James Franklin: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

The Biggest Challenge Virginia Tech Will Face From Maryland

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech football has encountered few speed bumps through the first two weeks of the James Franklin era. A 73-3 drubbing of VMI was followed by a 44-21 victory over Old Dominion, giving the Hokies a 2-0 start and plenty of positives before the schedule begins to ramp up.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

5 College Football Teams On Upset Alert In Week 3

Week 2 of the 2026 college football season was worth remembering. A pair of top-15 teams fell to unranked opponents, with Oregon and Oklahoma coming up short on the road.

Virginia Tech Hokies News / Virginia Tech Hokies on SI / September 17

Three Players to Watch on Virginia Tech's Offense vs. Maryland

James Franklin gave Maryland its scouting report himself. "I think the combination of Grunk, Q, and Luke is problematic," the Virginia Tech head coach said after the Hokies beat Old Dominion 44-21.

College Football News / Field Level Media / September 17

Coaches downplay friction as Maryland meets Virginia Tech

When Ralph Friedgen took over as head coach at Maryland ahead of the 2001 season, he retained two young assistants from the staff of his predecessor, Ron Vanderlinden.

College Football News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'FBS animal nicknames' quiz

How many of the FBS college football teams with an animal nickname can you name?

The 'FBS college football nicknames' quiz

The 'NCAA football national champions' quiz

The 'College football color teams' quiz

College Football News / EssentiallySports / September 17

Still Not Over Maryland Firing, James Franklin Takes Dirty Dig at HC Mike Locksley Before Week 3 Game

Saturday’s Virginia Tech-Maryland matchup was already a battle between two unbeaten 2-0 teams, driven by defensive battles and early-season momentum. Then James Franklin added another layer.

College Football News / Yardbarker

25 most intriguing storylines to follow for the 2026 college football season

College football has historically been known as a sport that caters to the elite. It is very difficult to win a national championship if you aren't Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State, or a host of other schools that have great programs that invest heavily in keeping them at the top.

James Franklin News / Virginia Tech Hokies on SI / September 17

Notes and Quotes from James Franklin's Sept. 16 Media Availability

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Two days from now, Virginia Tech football will contest Maryland in SECU Stadium in College Park, Md., looking for its first non-conference Power Four victory since the 2017 opener vs.

College Football News / SuperWest Sports / September 17

2026 Week 3 Selected Big Ten College Football Previews: Previewing the weekend's games with straight-up and ATS picks

We have a full slate in the Big Ten this week with all 18 teams in action across 16 games. Conference play gets underway as well, with USC and UCLA kicking things off.

Virginia Tech Hokies News / Virginia Tech Hokies on SI / September 16

Virginia Tech's Five Most Important Players Through Two Games

Thirty-two tackles for loss. Twelve sacks. Through two weeks, no defense in the country has more of either than Virginia Tech's. It's the loudest number from the Hokies' first 2-0 start since 2021.

College Football News / Virginia Tech Hokies on SI / September 16

Three Keys to Victory for Virginia Tech Football vs. Maryland

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech football has passed its first two tests of the James Franklin era. Saturday night should provide a considerably better indication of where the Hokies actually stand.

Virginia Tech Hokies News / Virginia Tech Hokies on SI / September 15

Updated Game-by-Game Win Probabilities for Virginia Tech After 44-21 Win Over ODU

BLACKSBURG — Two games into the James Franklin era, Virginia Tech remains unbeaten. The Hokies followed their 73-3 dismantling of VMI with a 44-21 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday, moving to 2-0 for the first time since 2021.

Virginia Tech Hokies News / Virginia Tech Hokies on SI / September 15

Bowl Projections For Virginia Tech Football After Week 2

Virginia Tech is 2-0 for the first time since 2021 and picked up 11 points in Sunday's AP poll without cracking the top 25. Two weeks into the James Franklin era, five projections from four national outlets have the Hokies in four different bowl games.

College Football News / Yardbarker

Ranking all the new FBS head coaches for the 2026 season

Coaching changes happen every year, but they don't all happen the same way. We have had some wild offseason coaching moves in recent seasons, and 2025-2026 wasn't any different.

