From Walk-On to Scholarship: Virginia Tech LB George Ballance Finds Stability Amid Coaching Change

BLACKSBURG, Va. — When Virginia Tech underwent its coaching change between Sept. 14 and Nov. 17 — the day it officially hired former Penn State head coach James Franklin — linebacker George Ballance wasn’t sure what the future held.

For Ballance, the uncertainty extended beyond figuring out who would be Virginia Tech’s next head coach.

He was a walk-on linebacker navigating a new era of college football in which players in his position face a different set of circumstances than they did even a few years ago. The NCAA’s new roster rules have capped teams at 105 players while eliminating the previous 85-scholarship limit, creating a situation in which programs can put every player on the roster on scholarship.

That makes roster spots, and scholarships, increasingly valuable for players who previously occupied the margins.

Ballance didn’t know whether he would remain at Virginia Tech, either. Ultimately, he didn’t have to go anywhere.

Instead, the redshirt senior stayed in Blacksburg, is close to earning his degree and, eventually, earned the scholarship he’d spent his college career chasing.

“I’m not going to lie; it kind of was crazy,” Ballance said. “I kind of been working my whole college career for that. That’s kind of been the number one priority of mine.”

The moment the news finally came was difficult for Ballance to process.

He had reached a point where he wasn’t sure if the opportunity would ever materialize, particularly with a new coaching staff coming into the program. When Franklin arrived, Ballance had to reassess his situation and determine whether remaining at Virginia Tech was still the right decision.

He sat down with his parents and talked through his options; the answer was rather simple.

His father had played at Virginia Tech. Ballance had grown up attending games in Blacksburg, falling in love with the campus and the culture long before he ever put on a Hokies uniform himself. He didn’t think he was ready to leave.

“I always wanted to be here,” Ballance said. “And this is home to me.”

There was also another box Ballance wanted to check. He had not yet graduated, and completing his degree remained his first priority. He is set to graduate this fall. So, he stayed.

And as Franklin began establishing his program, Ballance found himself with an opportunity he wasn’t sure he’d have when the coaching transition began — he earned that scholarship.

“It was definitely huge and definitely a weight off my shoulders,” Ballance said. “And I just now feel like I can kind of go out and play and be myself.”

That last part is perhaps the most significant.

For years, Ballance had operated with the knowledge that his scholarship status could change the way his place on the roster was viewed. He said there were times when he felt like he had to be perfect at practice simply to continue working his way up.

Now, that pressure has been alleviated, and Ballance can focus purely on football without any extenuating factors.

He credited strength and conditioning coach Chuck Losey and his staff for pushing Virginia Tech throughout the summer, saying the Hokies have gotten “bigger, faster, stronger” across the board heading into the meat of fall camp.

More importantly, Ballance believes the team has developed an edge.

That mentality isn’t entirely new to Virginia Tech. Ballance said the program has always carried a lunch-pail mentality, but he believes the new staff has emphasized toughness and accountability throughout the offseason.

“We got a chip on our shoulder this year,” Ballance said.

That chip extends beyond Ballance’s own situation.

Virginia Tech is attempting to rebound from a 3-9 season while entering its first season under Franklin. For Ballance, however, the transition has provided something more personal: the opportunity to finish his career where he always wanted to be.

Ballance said he had never been around a coach quite like Franklin, praising the new Hokies head coach for giving everyone an opportunity to succeed.

“I didn’t think I could pass up the opportunity to be coached by Coach Franklin,” Ballance said.

Now, Ballance gets to see what that opportunity can become.

He’ll graduate this fall. He’ll enter the 2026 season on scholarship. And he will also do it wearing the same Virginia Tech uniform he dreamed about wearing as a child.

There is one small ritual that makes the experience more personal.

Every time Ballance walks through the tunnel at Lane Stadium, he taps his father’s name.

It’s a reminder of why he came to Blacksburg in the first place and why, when the uncertainty of a coaching transition arrived, he ultimately decided there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

“Just knowing what he’s been through here and all his stories and the brotherhood he’s made, it’s huge,” Ballance said. “I just try to, if I can be half the man my dad is, I’ll be—I think I succeed in life.”

For a player who spent years trying to earn his place, Ballance finally has some certainty. The scholarship is his, and the degree is nearly finished.

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