Joel Klatt Becomes Latest Analyst To Place High Expectations On Virginia Tech In 2026

Fox Sports Joel Klatt things Virginia Tech is going to be in for a big year one under James Franklin

Nov 19, 2025; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Bud Foster, Frank Beamer and James Franklin after the press conference at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech made one of the splashiest hires of the offseason when they landed former Penn State head coach James Franklin to be the new leader of the program. Franklin build one of the most consistent programs in Happy Valley and is looking to resurrect the Hokies into an ACC contender and a player on the national level as well.

So far so good. Franklin seemed to make good hires on his staff, he took a high school class that was ranked outside of the top 100 before he arrived and turned it into a top 25 class, and finished with one of the best transfer portal classes in the ACC. There is still work to be done in Blacksburg, but it looks like Franklin has laid a good foundation to have a strong first season at Virginia Tech.

More praise for Franklin's hiring

Nov 19, 2025; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin (center) speaks as Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands (left) and Athletic Director Whit Babcock (right) looks on at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

There are not many college football analysts who have not liked the hire of Franklin at Virginia Tech and the latest praise comes from Fox Sports Joel Klatt:

“Virginia Tech made a great hire with James Franklin. That’s a good football coach who just kind of capped out, ceiling-type deal, at Penn State,” Klatt said. “Listen, you can’t argue with what he was able to accomplish at Penn State.

“The guy was successful, very successful, and he didn’t win some of the bigger games, and they ran him out, which is fine. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t have, and candidly I think he probably would have admitted it was time for a change, but he’s a very good coach.”

Recently, ESPN's Greg McElroy talked about why he thinks the Hokies are a playoff sleeper under Franklin this season:

“The James Franklin era. Brent Pry‘s defense. A quarterback transfer. A complete identity reboot. Virginia Tech is kind of the coaching storyline sleeper this year,” McElroy said on the ‘Always College Football‘ podcast. “The head coach is James Franklin and the defensive coordinator is the guy he replaced in Brent Pry, who’s back at DC. That sounds a bit like a soap opera, but it’s real.

“What does that mean on the field? It means the Tech is trying to become what Franklin has built. When it works, you’ve got a pretty athletic offense and a physical defense. You’ve got roster management that can fit and adhere to some of the modern parts of college football. With Brent Pry calling the defense, the Hokies should have clarity and structure in pressure packages and identity. At quarterback, you get a transfer from Penn State who James Franklin is very comfortable with in Ethan Grunkemeyer. That transfer addition could stabilize that position. There are legitimate weapons, including a tight end transfer Luke Reynolds, who might become a center piece target.”

“If Franklin stabilizes the offense and Pry can make Tech’s defense really disruptive, they can move fast in an ACC that feels like it’s constantly shuffling. Virginia Tech doesn’t necessarily need to be the best team. They just need to be the team that can be consistent by the time it rolls around to November. Then they can start stacking wins.”

I think expecting the playoffs in year one might be unrealistic, but never say never. Franklin should be a huge upgrade when it comes to coaching and the young talent they pulled in, along with some of the veteran additions on the roster, should make them a bowl team at the worst. Road games against SMU, Miami, Cal, and Clemson will be telling for the ceiling of this team in year one under Franklin.