Potential Penn State Players That Could Follow James Franklin To Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech has hired James Franklin as their new head coach just a month or so after Penn State opted to part ways with him. When a new coach is hired, the question is almost always "Who comes with him?" Today, I'm going to break who could, position by position.

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Quarterback

The first and prominent name to mention is freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Grunkemeyer had played in seven games so far. Statistically, I'm only going to count games where he threw 10+ passes (4).

In those four games, he has gone 64-for-100,f or an average of 146 yards per game (584 total). He has had an average of 5.84 yards per attempt, throwing three touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also been described as a decent rusher, but he hasn't shown much of that this year. His longest rush on the year is 10 yards.

Grunkemeyer has not been fantastic per se, but he was a very highly rated recruit coming out of high school that has tons of time to develop along with touting a big arm.

Running Back

Penn State tends to be good at running backs, if you haven't heard. They currently have Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, who are both seniors and will not be playing football in Blacksburg.

Somebody who could? Corey Smith. Smith is a Class of 2024 four-star back from Waukesha, Wisconsin that has not seen much of the field this season or last. He is currently a redshirt freshman who has 27 career carries for 165 yards, sitting at 6.1 yards per carry. Smith is somebody who has provided some depth at Penn State, and he is likely to be the RB1 next year should he stay.

Smith would be a solid grab and will be somebody who can compete for a good playing time in Blacksburg. He would join a solid running backs room with Jeff Overton and potentially Marcellous Hawkins, should the latter return to Blacksburg.

Cam Wallace is another one, though I find it a lot more unlikely that he gets targeted. Wallace is a redshirt sophomore who has 24 carries for 86 yards and a score, sitting at 3.6 yards per carry. His best rushing game came against Kent State last year, where he toted the rock nine times for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Lastly, Quinton Martin Jr. is somebody that Brent Pry targetted and recruited both at Penn State and Virginia Tech. The class of 2024 running back was listed as a top 150 player in the country with a 94 rating. He hasn't seen any touches for Penn State this year; last year he tallied 13 carries for just 32 yards at 2.5 yards per attempt. He received three touches against SMU in the playoffs.

Wide Receiver

Just like quarterback, this one is wide open and there are a couple names that are worth taking a look at, starting with Koby Howard.

Howard was a three-star coming out of of the 2025 class; however, he has seen the field a solid amount as a true freshman, playing a total of 86 snaps with a PFF grade of 65.0.

Howard provides a young pass catcher that could very easily develop with reps in a room that looks like it may be bare bones in just a couple of weeks. I highly expect Virginia Tech to heavily target him if he ends up in the portal.

Tyseer Denmark is another young player that I would not be surprised to see Franklin target. Denmark was also a three-star; coming out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Denmark is quietly having a decent year as a true freshman, though he hasn't played much. In four games, he's been targeted twice but has caught both passes for 17 total yards.

Much like Howard, this wouldn't be a flashy grab, but in a thinned-out room, Denmark could have a chance to have a significantly increased role.

Tight End

At the tight end position sits the most coveted name that I have mentioned so far: Luke Reynolds. Reynolds was the No. 29 recruit in the country in the 2024 class and he has played a strong role for Penn State, being their fourth pass catcher.

Reynolds stands at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds and has caught 31 passes in two years. He has played in all 10 games for Penn State and has a slightly below-average PFF grade of 58.6. He has caught 31 of his 44 targets with just three career drops.

He is a solid blocker with a PFF pass block grade of 66.6 and a run block grade of 70.2. He would almost instantly be a contender for the starting position against Benji Gosnell, who isn't guaranteed to be here next season.

Offensive Line

Moving over to the big boys, Penn State's offensive line has been strong this year, one of the squad's few bright spots. They have a 77.9 overall pass block grade with a 68.9 run block grade. I've voiced my concerns about PFF's run blocking grading system, and I will continue to do so because Penn State is rushing for 4.4 yards per carry and Kaytron Allen is running for 5.6.

Vega Loane is their top offensive linemen with an 88.9 pass blocking grade and a 77.4 run blocking grade. Should he enter the portal, the Hokies will have to scratch and claw to get a guy of this size, talent and overall player caliber.

Anthony Donkoh is another reasonable target on the iterior offensive line. He has played 510 snaps on the season with a 63.4 overall PFF grade. His PFF ru block grade isn't great, grading at 58.0, but he is a great pass blocker, grading out at 73.9. He is a seasoned veteran, much like Loane, and without a doubt would be a prime candidate for the Hokies to target should he enter the portal.

Garrett Sexton is a big-time athlete. A 2024 top 200 player in the country has not seen much of the field, but he was a very highly touted and athletic recruit. He stands at 6'6 and 300 lbs according to Penn State. He has played in five games on the year with a total of 31 snaps. His grades in that time are 71.6 overall with a 69.0 run blocking grade and a 73.2 pass blocking grade.

Defensive Line

Chaz Coleman is a young and unproven defensive lineman, but Penn State's defensive line room is aging, and he's the youngest. The redshirt freshman has played fantastic in his little playing time.

He's seen just 143 snaps on the season, but he is Penn State's best overall grader on the defensive side of the ball. He has an overall defensive grade of 84.0 and a pass rush grade of 91.2, the second best on the team.

Coleman seems like an easy target should he enter the portal. A young player who has at least one year, but likely more ahead of him following the coach who recruited him? That one seems like a no-brainer. He would instantly compete if not quickly lock up a starting position on the edge.

Enai White is a junior who was a top-40 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. He currently sits at 6-foot-5, 280 pouds and has been a good run stopper for Penn State, sporting a 78.1 overall defensive grade.

White was a stellar prospect that could flourish under the coaching of J.C. Price if he were to come, and I think he should. Much like a lot of the guys on this list, White feels like a priority target if he enters the portal.

Linebacker

We're finally in the home stretch of my long-winded article. As we move over to linebacker, Amare Campbell is arguably the best Penn State linebacker this season. Campbell was a three-star recruit from Manassas, Virginia that landed at North Carolina and eventually transferred to Penn State. He had a four star rating as a transfer.

This year, he has a 69.2 overall grade and a 78.7 run defense grade. Virginia Tech desperately needs some true linebackers, and Campbell very easily fits in that role. The pitch is easy for an in-state recruit: come home and play for your state's flagship program.

Tony Rojas is another former in-state talent. He has spent most of this season injured. In his time on the field this year, though, he played 176 snaps across four games and graded out at 72.7 with a 65-75 on all more specific grades.

He is a stellar all-around linebacker. Rojas comes from Fairfax, Virginia where he was rated as a top 150 player in the country and the No. 3 player in the state. Much like it was with Amare Campbell, the pitch is simple.

Defensive Back

Lastly, we will look at defensive backs to close things off. Daryus Dixon is another young gunner who has been incredble for Penn State as a freshman. However, Dixon is a Mater Dei product; Virginia Tech doesn't get guys from there.

Dixon had played 178 snaps over 7 games and has graded out at at 76.8 overall defensive grade. His rush defense hasn't been great, but he's young and that's coachable. Along with the strong overall grade, Dixon has a 71.6 coverage grade, which is obviously where a cornerback will play most of his snaps (106 of 178).

King Mack is a Miami product who transferred to Penn State from Alabama. He has found the field in all ten games and played an average of nearly 37 snaps per game. He has been amazing for Penn State.

Mack touts an 80.3 coverage grade alongside a 77.9 overall grade and a 76.7 tackle grade. He is a junior that has one year of eligibility remaining, and he would be a key target to put in that last level of the defense.