James Franklin brings elite in-state tackle back into the fold

Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin during the press conference at Cassell Coliseum. Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

James Franklin brings elite in-state tackle Thomas Wilder back into the fold for Virginia Tech

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Dec 1, 2025 10:54 PM ET

Thomas Wilder was a big-time commitment for the Virginia Tech Hokies when he committed under former head coach Brent Pry. The Hokies lost his commitment when Pry was fired, though, and it seemed as if one of the top in-state recruits in the 2026 cycle would end up elsewhere.

And then James Franklin was hired by Virginia Tech. One of the first things on Franklin's agenda as head coach was to get Wilder back onto campus to see if the Hokies could reignite his passion for the program.

Wilder, a four-star offensive tackle from Virginia Beach, Virginia, took an official visit to Blacksburg this past weekend. He sat down with Franklin and heard the plan for VT's future.

In the end, he decided to recommit to the Hokies.

That decision was announced on social media on Monday evening.

BREAKING: Four-Star OT Thomas Wilder has Committed to Virginia Tech, he tells me for @rivals⁰⁰The 6’7 302 OT from Virginia Beach, VA decommitted from the Hokies in September⁰⁰“Best in VA stay in VA”https://t.co/cFx2Yr0wj5 pic.twitter.com/gOY46f30V7
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 1, 2025

It was the meeting with Franklin that sealed the deal for Wilder.

"I'm staying at Tech," the big offensive tackle told 247Sports. "Coach Franklin is a straight-up guy. He sends people to the league. I was in a meeting with him, and we were going over everything he accomplished, and I was like, 'Dang, he really did that. He put a lot of cats in the league.'

"I feel like it's very family-oriented. He's a family guy, so that really stood out to me."

Big four-star OT Thomas Wilder recommits to Virginia Tech now that James Franklin is head coach

This is a big-time commitment for Franklin as he looks to rebuild the Hokies into a national brand. According to 247Sports, Wilder is the No. 29 offensive tackle in the 2026 class and the No. 9 overall recruit from the state of Virginia.

Ironically, Wilder knew Franklin from previous interactions at Penn State. The Nittany Lions were also recruiting him, and he actually took an official visit to see Franklin when he was the head coach at PSU in June.

"It helps a lot because there are a lot of Penn State people there now at Tech," Wilder said. "It's a mixture. I really like Tech and Penn State, so now that they are there, it is kind of a win-win."

Virginia Tech only has 16 2026 commitments, but Franklin can't be judged by this class. The 2027 class will be his first official cycle with VT, but for now, he landed a really good one to get things going in Wilder.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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