Virginia Tech football: Can Hokies make CFP in Year 1 of James Franklin era?

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There is a lot of hype surrounding the Virginia Tech Hokies. It’s not the type of hype saying that after going 3-9 last season, the Hokies can turn it around and make it to the national championship just one year later. But when Virginia Tech hired James Franklin in November, business picked up.

It started last fall when the school announced a financial commitment that would be among the top three teams in the ACC. Then, Franklin went to work on the roster. He almost completely flipped Penn State’s recruiting class, taking the Hokies from a class in the 120s to a consensus top-30 class — in only three weeks.

Franklin then put together one of the country’s top portal classes, led by former Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.

So, there’s no doubt that Virginia Tech will be better in 2026. The Hokies are a good bet to double their 2025 win total or more. It’s reasonable to expect Virginia Tech to finish 7-5 or even 8-4 in 2026. Either would be a massive step in the right direction.

Is it unreasonable to think that the Hokies could reach the College Football Playoff in Franklin’s first year? Yes and no. Virginia Tech fans shouldn’t go into this believing this is the expectation for the upcoming season. Anything less would be a disappointment, and that’s unfair.

Heather Dinich of ESPN recently named 31 teams that can make the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2026. The Hokies made the cut at No. 31. ESPN analytics gives the Hokies a 7.3% chance of making the playoffs and a 0.1% chance of winning the national championship.

Agree or disagree with ESPN Analytics: Agree. With the hire of James Franklin and the influx of talent he brought with him from Penn State, the Hokies at least have a chance to make a surprise run in the CFP. The schedule is littered with as many traps, though, as there are opportunities to impress the committee.

ESPN favors the Hokies in 9 of their 12 games this fall. The only games VT is not favored in are road games at SMU, Clemson and Miami. That’s a brutal stretch, but as Dinich notes, if Tech can win two of those and the rest of the schedule where it’s favored, a playoff berth is not out of the question.

The game to watch is a Sept. 19 game at Maryland. The Hokies cannot lose this game. And Franklin certainly has it circled for his own reasons.

It’s way too early to predict each game for the Hokies. Some teams will prove much stronger foes, while other teams may not be as strong as initially projected. But the fact that Virginia Tech is being talked about nationally again already should have every Hokie fan excited.

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