back on the sideline sooner rather than later. Coaches like Franklin don't take much time off after getting fired.
A month before his firing, Franklin's former defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, was fired at Virginia Tech. After Pry's dismissal, Virginia Tech put together a search committee to find his replacement, and little did they know that Franklin would basically fall into their lap.
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A little over a month after being fired, Franklin was officially hired at Virginia Tech, replacing Pry, and he hit the ground running. One thing that the veteran coach has said is that he is entering the season with a chip on his shoulder. That can't be good for the ACC. There are a lot of different projections floating around about the Hokies in 2026 under Franklin, and Athlon Sports is the latest to throw fuel on the fire.
Athlon Sports adds fuel to Virginia Tech fire for 2026 season
It's been said before and needs to be said again: There is nowhere to go but up for the Hokies in 2026. They are coming off a 3-9 season where just about that could have gone wrong, did. The fact that they won three games was something of a minor miracle. However, expectations are higher for several reasons going into the upcoming campaign. Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports ranked the Top 138 teams for 2026, and he ranked the Hokies 30th.
"New coach James Franklin is one of the offseason’s top hires. And with 14 returning starters, along with the arrival of key transfers in quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and tight end Luke Reynolds, the Hokies are primed for a big-time turnaround after a 3-9 mark last year,'' Lassan wrote.
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One thing everyone knew was that was going to happen was there was going to be some roster turnover. That was the case. The Transfer Portal was big for Franklin, and his staff did some major damage, adding talent there. The biggest additions being, as Lassan mentioned, Grunkemeyer and Reynolds, who followed Franklin and position coaches Danny O'Brien and Ty Howle to Blacksburg. Don't overlook the addition of wide receiver Que'Sean Brown from Duke and returning players Ayden Greene, Marcellous Hawkins, and Jeffrey Overton, Jr.
On the defensive side, there was some key retention, but maybe the biggest addition was Pry as the defensive coordinator. That's right, Franklin rehired his former successful DC at Penn State and brought him back three months after he was fired as the head coach of the Hokies.
There was some key retention on that side of the ball that is going to make the unit an underrated one, especially with some additions through the Transfer Portal. Overall, a big turnaround is expected in Blacksburg under a new staff and a new roster.
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