Hokies' head coach James Franklin admits 'I'm a huge Beau Pribula fan'

If prediction markets had been in vogue two years ago, you could have gotten astronomical odds that both Beau Pribula and James Franklin would be in Charlotte, N.C., in July 2026, wearing lapel pins from competing universities that weren't Penn State.

Just 20 months ago, Franklin was the Nittany Lions' head coach, and Pribula was his backup quarterback with aspirations of starting in 2025.

But in the new, parapetetic world of college sports, change seems to be the only constant.

Pribula left Happy Valley in December 2024 to join the NCAA transfer portal after starter Drew Allard announced his intention to return for his junior season rather than enter the NFL draft. He played one season at Missouri before landing at Virginia, where he's now the presumptive starter.

And Franklin, who had helped Penn State rebuild from crippling NCAA sanctions following the Jerry Sandusky scandal, was fired last October after three straight stunning losses. He was quickly snapped up by Virginia Tech, sparking a wave of enthusiasm after several down seasons.

Both showed up in Charlotte last week for the annual ACC Kickoff preseason media event. Despite the fact that they're now rivals, though, one thing hasn't changed: mutual respect.

"I absolutely love Beau," Franklin said. ".... It didn't surprise me that he was brought here. He can make plays with his arm and with his feet. He can beat you with his brain. He's the real deal, and I was heartbroken when he left us at Penn State."

The timing of Pribula's decision was particularly difficult. Under the rules at the time, he had to declare his intention to enter the portal just before Penn State's College Football Playoff game with SMU, ending his chance at winning a national title.

"You guys probably all know that he was put in a tough spot in the playoff," Franklin said. "We lose not only lour backup quarterback, but he also played a lot for us. We used a lot of packages with him: two quarterbacks on the field, Wildcat, all kinds of stuff."

Pribula is a Pennsylvania native, and in two seasons as a backup for the Nittany Lions, he was productive. He completed 37 of 56 passes for 424 yards with nine touchdowns and ran for 571 yards on 94 carries and 10 TDs. Despite never starting a game, he ranks eighth in Penn State history among quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns and ninth in rushing yards.

He got his first chance to start last season at Missouri and threw for 1,941 yards and 11 touchdowns, with nine interceptions. He also ran 297 yards and six scores. He missed two late-season games with an ankle injury and sat out the Tigers' bowl game, coincidentally a Gator Bowl loss to Virginia.

In his second trip to the transfer portal, Pribula was still looking for an ideal situation. He thinks he's finally found it in Charlottesville under coach Tony Elliott, who won two national titles as an offensive coordinator at Clemson.

“I think just the general direction of the program and where it was going and where it's headed under Coach E, I think that was something that definitely caught my eye," Pribula said. "... He’s coached a lot of great quarterbacks. You look at his time at Clemson, between Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson and Tajh Boyd, all those guys. He has a lot of knowledge about good quarterback play, good offensive play, so I’m all ears whenever he’s talking.”

Franklin and Pribula took the podium to answer reporters' questions on different days, so their time in Charlotte didn't overlap. They do have one scheduled meeting this season: Nov. 28 in Blacksburg for the Commonwealth Cup in the regular-season finale for both schools.

That's when their friendship will be put on hold for roughly 3 1/2 hours.

"I am a huge Beau Pribula fan," Franklin said. "I want him to have an unbelievable year. I want him to play the game of football for as long as he possibly can. I think he's got a future in the NFL as well. I'll be his biggest supporter and fan every Saturday but one."

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