Virginia Tech On SI's Staff Predictions for The Hokies' 2026 Season

BLACKSBURG, Va. — We're now four days out from Virginia Tech's Sept. 5 opener against VMI, and ahead of the season-opening clash with the Keydets, our writers offered their takes on how they think the season will go. Read below for their thoughts:

Lucas Boyd: I think James Franklin will deliver an 8-win season in his first season in Blacksburg. I think Tech opens up the season 6-0 with wins against Pitt and at Cal before dropping the next three against Georgia Tech, Clemson, and SMU. Closing out the season, I think they beat Stanford, drop to Miami, and reclaim the Commonwealth Clash with a victory against rival Virginia to close the season out. My prediction for James Franklin's first year is 8-4 (4-4 ACC), and making a bowl game.

Jackson Caudell: I think the Hokies are going to finish 7-5, which is an improvement and will set the stage for bigger things to come. The schedule features some tough road challenges against Maryland, Clemson, SMU, Cal and Miami, and I don't know if I trust the Hokies' roster to navigate all of them. They have a talented quarterback, running back room, and playmakers at the skill positions, but I don't think Virginia Tech will be strong enough on the lines of scrimmage or on defense to make it to Charlotte and the ACC Championship game this season. Franklin will get them there eventually, but II don't think it'll be in 2026.

James Duncan: James Franklin has never posted fewer than six wins in a full season as a head coach, and Year 1 in Blacksburg won't be the exception. I've got the Hokies at 7-5, bowl-bound in the first year of Franklin. The first month is forgiving; the Cal trip is a coin flip I'll give to Tech off last year's double-overtime win in Berkeley, and the finale against Virginia at Lane is where Franklin gets his signature moment in front of an electric crowd. I think that five games keep this from being a special season. I believe Pitt steals one under the lights at Lane, Georgia Tech has too much talent on the roster and road dates at Clemson, SMU and Miami are more than a first-year team can handle. But take those off the board and what's left is a schedule full of games Franklin should win.

Thomas Hughes: I'm sold on the Hokies' first half of the schedule generating four or more wins, though the final six games are far from easy. Virginia Tech should win its first four games against VMI, Old Dominion, Maryland and Boston College, while its next three contests all seem to be near the vein of 50-50 toss-ups (Pitt, California, Georgia Tech). Given that, I think Virginia Tech ends its first six-game slate under Franklin with a 5-1 record, though wins in the latter half of the season will be harder to come by. I think the Hokies will go 3-3 in their last six games and win over Virginia to close the season, ending the regular season with a 8-4 record — their best mark since the 2019 campaign.

Kaden Reinhard: This season has been long-awaited for Hokie fans, whether the 288 days since November 17, 2025, when Franklin was officially announced. Perhaps since the last bowl win over Tulane in 2023, or even a quarter-century back to the 2000 National Championship when Virginia Tech fans appeared to be settling into a string of title game appearances. I think this season, both for the Blacksburg faithful and for Franklin, will provide comfort. The 8-4 record I have pinned on the Hokies, with a possible 9-3 ceiling, will feel like a breath of fresh air under a very balanced offensive scheme that should tear through ACC defenses. With the added solace of retaining a large chunk of his personnel from Penn State, this season should be a very foundational building block to kickstart Franklin’s tenure in Blacksburg.

Virginia Tech's opener against VMI is set for Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with viewing available for the contest on the ACC Network.

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