Virginia Tech is just days from kicking off the James Franklin era, and the early read from the staff at Virginia Tech On SI is clear: the Hokies are expected to be better right away, even if the road to the ACC’s top tier still looks bumpy.
The predictions for 2026 lean mostly toward bowl eligibility, with the range settling between 7-5 and 8-4. One writer even sees a 9-3 ceiling. Nobody is treating this as a runaway season, but there’s a steady belief that Franklin can push Virginia Tech into a more stable place in year one.
Lucas Boyd thinks the Hokies can get to 8-4 overall and 4-4 in ACC play, with a bowl trip to follow. In his version of the season, Virginia Tech starts 6-0, including wins over Pitt and at Cal, before stumbling through three straight losses to Georgia Tech, Clemson and SMU. He has the Hokies finishing with wins over Stanford and Virginia, with a loss at Miami in between.
Jackson Caudell is a little more guarded, projecting a 7-5 finish. He pointed to the difficulty of the schedule, especially road trips to Maryland, Clemson, SMU, Cal and Miami.
Even with a talented quarterback, a strong running back group and playmakers at the skill spots, he doesn’t think the Hokies are ready yet to hold up on the lines of scrimmage or on defense well enough to reach Charlotte and the ACC Championship Game this season. In his view, Franklin will eventually get Virginia Tech there, just not in 2026.
James Duncan also landed on 7-5, and he framed it as the kind of first year that gets the program moving in the right direction. He noted that James Franklin has never finished below six wins in a full season as a head coach, and he doesn’t expect that streak to end now.
Duncan sees the opening month as manageable, gives Tech the edge in a close trip to Cal after last year’s double-overtime win in Berkeley, and expects a loud Lane Stadium crowd to help deliver a season-ending win over Virginia. The games that keep the year from becoming something bigger, in his view, are Pitt, Georgia Tech, and the road tests at Clemson, SMU and Miami.
Thomas Hughes is the most optimistic of the group, putting Virginia Tech at 8-4. He believes the Hokies should win their first four against VMI, Old Dominion, Maryland and Boston College, then navigate a tricky stretch of toss-up games against Pitt, California and Georgia Tech.
From there, he expects a 3-3 finish over the final six games, capped by a win over Virginia. That record would mark Virginia Tech’s best regular season since 2019, according to his prediction.
Kaden Reinhard also has the Hokies at 8-4, with a 9-3 ceiling if things break right. He described the season as one that has been a long time coming for Virginia Tech fans, pointing to the 288 days since November 17, 2025, when Franklin was officially announced.
Reinhard said the year should bring comfort to both the fan base and Franklin, thanks to a balanced offensive approach that he believes can work through ACC defenses and the benefit of keeping much of Franklin’s personnel from Penn State. He called it a foundational step for the new era in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech opens the season against VMI on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Just Made A Late Defensive Addition Before The Opener
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The timing is notable because this kind of late addition can still matter in August, especially for a secondary that benefits from experienced depth and competition. The move has not been officially confirmed by the team yet, but if it goes through, it gives Virginia Tech another veteran piece to work into the mix right before the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Lands Veteran Help As Secondary Questions Still Linger
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Smiths path to Blacksburg moved quickly once he entered the transfer portal on Aug. 23 and then joined Virginia Tech nine days later, aided by eligibility obtained through a temporary restraining order granted by a Louisiana court. For a Hokies defense still looking for clarity in the back end, the addition brings experience and immediate help, even if the broader picture in the secondary is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Efrem Johnson Hope May Be Over After Key Ruling
Efrem Butta Johnsons bid to squeeze out one more season of college basketball hit a hard stop this week, when a South Carolina judge denied his request for additional eligibility. Johnson had already played out his senior year at Clemson last season, and the ruling leaves him without a path to extend his college career through the courts.
For Virginia Tech, the decision closes the door on a potential addition who would have brought another experienced guard into the mix. Johnson had been seeking a fifth season, but with the legal challenge turned away, the Hokies and everyone else watching the case are left with the same reality: his college run appears to be over. [Read more 🡒]