Early CBS Sports ACC Power Rankings Project Major Improvement For Virginia Tech Under James Franklin

What does success look like for James Franklin in his first season at Virginia Tech?

Nov 19, 2025; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin during the press conference at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Not many teams had a better offseason than Virginia Tech.

The Hokies made a big splash by hiring former Penn State head coach James Franklin and he went right to work with acquiring talent. He managed to drag Virginia Tech's high recruiting class from outside the top 100 to ranking inside the top 25.

Then he went to work with bringing in one of the ACC's top transfer portal classes, headlined by 12 of his former players at Penn State. Does all of this guarantee that the Hokies will be an ACC contender and a sleeper playoff team? No, but there are enough questions in the ACC after Miami that the Hokies could find themselves in Charlotte.

Top five team?

Nov 15, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Marcellous Hawkins (27) runs the ball during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

In an early set of ACC power rankings, CBS Sports analyst Chip Patterson projected the Hokies at No. 5, behind Miami, SMU, Virginia, and Louisville:

"The James Franklin era begins in Blacksburg with plenty of Penn State flavor, as 12 of Virginia Tech's 27-player transfer portal class are former Nittany Lions. Among them are quarterback Ethan Grunkmeyer and tight end Luke Reynolds, who along with Duke transfer wide receiver Que'Sean Brown give Hokies fans some reasons to be excited about the offense in 2026. Given Franklin's success recruiting top talent it shouldn't come as a surprise that Virginia Tech has the fourth-best portal class in the ACC and one that ranks 19th nationally, but the heavy turnover associated with the coaching change might have the Hokies a year away from jumping into that top tier and competing with Miami and others for conference supremacy."

Franklin is regarded as one of the best hires of the offseason and CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford thinks the hire should result in instant success in Blacksburg:

"The Hokies have made a sizable investment into transforming themselves back into a national power and Franklin was one of the best hires this cycles to orchestrate this immediate reload. He was one of the biggest dominoes within the Power ranks after spending 12 seasons with Penn State, most of which were elite, including a playoff semifinal appearance in 2024. The spotlight won't be as hot at Virginia Tech and Franklin no longer has to deal with Ohio State and Michigan annually, not to mention the meteoric rises of Oregon and Indiana. Like others this cycle, Franklin's Year 1 two-deep at Virginia Tech will be primarily made up of his former players at Penn State."

There is plenty of reason to believe that the Hokies should be much better this season under Franklin and it should lead to them having more success on the field.

Franklin led two big turnarounds at Vanderbilt and Penn State, but this opportunity that he has in Blacksburg could be his best turnaround yet. He already brought in a top 25 recruiting class and a top ACC transfer portal class that should have the Hokies competing in the conference sooner rather than later.

While Virginia Tech might not be ready to win the ACC just yet, they have had a good offseason with a good portal haul and a good high school class. Let's see what the results on the field bring.