In November 2025, James Franklin joined the Virginia Tech Hokies as their 36th head coach. Before that, he had a good run with the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2014 to 2025.
The players who Franklin coached over the last few years at Penn State are appearing in the NFL Draft this year. His former quarterback, Drew Allar, who played for the Nittany Lions from 2022 to 2025, got picked 76th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers’ QB situation has been uncertain for a while. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t confirmed if he’s returning next season or not. So, drafting the 6’5, 22-year-old gives them more depth, regardless of what Rodgers decides.
After Allar’s selection, his former coach, James Franklin, took to X to heap praise on the quarterback.
“Built through early mornings and late nights, @AllarDrew earned his shot. Your dedication never wavered. Proud of you and excited to see you compete with the @steelers,” he wrote.
Allar said that the last couple of weeks were very exciting for him. He is thankful for the opportunity given by the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in the big league.
“It was just a lot of anticipation kind of throughout the day and in the last couple of weeks, honestly, but very excited for the opportunity I have to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” he said. “It’s definitely a dream come true to play for such a great organization and fulfill my dream of having the opportunity to play in the NFL.”
Interestingly, Allar grew up as a Cleveland Browns fan but now his focus will only be on the Steelers.
“I guess that’s kind of gone out the window right now,” he said. “But I’m very excited to be a Steeler.”
He said that during his time at Penn State, he became more familiar with the franchise.
James Franklin on Excitement Around Virginia Tech
Franklin has big plans for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He wants to do great things with the program, and everything starts in 2026. The new head coach is fired up and believes he has the right vision for the Hokies.
Franklin said that there’s a lot of excitement around the program, and he is going to keep the momentum going.
“There is an excitement right now, and we want to keep that excitement going,” he said. “We have been fortunate to be a part of two turnarounds in two different conferences, and we plan on doing that again. This place knows what it looks like. They’ve done it before. That’s what this whole re-establishment is all about.”
Franklin believes that the program will bring the entire community together, and they’ll be able to do something special in the near future.
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