Miami and Mario Cristobal have a unique opportunity against Virginia Tech

Saturday is being billed as the start of the James Franklin era at Virginia Tech, complete with a sold-out Lane Stadium and a massive recruiting weekend. For Miami, it is something else, too: a three-hour commercial in front of many of the same blue-chip prospects the Hurricanes are trying to sign.

Virginia Tech hires James Franklin to be next head coach

Virginia Tech is 3-7 and out of the postseason race, but the Hokies just hired Franklin days ago. The game is now an event that feels like the beginning of a new era, rather than just a team attempting to play spoiler later in the season.

The game also brings a major opportunity for Franklin to host official visits less than a month before the early signing period, with many of his former Penn State commits and targets expected to be in attendance. Franklin, who was introduced this week, is an extraordinary recruiter, and despite some shortcomings at Penn State, the man knows how to build a program.

Miami can capitalize on the recruits

This is where Mario Cristobal's pitch begins. On the field, Miami arrives at 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC. The Hurricanes are favored by more than two touchdowns, and Miami is fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Off the field, Cristobal can lean on something Virginia Tech is only starting to rebuild: a sustained, elite recruiting operation. Miami's current class sits No. 10 nationally in both the 247Sports and Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, with many blue-chip commitments and the top class in the ACC by a wide margin.

Miami has been on a recruiting streak

In the last few weeks alone, the Hurricanes flipped four-star defensive lineman Keshawn Stancil from Clemson, added four-star receiver Milan Parris from Iowa State and landed four-star safety James Dunnigan Jr. after a long commitment to Kansas. Perhaps the biggest one of all, former Penn State defensive line commit Isaac Chukwurah flipped to Miami. It is very much a possibility that Miami can steal some of these recruits on Saturday.

For the recruits in Lane Stadium, this is not just about the new coach on the home sideline. It is also a chance to watch what Miami's system looks like in real time. Freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney, for example, reclassified into the 2025 class and now leads all freshman receivers nationally in receptions with 59, plus 698 yards and six total touchdowns.

Franklin has talked this week about making Virginia Tech "look, feel and operate" like a national program again, backed by a $229 million investment in athletics. Cristobal can point to a roster already built to that standard, with consecutive top-tier classes, a top-15 team on the field and young stars like Toney proving that elite prospects can play early in Coral Gables.