The last month has been a big one for Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin. The Hokies first-year head coach has been on a huge recruiting heater when it comes to the Class of 2027. According to 247Sports, the Hokies' class has risen inside the Top 15 and is closing in on a Top 10 ranking.
The James Franklin effect.
This weekend begins a key recruiting stretch that goes into June. Franklin and his staff are hosting several priority recruits in Blacksburg. This is going to be a big month and ahead of these visits this weekend, Virginia Tech picked up a Crystal Ball prediction for a three-star cornerback.
Virginia Tech picks up Crystal Ball prediction for three-star Class of 2027 CB
Three-star cornerback Austin Barrett from Paramus, New Jersey, has reportedly moved up his visit from June to this weekend at Virginia Tech. The Paramus Catholic standout was supposed to be in Charlottesville this weekend, but the Hokies got him to move it up. Now, 247Sports has logged a prediction for him to commit to the Hokies.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder has clearly become a priority for cornerback coach Nick Perry and defensive coordinator Brent Pry. Currently, the Hokies have 15 commits in the Class of 2027. On the defensive side, they have commitments from cornerbacks Chase Johnson and safety Elijah Johnson.
On the defensive side of the ball, new defensive line coach Sean Spencer picked up some commitments before the offensive side of the ball landed some big commits across the board. They have a couple of running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and a offensive lineman committed.
Now the focus is shifting to Barrett on the defensive side, and it feels like Virginia Tech is going to push hard to land him by the end of the weekend. He visited earlier this season, but Franklin is a big reason why this is trending toward Virginia Tech. When Franklin was at Penn State, he was someone who recruited very well in New Jersey and the whole DMV as a whole as well.
Virginia Tech is heading toward a new era under Franklin when it comes to recruiting. He also knows that adding through the Transfer Portal is a must nowadays with NIL in college sports, but recruiting high school talent is also a big part of the future, even though some schools focus more on the Transfer Portal from year to year. Virginia Tech will continue to do that as well, while also pushing the recruiting trail as well.
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