With National Signing Day on the horizon, college football programs have been keeping close tabs on James Franklin. Cue Penn State. The Virginia Tech Hokies’ head coach went berserk on the recruiting deadline run and snagged a ton of players who were already committed to his old team. And guess what?He’s not apologizing for it.

“I want to make sure that this is interpreted right: by no means were we out looking to take commits from any specific school.” James Franklin said. “It really just came down to the kids that we’ve had relationships with, that we’ve known for multiple years. That’s really what that was about.”

Naturally, at his big press conference, reporters grilled him about how all these players suddenly decided to become Hokies. Franklin played it cool and explained that they weren’t, like, actively trying to poach guys from Penn State or anywhere else. Franklin has always been big on building relationships, even offering scholarships to players’ younger brothers years ago, so he leaned into that idea.

He was essentially trying to say, ‘Hey, these are just kids I know, and they trust me, so they followed.’ Fair enough. However, many saw it as a subtle dig or at least a convenient justification for gutting his former team’s class.

But man, the results are hard to ignore. Virginia Tech ended up signing around 11 players who were previously all set to go to Penn State. This group included some serious talent like four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins, four-star running back Messiah Mickens, and quarterback Troy Huhn. Plus, he flipped some of the recruits from Kentucky and Wisconsin.

That haul completely changed the game for the Hokies, vaulting their 2026 recruiting class ranking from way down at 124th nationally all the way up to an 25th place with a total of 23 commits. That’s one big jump.

The drama not only limited to the press conference, either. The Virginia Tech staff was reportedly serving Crumbl Cookies at their signing day event, which many people online took as a little jab at Penn State. Earlier this week, Penn State missed out on hiring BYU coach Kalani Sitake, partly because the CEO of Crumbl Cookies stepped in to help BYU keep him. Good sport from the Hokies.

So, while Franklin maintained his professional stance, his staff seemed to have a little fun with the situation. However, the head honcho made sure everyone knows what’s coming for Virginia Tech’s future.

James Franklin on Hokies’ future

James Franklin made it clear that he’s serious about rebuilding Virginia Tech football. This recruiting class proves it. Plus, Franklin also shared a confident message about what he believes this class can do for the program.

“We grew up with a Virginia Tech that was kickin’ bu** and taking names, and this is gonna be the type of class and the type of young men that are gonna help us restore that,” he said.

Fans have wanted this kind of energy and direction for years now. The Hokies football was a major powerhouse for nearly twenty years, from the mid-1990s through the early 2010s, consistently winning conference championships and competing in top-tier bowl games. However, since the 2012 season, their performance has dropped off significantly. The popular consensus is that Franklin might finally be the person who brings it.

Some players from the 2026 class could even help on the field next season. But the long-term potential is what really has people excited. Franklin clearly thinks this is the group that can turn things around. Penn State’s loss is quickly becoming Virginia Tech’s gain. Franklin still needs to build out his staff and work the transfer portal, which opens pretty soon, but the early signs are promising.