Penn State WR Transfer Josiah Brown Plans Visit to Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech will host Josiah Brown on an official visit.

Penn State wide receivers Peter Gonzalez (84) and Josiah Brown (19) laugh together during football media day in Holuba Hall on Saturday, August 2, 2025, in State College. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Virginia Tech continues to add to its list of transfer portal visitors. This time, it is former Penn State wide receiver Josiah Brown, according to 247sports' Kolby Crawford.

Penn State transfer WR Josiah Brown plans to visit Virginia Tech, he tells me for @247Sports.

Intel: https://t.co/dSuTJuCI1X pic.twitter.com/AhWcECPLTA

— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) January 7, 2026

Brown, a former consensus four-star recruit, spent the past two seasons at Penn State. He will have four years of eligibility after redshirting his time with the Nittany Lions. He has not recorded a snap for Penn State as injuries have derailed his collegiate career. In 2024, he redshirted due to recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered in high school. This past season, he used a medical redshirt due to a long-term injury that occurred before the season started.

Coming out of Malverne High School in New York, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver was viewed as a high-upside athlete with good speed and versatility. In his senior year, he recorded 589 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns before a knee injury in October 2023 ended his season. Despite his injuries, Penn State still recruited him as a developmental receiver with the physical tools to eventually contribute in a crowded wide receiver room. That opportunity never materialized, but his recruiting profile still makes him an intriguing option for programs this offseason.

Being from Penn State, Brown, of course, has a connection to Virginia Tech's new head coach, James Franklin. That relationship could help the Hokies to be the favorite to land Brown. As of this time, Brown has not announced any other visits to different schools.

How would he fit?

Virginia Tech's wide receiver room is in a transition phase. While the Hokies have some returning talent, like Ayden Greene, who announced he is staying in Blacksburg this past week, Brown would likely enter as a developmental piece rather than an immediate starter.

With four years of eligibility remaining, Virginia Tech could afford to be patient with Brown. This could appeal to a player looking for stability and a clear path forward after a stop-start to the beginning of his college career. Virginia Tech would also be the only place that would provide some continuity for Brown since he would be playing for Franklin and all of his staff that followed him to Blacksburg.

Brown is very much a projection player with a very high upside. If developed properly, he could become a useful depth piece with the potential to outplay expectations. For now, the upcoming visit will be an important first step in determining whether Balcksburg is the right place for him.