Greg McElroy makes case for Virginia Tech as sleeper CFP team in 2026

Although none of the involved parties likely would have believed it a year ago, former Penn State head coach James Franklin will be embarking on his first season at Virginia Tech in August. Just six games into the 2025 season (after leading the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff the season prior), Franklin was cut loose and ended up in Blacksburg.

Virginia Tech parted ways with former head coach Brent Pry three games into the 2025 season after an abysmal 16-24 record at the helm. Franklin was hired in November and eventually made the decision to bring back Pry as his defensive coordinator, just as he was at Penn State from 2016-2021.

With months remaining in the college football offseason, ESPN’s Greg McElroy ran through some sleeper teams for the 2026 season. James Franklin‘s Virginia Tech Hokies were one of a few teams mentioned by the former Alabama quarterback.

Greg McElroy labels Virginia Tech as a ‘sleeper team’ in 2026

“The James Franklin era. Brent Pry‘s defense. A quarterback transfer. A complete identity reboot. Virginia Tech is kind of the coaching storyline sleeper this year,” McElroy said on the ‘Always College Football‘ podcast. “The head coach is James Franklin and the defensive coordinator is the guy he replaced in Brent Pry, who’s back at DC. That sounds a bit like a soap opera, but it’s real.

“What does that mean on the field? It means the Tech is trying to become what Franklin has built. When it works, you’ve got a pretty athletic offense and a physical defense. You’ve got roster management that can fit and adhere to some of the modern parts of college football. With Brent Pry calling the defense, the Hokies should have clarity and structure in pressure packages and identity. At quarterback, you get a transfer from Penn State who James Franklin is very comfortable with in Ethan Grunkemeyer. That transfer addition could stabilize that position. There are legitimate weapons, including a tight end transfer Luke Reynolds who might become a center piece target.”

Virginia Tech has not posted a 10-win season since 2016, and has posted just one since 2012. Prior to that, the Hokies posted eight consecutive 10-win campaigns from 2004-2011. With Franklin at the helm, the program is looking to return to its winning ways in an up-and-down ACC.

“If Franklin stabilizes the offense and Pry can make Tech’s defense really disruptive, they can move fast in an ACC that feels like it’s constantly shuffling. Virginia Tech doesn’t need to necessarily be the best team. They just need to be the team that can be consistent by the time it rolls around to November. Then they can start stacking wins.”