Mario Cristobal should be on alert after James Franklin's recruiting overhaul at VT

Mario Cristobal has spent four years turning Miami into the ACC's recruiting bully. Now there's a new problem in the neighborhood. James Franklin's first month at Virginia Tech has been one long recruiting flex, and it should have Miami's head coach paying close attention.

Franklin already had a reputation as a relentless recruiter at Penn State, where his classes typically hovered in the top 15 nationally and twice cracked the top 10. But, what he's done in Blacksburg in a matter of weeks is potentially even more impressive.

James Franklin has Virginia Tech ready to compete in year one

When Virginia Tech hired Franklin in mid-November, the Hokies' 2026 recruiting class was buried at No. 124 in the 247Sports Composite. Two and a half weeks later, VT had skyrocketed up more than 100 spots to No. 23 nationally thanks to an aggressive closing run that brought in 22 signees and eight four-star prospects, tying a program record.

The Hokies added 11 players who had previously been part of Franklin's Penn State class. That group includes blue-chip pieces like quarterback Troy Huhn from California, four-star running back Messiah Mickens from Pennsylvania, and in-state four-star wideout Davion Brown, plus front-seven help in four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins and defensive lineman Tyson Harley.

The infrastructure around him is getting an upgrade too. Shortly after his hire, Virginia Tech announced a record $20 million anonymous gift to athletics, part of a broader pledge to pump $229 million into the department over the next four years.

In his introductory press conference, Franklin told reporters that Virginia Tech "has to find a way" to convince in-state players they can achieve all their goals at home and said the Hokies have to make VT "the sexy and cool place to go for in-state players."

Early signs say recruits are listening. The Hokies signed six of the top 25 prospects in Virginia, tying their best in-state haul in at least 14 years, with nine total signees from inside the Commonwealth.

So where does Miami fit into all this?

Cristobal and his staff still hold the belt. Miami's 2026 class checks in at No. 10 nationally, with 30 high school signees and 21 of them ranked as four/five-star prospects. It is the Hurricanes' fourth straight top-10 haul and fourth straight year leading the ACC in recruiting (per 247sports).

What Franklin's early winning at Virginia Tech does is close the margin for error. Miami can no longer treat Blacksburg like a rebuild it will worry about later.

If Cristobal wants to keep Miami as the ACC standard, he has to keep winning those head-to-head battles in Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic and beyond against a coach who can flip an entire class in 17 days.

Franklin has turned Virginia Tech from a sleeping giant into an immediate threat. That alone is enough reason for Miami to stay on high alert.