Times are changing and changing quickly in Blacksburg. Last Monday, Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as the school's next head football coach. As soon as he was hired, he lined up dozens of recruits to visit for the Hokies' final home game of the 2025 season against Miami.
Recruits flocked to Lane Stadium for the game and Franklin. The season has been a tough one for the 3-8 Hokies, who close out the season at Virginia on Saturday night. There is, however, a lot of hope for the future with Franklin on board and ready to quickly turn things around. Starting by hitting it big in recruiting would be a good start.
The returns from visits over the weekend have been overwhelmingly positive from a lot of the recruits who were at the game. The common theme with the reactions has been about the atmosphere and hype around Franklin being hired.
Virginia Tech recruits make feelings known about their thoughts after their visit
If there is one thing that recruits and commits to Virginia Tech are going to learn, it's that the excitement surrounding the program is like that even in down years. Franklin asked the crowd to be loud on Saturday, and they didn't disappoint. He didn't need to do that, as the fans are always like that, even in a down year.
The fans are excited, as some of the recruits mentioned, and why not? They have been clamoring for a winner for a decade, and now they have their best chance of having one with Franklin. Nothing against Justin Fuente or Brent Pry, but the program took several steps backward over the years, and now they should be trending back up.
It doesn't need to be repeated, but it should be. In this day and age of college football, players are committing to the coach and not the school anymore for the most part. One thing recruits will learn is how hungry the fanbase is for a winner, and whether it happens next season or down the line, the excitement from the outside and support will always be there. The James Franklin hype is real in Blacksburg.