James Franklin’s success at Penn State looks massive, but many forget that it was built on a foundation laid in Nashville. And even fewer recall the player who made it all possible for him. Now, a decade later, Jordan Matthews, the guy who once led Franklin’s team to success, sees the same spark in Clark Lea’s turnaround this season.

Back in 2011-2013, under Franklin Matthews, who’s now Vandy’s offensive consultant, took them to three bowl games, which was a big deal for a team that had never gotten in for consecutive seasons. Back in 2013, Vanderbilt won against teams like Tennessee and Georgia, with Jordan Matthews, and under James Franklin’s “winning” mindset approach, it all turned out fine.

As Matthews admits it, saying, “My situation was uniquely fit for me to be able to come in, build around these guys during that Franklin era, and show Vanderbilt we can go to the swamp and win. We can beat Georgia. That’s just a logo. Okay? We can beat Tennessee twice in Neyland, and we can blow them out. It doesn’t matter. Like if we have—if it starts with belief, if we actually have that, then the possibilities are endless.”

Now, Clark Lea took Vanderbilt on an 8-2 run, fighting for an SEC title and college football playoff spot, something that was just a dream for a program that was long stuck at the bottom of the SEC. But people keep forgetting that Vandy did dominate just a few years ago and now it’s doing the same under Lea. “It was funny. Like when we win eight games or we win nine games, they’re going to say this is the first time they’ve won nine games since, and it’s not going to be that long ago. It’s going to be 2013. That means not too long ago a group of guys came in and were like, “Hey, like, we can change this thing”. Referring to the 2025 Vanderbilt team, he said, “But this one’s very different,” he said.

With that, Lea’s approach to getting into Matthews shows how he wants people who actually care about the program. And Matthews even revealed that he and Lea have been talking about how they will be building the team for around four years. “This is home,” Matthews said. “I knew whenever there would be stints where I wouldn’t be in [the NFL], I wanted to be back at my school. This is the only school that I had an offer to; I had nothing but Vanderbilt.”

With that potential, let’s see if Vandy enters the playoffs this season or not. Till then, let’s know about James Franklin’s potential future teams.

Analysts get real on James Franklin’s future team

After a rough stretch with Penn State this season, James Franklin has once again emerged as one of CFB’s hottest coaching names. And Virginia Tech seems to land him. As per Kalshi, Franklin holds a 69% chance to become the next Hokies coach for the 2026 season. With James Madison’s Bob Chesney and USF’s Alex Golesh.

Even several analysts think it is a perfect move, knowing Franklin’s recruiting roots across the mid-Atlantic, which might align perfectly with Virginia Tech’s talent base. Joel Klatt said, “I’ve heard that he’s pretty close to Virginia Tech. He will definitely coach again, and he will have success. The guy was not a bad football coach.”  Even USA Today’s Paul Myerberg thinks Franklin is “by leaps and bounds the most impressive candidate in Virginia Tech’s orbit,” doubling down on the fact that he can “reverse the program’s decade-plus malaise and quickly bring the Hokies into ACC contention.”

Top Stories

Greg Biffle’s $4M Worth Prized Possession Still Without a Buyer Leaves NASCAR Fans Heartbroken

LIV Golf Braces for Another Possible Exit in Wake of Brooks Koepka Departure

Sean Payton Announces Retirement Plans as Broncos HC Demands Improvement From Bo Nix & Co. Before Playoffs

Biff Poggi All But Confirms Bryce Underwood’s Michigan Future After Announcing His Own Departure

Roger Federer Draws Criticism from Swiss Government Chief for Tourism Boom in Country

Amanda Balionis Confirms New Relationship Ending Months of Rumors

Looking at his 13-3 record and playoff berth last season, he looks like a perfect fit, but a team like Virginia Tech might not be his ultimate destination, as On3’s Andy Staples pointed out that Franklin might not be interested in the job. Now, with a number of schools looking for a head coach, Franklin’s move remains the biggest question. Let’s see which team finally lands him!