Could the 2027 Recruiting Class Be the Best in Virginia Tech History?

James Franklin has been in Blacksburg for less than seven months. He already has Virginia Tech sitting at No. 9 in the country for the 2027 recruiting class.

The Hokies rank No. 9 nationally in 247Sports' own team recruiting rankings with 19 commitments. By the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, they're No. 13. Either way, it's territory the program hasn't seen in years.

Breaking down the class

The centerpiece is quarterback Peter Bourque. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound signal-caller from Marion, Massachusetts, turned down Georgia to come to Blacksburg, and he did it after previously committing to Michigan.

He's a consensus top-10 quarterback in the class. As a junior, he threw for 2,241 yards, 18 touchdowns and ran for 15 more scores. Franklin and quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien had been recruiting him since their Penn State days, so when they landed in Blacksburg, Bourque didn't take long.

Tight end Jordan Karhoff might be the second-best get. The 6-foot-4 Columbus, Ohio product had offers from Miami, Texas A&M, Georgia and his hometown Ohio State Buckeyes. He picked Virginia Tech over all of them. The 247Sports Composite has him as the No. 9 tight end in the country. As a junior, he caught 31 passes for 548 yards and five touchdowns while also recording 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks on defense.

Defensive lineman Joseph Buchanan out of McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland, posted 43 tackles, seven for loss, four sacks and 11 quarterback hurries as a junior. Running back Javian Jones-Priest, out of Arlington, Texas, rushed for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games, averaging over eight yards per carry. Both are rated four-star prospects by the 247Sports Composite.

But the recruit who could change everything hasn't committed yet.

Chris Whitehead is the top-ranked player in Virginia for 2027 and carries a five-star rating in the 247Sports Composite. He took an official visit to Blacksburg just last weekend. As a junior, he had 54 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Georgia, Ohio State, LSU and South Carolina are all fighting for him. Landing Whitehead would be the biggest recruiting win for Virginia Tech in well over a decade.

It helps to remember where this program was a year ago. Franklin was hired in November 2025. Within four months, Virginia Tech went from outside the top 100 in recruiting to finishing top 25, and now it's chasing a top 10. He put together a top-25 class in 13 consecutive years at Penn State. He's doing the same thing in Blacksburg, just faster than anyone expected.

Classes don't sign until December. Rankings are fluid and something can always go sideways before then. But right now, in early June, Virginia Tech is recruiting like a program that's figured something out.

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