By Cole SullivanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Penn State Nittany Lions decided to fire longtime head coach James Franklin on Oct. 12 following a three-game losing streak in a season where the program was expected to be serious national title contenders.
However, after being let go midway through his 12th season, Franklin quickly found a new home, agreeing to a five-year, $41.75 million contract with the Virginia Tech Hokies, and he is already making an impact.
On Tuesday alone, Penn State suffered two major recruiting losses, with top prospects switching their commitments to Virginia Tech.
According to Hayes Fawcett, interior offensive lineman Benjamin Eziuka, a three-star prospect, flipped his commitment to Franklin and the Hokies. Four-star wide receiver FatRat Brown also changed his commitment; he is originally from Richmond, Virginia.
"The best in VA, stay in VA," Brown said.
Eziuka added, "The Hokies are back. In Coach Franklin we trust."
More news: Steve Spurrier Has Strong Reaction to Florida Hiring Jon Sumrall as Head Coach
Loading twitter content...
More news: Ohio State Coach Emerges as Top Candidate for SEC Job: Report
Franklin has already persuaded more than five former Penn State commits to flip their commitments to Virginia Tech — a move that was expected, given that all of these recruits originally committed to him while he was still the Nittany Lions’ head coach.
Meanwhile, Penn State has yet to hire a permanent replacement, despite rumors suggesting they were close to a decision. This uncertainty leaves many players unsure about what the future holds in Happy Valley, particularly regarding the coaching staff they may have compared to the one they were recruited by.
...Franklin has been immediately hands-on since arriving in Blacksburg, and at every program he’s coached, he’s found a way to bring teams in need of a resurgence back to relevance — the same challenge Virginia Tech currently faces.
More news: Ole Miss Projected to Host SEC Rival in Round 1 of College Football Playoff
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NCAALane Kiffin Won’t Coach LSU’s Next Game2 min read
NCAAPenn State Coaching Favorite Addresses Growing Rumors3 min read
NCAAFlorida Dealt Bad News Quickly Following Jon Sumrall Hiring3 min read
NCAAOregon Makes Controversial Coaching Decision for College Football Playoff3 min read
NCAASteve Spurrier Has Strong Reaction to Florida Hiring Jon Sumrall as Head Coach2 min read
NCAA4-Star Auburn Commit Has Concerning Reaction to Alex Golesh Hire2 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
Live BlogPutin Issues Stark Warning to Europe As He Meets Witkoff, Kushner—Live Updates3 min read
NewsDonald Trump Is Trying to Mold Latin America in His Own Image8 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: What Europe Can Teach Trump about Immigration6 min read
U.S.Aileen Cannon Issued Update on Release of Jack Smith’s Trump Report6 min read
WorldWho is Admiral Frank Bradley? Commander in Spotlight Over Venezuela Strike4 min read
NewsPutin ‘Ready to Fight’ NATO Allies5 min readTrending
WeatherList of Schools Closed Tuesday as Snowstorm Hits4 min read
ImmigrationGreen Card Update: New Changes for Holders in December6 min read
ViralCat Arrives at Vet for Neuter, Staff Not Ready for What’s in the Carrier3 min read
Black FridayBlack Friday Spending Raises Eyebrows Over US Economy8 min read
PollsTennessee Special Election Day: Final Polls, Predictions4 min readOpinion
OpinionConventional Wisdom: Pope Visits Turkey and Lebanon Edition3 min read
OpinionForeign Energy Companies Have No Home in Our Forests | Opinion4 min read
OpinionThe Hemp Ban Shows America Still Works | Opinion4 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Somali Minnesota Welfare Fraud Edition4 min read
OpinionRedefining Professional Degrees Will Hurt Everyday Americans | Opinion5 min read
