Early in the 2025–26 college football season, Virginia Tech fired head coach Brent Pry and hired former Penn State head coach James Franklin. Franklin was hired in November and will lead the Hokies in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Pry was hired in 2021 and faced high expectations after arriving from Penn State, where he served as defensive coordinator. He worked closely with Franklin during his time there. Following a loss to Old Dominion this past season, Pry was relieved of his duties. He has since been hired as defensive coordinator under Franklin at Penn State.

“I think James Franklin is going to turn the program around and bring it back to when Virginia Tech was good at football,” said Carter Yost, a junior. “He has done extremely well with recruiting, and I still expect him to pull some valuable players out of the transfer portal.”

Maggie Bryant, also a junior, agreed. “I think James Franklin is going to do great next year,” she said. “I think he’s going to bring some real talent and amazing players.”

Since Franklin’s hiring, Virginia Tech’s recruiting class has risen from 116th nationally to 22nd, a jump of nearly 100 spots among FBS programs.

Virginia Tech is now projected to be one of the top teams in the ACC and a potential threat to several conference opponents. Some coaches have publicly expressed concern about the program’s rapid improvement.

“I think we’re going to be good with a solid 9–3 record,” Yost said. “I think we’ll be able to compete with many other teams.”

Many experts also expect improvement compared with recent seasons. “I think the record will be 8–4, depending on how well everyone plays together as a team,” Bryant said.

Virginia Tech will face significant pressure next season as expectations rise. With Franklin at the helm, the Hokies’ fan base will be watching closely to see whether he and his team can meet those expectations.