ACC media days begin on Wednesday in Charlotte, and Virginia Tech, with first-year coach James Franklin, along with three student-athletes, will speak on Thursday. After they return to Blacksburg, it's going to be full steam ahead with camp just a few weeks away and the season-opener at Lane Stadium on Sept. 5 against VMI less than two months away.
There are high expectations for Franklin's first season in Blacksburg, but some might be a little too high. Sure, the bar isn't very high after a brutal 3-9 2025 campaign that saw former head coach Brent Pry fired after a Week 3 loss to Old Dominion last September and Franklin hired in November after being fired by Penn State in October. Franklin rehired Pry at Virginia Tech, bringing him back as his defensive coordinator.
Got all that?
Anyway, with it being the middle of July, predictions are beginning to start rolling in, and the latest from USA Today has the Hokies bouncing back big time in Franklin's first season in charge of the Hokies.
Virginia Tech is picked to finish 5th in the ACC in 2026 by USA Today
As expected, Matthew Glenesk of USA Today picked Miami and SMU to finish 1-2 in the standings. That's not breaking any news. He picked Louisville three and Clemson four. For what it's worth, three of the top four, Miami, SMU, and Clemson, are on the Hokies' schedule this season, all on the road.
Coming in at No. 5 was Virginia Tech, just ahead of Virginia, which was followed by Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. Three more opponents on the Hokies' schedule. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
However, as expected, Franklin had a massive roster overhaul, brought in several transfers from Penn State, and retained some key players on the Virginia Tech roster. The Hokies must take advantage of their schedule in the first four weeks with home games against VMI and Old Dominion and road games at Maryland and Boston College. Winning three out of the four of those games is an absolute must of Tech has bowl visions.
Could the expectation be higher? Sure, but it would be too high. Miami on paper again is the easy choice to win the ACC, and honestly, if they don't, then there might be a Mario Cristobal situation in South Florida than some think. Sure, upsets happen, but at least a berth in the ACC Championship Game is a must.
Glenesk's predictions are interesting, with Virginia Tech being the pick No. 5. If that happens, it'll be a very successful season for the Hokies in the first year under Franklin, and it also means that there will be a win or two where they pull off an upset. Again, that is something Hokies fans would sign up for.
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