“When it comes time to close, he’s a closer.”“When it comes time to close, he’s a closer.”
Football

“When it comes time to close, he’s a closer.”

James Franklin jump-starts Virginia Tech’s program with eye-popping recruiting class.

By Bill Roth

It was nearing midnight on a warm evening this past September following Virginia Tech’s home loss to ODU. From a Hokies’ perspective, that was one truly forgettable game. Tech got boat-raced at home, falling behind 31-0 in the third quarter, before falling 45-26 to the Monarchs.

On the late-night walk back to my car, I encountered a group of disconsolate Tech fans making a similar walk.

They were slumped against the side of Rector Field House like the weight of the whole program had finally settled on their shoulders.

One Hokie muttering, “We hit rock bottom.”

Another looked like he wanted to punch a hole in the sky, furious and heartbroken at the same time. His pal, wearing a Metallica Hokies t-shirt had gone quiet—the kind of quiet where you’re not even sure if you’re sad, ticked-off, confused, or all three at once. You could feel it in the air: the frustration; the hopelessness.

“We’re gonna fix this,” I told them.  Promise.

Of course, the ‘how’ and ‘when’ of this fix was the $229 million question.

Two weeks later, Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors put the wheels in motion, approving a budget plan that gave the Hokies the resources to pursue an elite coach and recruiter. A search committee was formed. There was a plan — a methodical, deliberate process grounded not in frustration or panic but in a clear understanding that the landscape of college athletics had changed dramatically.

The plan was about more than money. It detailed how, where, and when to invest so Tech could compete with its ACC and national peers. The days of Virginia Tech “doing more with less,” a model that thrived during the Beamer era, were over. The new mantra was simple: Invest to win.

That vision caught the attention of the newly available James Franklin, who was hired on November 17. Naturally, Tech won the press conference, earned national praise, and rode the wave of optimism that accompanies any major coaching hire.

Just 16 days later, Franklin delivered. The Hokies signed their best recruiting class in more than a decade — a top-25 group loaded with blue-chip prospects and elite prep talent.

It all happened with remarkable speed. Franklin has yet to officially hire his coaching staff, and the transfer-portal window — which could significantly shape Tech’s 2026 roster — doesn’t open for another month.

Yet for veteran observers like 247Sports national analyst Brian Dohn, who covers recruiting for a living, what unfolded in Blacksburg over those 16 days was unprecedented.

“I've been involved in recruiting for more than two decades. Covered at least 25 signing days. Never seen anything like what James Franklin is doing at Virginia Tech,” Dohn posted on X.

For the record, Dohn has seen just about everything. He spent 18 years in print journalism covering high-profile beats — from UConn men’s basketball to the L.A. Dodgers, to UCLA football and men’s basketball. He earned an Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) award before transitioning into his current role as a prominent national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, focusing on high school football prospects from Maine to Florida.

Dohn has followed Franklin for decades and has witnessed the Hokies’ new coach’s recruiting acumen at three different stops: Vanderbilt, Penn State, and now Virginia Tech.

“I’ve been doing this for 16 years and have never seen anything like it,” Dohn told me. “What he’s doing at Tech has been the biggest story nationally for the last 12 days.”

“He’s different than a lot of coaches,” Dohn said. “Kids love him. He makes people feel like they’ve known him forever, even if they’ve just met.”

If there’s a secret sauce in all to this, it’s Franklin’s ability to connect with prospects and their families.

“He’s honest.  He never sugar-coats things,” Dohn said. “Look at what he did at Vanderbilt, not just Penn State.  He knows how to get the better players. Kids connect with him.  He wins games. He develops them for the NFL.”

Franklin, and his recruiting staff which relocated from State College to Blacksburg, signed 16 players who had committed to other programs including 11 from Penn State.  He had built relationships over the years with those prospects and those families.

“I want to make sure this is interpreted right,” Franklin reiterated Wednesday. “By no means were we out looking to take commits from any specific school. It really just came down to the kids that we have relationships with, that we have known for multiple years.”

The result?

“Kids who had committed to a blue blood signed at a re-build. There was a caravan down I-81 to Blacksburg,” Dohn said.

The 11 who made that caravan are impressive:
Four-star LB Terry Wiggins
Four-star RB Messiah Mickens
Three-star WR Davion Brown
Three-star OL Benjamin Eziuka
Three-star LB Tyson Harley
Three-star QB Troy Huhn
Three-star TE Pierce Petersohn
Three-star OT Marlen Bright
Three-star OT Roseby Lubintus
Three-star LB Mathieu Lamah
Three-star CB Amauri Polydor

“The two biggest things for James Franklin: Kids like him and kids trust him. That’s the holy grail,” Dohn said.

“Yes, there is a financial aspect (in recruiting in the NIL era), but kids go where they’re comfy. They trust him.”

The trust factor was most evident with Petersohn, the tight end from Dodge Center, Mn.

During his official visit Petersohn asked Franklin ‘What does the tight end room look like, Coach?’ I said, ‘I have no idea. I’ve been here three days. I can’t tell you.”

“‘Who’s the tight ends coach going to be?’ ‘You have to trust me.’ ‘Who’s the offensive coordinator going to be?’ ‘You have to trust me.’ I really didn’t have answers for them.”

But they came anyway.

Dohn also noted the institutional similarities between Penn State and Virginia Tech. Geographically rural.  Far from major metro areas.  But institutions that have a passionate state-wide following.

 “There are a lot of similarities. Penn State and Virginia Tech. The pitch is almost the same.  It’s a safe place. Good academically. Hard to get there. When you look at the campuses, there are so many similarities.”

Dohn believes this week’s events may be just the beginning of Tech’s rise on both the regional and national recruiting circuits, crediting the staff Franklin has assembled.

“What gives them a real chance is the quality of the people involved,” Dohn said. “These are all good people. They know how to do this.”

That cohesion paid off. In a signing-day coup, the recruiting team accomplished in roughly two weeks what typically takes two years.

“When we took the job, the recruiting class was ranked around 124th , depending on the service,” Franklin said. “I think we’re somewhere inside the top 25 right now.”

To Dohn, Franklin’s immediate success is anything but surprising.

“When it’s time to close,” he said, “he’s a closer.”