When the dust settled on the 2025 season for the Virginia Tech football team, it was a disaster from the start. A 27-7 loss at Virginia summed up what a disaster the season was. At 3-9, they finished near the basement of the ACC power rankings everywhere.
When the clock struck triple zeros in Charlottesville Thanksgiving Weekend, the James Franklin era officially began in Blacksburg. A total overhaul began from the coaching staff down to the roster. Little did anyone know that what was to come with Brent Pry, who was fired as a head coach three months before, would be coming back as the defensive coordinator for Franklin.
There is a different feel around the program, as there should be, under Franklin. There is nowhere to go but up for the Hokies in 2026. It wouldn't be surprising if they make some noise this season in Franklin's first season, and CBS Sports had an interesting take on the Hokies in their post-spring power rankings.
CBS Sports lists Virginia Tech No. 7 in post-spring power rankings
David Cobb of CBS Sports power-ranked the ACC after spring practices and heading into the summer. He had Virginia Tech in the top half of the conference with an interesting take.
"Though new coach James Franklin is bringing in a beefy transfer class, Virginia Tech sits at No. 4 nationally in returning production, according to ESPN's Bill Connelly. That's remarkable for a program undergoing a leadership transition. Some of that may stem from the fact that fired coach Brent Pry is returning as the defensive coordinator, but the offense features plenty of familiar faces as well,'' wrote Cobb.
"Between those who were at Virginia Tech last season and those who played for Franklin at Penn State, this feels more like the merging of two families than a true reset. Whether that will accelerate the Hokies' path back to ACC contention and national relevance is undetermined, but Franklin was a great hire, and he did well in the portal as the Hokies recommitted to investing in football."
When Franklin was hired, he made it a point to recruit the current roster before the Transfer Portal opened. There was talent on it, regardless of what some people might think. Retaining Ayden Greene on the offensive side of the ball, along with running back Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton, Jr. was vital.
The portal work Franklin did was a bit under the radar for some, but he brought some major impactful talent to Blacksburg on both sides of the ball. The school reinvesting in football is going to make things expedite quicker in terms of a quick retool for Virginia Tech. They do have a challenging road schedule in conference play with games at California, Miami, Clemson, and SMU. They open ACC play at Boston College.
It will be interesting to see how things begin this fall for the Hokies, as a solid start could set the tone for a team that could surprise a lot of people if things go their way early in the season.
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