Virginia Tech Flips 2027 Four-Star Wide Receiver Demarcus Brown from Rival Virginia

Brown had been committed to UVA since December, but James Franklin and Virginia Tech got him to flip to the Hokies

Sep 10, 2022; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; A Virginia Tech Hokies helmet sits near the team bench during the first quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech is rolling on the high school recruiting trail and they pulled off a big flip today of four-star wide receiver Demarcus Brown, who had been committed to rival Virginia since December.

COMMIT: The #Hokies flip UVa’s top-ranked recruit Demarcus Brown (6-4, 180) from Roanoke, per @kolby_crawford!

The consensus top-10 player in the state of Virginia has been committed to the Cavaliers since Dec. 4, 2025.@toorawmarc pic.twitter.com/junYG1fuwz

— Tech Sideline (@TechSideline) May 3, 2026

With this commitment, Virginia Tech is now ranked No. 19 in the 2027 recruiting class rankings and third in the ACC behind Louisville and Miami. Brown is the second highest-rated player in the class.

Looking at the prospect

Brown (6'3 180 LBS) is a big-bodied outside receiver who plays his high school football at North Cross High School in Roanoke, VA, and according to the 247Sports Composite, Brown is a four-star prospect and ranked as the No. 411 prospect in the country, the No. 51 wide receiver in the country, and the No. 11 player in the state of Virginia. Brown is the second wide receiver to join Virginia Tech's 2027 class.

Brown is also a multi-sport athlete, playing basketball to go along with his exceptional football skills. His size on the outside and his ability to make tough catches is noticeable when you watch him and whoever is Virginia Tech's quarterback of the future is going to enjoy throwing to him and making big plays down the field.

While UVA is not a recruiting powerhouse under Tony Elliott, they are fresh off an ACC Championship appearance and one of the best seasons in recent memory. Not only that, but it is always good to flip a prospect from a rival school while also keeping the top in-state talent,

James Franklin has wanted to keep the best players in the state of Virginia home and this is a good start. Brown is the first player from the state of Virginia to commit to the Hokies in this cycle.

Virginia Tech has been surging in high school recruiting lately. Franklin had already shown the kind of recruiting chops he had when he took the 2026 class, which was ranked outside of the top 100 when he arrived, and got it into the top 25 and as one of the top classes in the ACC. That was without a full coaching staff at his disposal though and now they are going to work. Virginia Tech currently has a top 25 class in the country and one of the best in the ACC.

The Hokies head into the summer with tons of momentum on the recruiting trail and the summer is when a lot of prospects make their decisions as far as their school choice. Virginia Tech has a chance to finish with a top class in the ACC and who knows how high Franklin can get it nationally.