Virginia Tech Offers Pair of Highly Ranked Penn State Commits After Hiring of James Franklin

Could Virginia Tech land a pair of Penn State commits in this recruiting cycle?

Penn State head football coach James Franklin greets fans outside Beaver Stadium before an NCAA football game against Michigan Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in State College, Pa. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yesterday, Virginia Tech shook up the college football landscape by hiring former Penn State head coach James Franklin. Franklin was fired earlier this season from Penn State and now he will be in charge of leading the Virginia Tech program back to the top of the ACC.

Franklin is wasting no time in getting to work.

Today, he offered a pair of four-star Penn State commits. The Nittany Lions saw a large number of de-commitments after Franklin was fired, but there are still some that are committed to the program. Four-star athlete Pierce Petersohn and three-star offensive lineman Benjamin Eziuka both were offered by Franklin today and could be guys to watch down the stretch for the Hokies.

Petersohn (Dodge Center, MN) is ranked as the No. 318 player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite, the No. 22 athlete in the country, and the No. 3 player in the state of Minnesota.

Eziuka (Novi, MI) is ranked as the No. 726 player in the country, the No. 56 IOL, and the No. 15 player in the state of Michigan.

Franklin was hired in part because of his high level ability to recruit and he has a chance to really close well down the stretch.

Big Time Hire

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

There is no doubt that the hire of Franklin is a home run for Virginia Tech.

Prior to Penn State, Vanderbilt University experienced a record setting transformation on the gridiron under James Franklin’s leadership from 2011 through 2013. In three seasons at the helm, Coach Franklin became the first Vanderbilt coach to guide the team to bowl games in each of his first three campaigns. In 2012, the Commodores posted a 9-4 mark, earned entries in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls for the first time since 1948. The nine wins was most since 1915 and the five SEC victories, a feat not achieved by Vanderbilt since 1935. That same season featured the longest winning streak by a Vanderbilt team since 1948, the longest road winning streak since 1950, and the first home victory over Tennessee in 30 years. Coach Franklin followed with another 9-win season in 2013, including a decisive 41-24 win in the BBVA Compass Bowl, marking the program’s first back-to-back 9-win campaigns in school history.

“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” said Franklin. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”

Franklin coached 18 All-America selections, 32 national major award winners or finalists and 59 NFL Draft picks at Penn State. In his first 14 years as a head coach, Franklin mentored 116 players reaching the NFL ranks.

He reached 100 wins at Penn State in 2024, becoming one of seven active FBS head coaches with 100 or more wins at their current school (Kirk Ferentz, Iowa; Dabo Swinney, Clemson; Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State; Kyle Whittingham, Utah; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Kirby Smart, Georgia).

From 2016 to 2024, Penn State was one of four teams to rank in the top 12 of the CFP final rankings at least seven times, joining Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.

Franklin is going to be officially introduced as the Hokies new head coach on Wednesday morning.