James Franklin has a bizarrely petty moment with a reporter

James Franklin is apparently a big stickler for pleasantries. The Virginia Tech head coach Franklin had a press conference with reporters on Monday. At one point, Franklin received a question from Michael Howes of The Baltimore Sun.

James Franklin News / EasySportz / September 12

Virginia Tech Starts 2-0 in the James Franklin Era With Dominant Win

The James Franklin era at Virginia Tech is off to a perfect start. The Hokies defeated Old Dominion 44-21 on Saturday at Lane Stadium, improving to 2-0 and giving Franklin his second victory as Virginia Tech’s head coach.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'FBS animal nicknames' quiz

The 'Most lefty-homers in a season' quiz

The 'Active 150-yard NFL rushers' quiz

The '10K-yard, 80-TD NFL receivers' quiz

College Football News / EasySportz / September 10

James Franklin Looks to Continue Virginia Tech’s Strong Start

Virginia Tech is back at Lane Stadium this weekend, and the Hokies will be looking to build on one of the most dominant performances of the opening week.

College Football News / College Football News / September 9

Virginia Tech vs Old Dominion Prediction: James Franklin's First Big Test

Well that went well. Virginia Tech started the James Franklin era by hammering VMU 73-3 – and it could’ve been even worse. Everything clicked, everything looked tuned up, and now it’s time to take a step up in class.

College Football News / Field Level Media / September 9

Virginia Tech hosts ODU, former James Franklin assistant

James Franklin coaches against a former assistant for the first time in his 16-year coaching career when Virginia Tech (1-0) hosts Ricky Rahne's Old Dominion (1-0) on Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, Va.

College Football News / EssentiallySports / September 6

James Franklin Calls Virginia Tech Penalty 'Un-American' in Blunt Statement

Virginia Tech opened the James Franklin era with a thunderous statement, dismantling the VMI Keydets 73-3 at Lane Stadium on Saturday. The Hokies gave their fans plenty of reason to dream big.

College Football News / Larry Brown Sports / September 6

James Franklin accused referees of giving Virginia Tech an ‘un-American’ penalty

James Franklin won his debut as Virginia Tech head coach in convincing fashion on Saturday, but he had a fairly unusual complaint about a flag his team drew during the second half.

College Football News / Field Level Media / September 5

Virginia Tech begins James Franklin’s tenure with demolition of VMI

Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for a pair of touchdowns in just over a half of work and Jeffery Overton Jr. rushed for 104 yards and two TDs on just nine carries as Virginia Tech lambasted VMI 73-3 on Saturday in Blacksburg, Va, in the Hokies' season opener and first game under new coach James Franklin.

College Football News / College Football News / September 3

Virginia Tech vs VMI Prediction: James Franklin's Hokies Debut

Remembering that James Franklin was fired by Penn State in the middle of the season, it feels like it’s been a long, long time to wait for his debut at Virginia Tech.

College Football News / Field Level Media / September 3

Virginia Tech eager to hit right notes vs. VMI

First-year Virginia Tech coach James Franklin wants Metallica's music to be the soundtrack for his team's success, not the main event. "Giving the fans and the community something to be excited about, more than just 'Enter Sandman,'" Franklin said when asked about his goals for a Hokies program that has fallen on hard times.

College Football News / TWSN / August 31

James Franklin Has Found the Quarterback to Revive Virginia Tech

As James Franklin gets set to enter his first season taking over as Virginia Tech‘s head coach, he made the big decision of finally naming the quarterback he believes can lead the team back to being contenders.

James Franklin News / Yardbarker / August 23

Virginia Tech HC James Franklin has a chance to silence his biggest critics

When Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its head coach late last year, skepticism carried over from his time at Penn State, and there was additional friction during the hiring process.

Notre Dame predicted to win the national championship

College football QB battles: Predicting winners at No. 20 Tennessee, No. 22 Iowa and more

Three college football coaches who could contend for NFL jobs in 2027

Four preseason unranked teams that could make College Football Playoff

The '2024-25 college football bowl game host cities' quiz