James Franklin hasn’t even coached a single game in Blacksburg yet, but he once again proved why he’s an elite coach. After just a couple of months in Blacksburg, the Virginia Tech head honcho got his first win over its in-state rival, Virginia. Word is, the former Penn State HC made the Hokies’ biggest flip of the 2027 class by snatching 4-star Demarcus Brown away from their in-state rival.

Brown is a local kid from Roanoke who had originally promised to play for UVA back in December. Franklin and his wide receiver coach, Fontel Mines, never gave up on him, even then. When you look at the physical tools Demarcus Brown brings to the table, it’s easy to see why the coaching staff was so obsessed with getting him.

247Sports has him as a four-star and the 10th-best player in the state of Virginia. He’s very lean at 6’3 and 180 pounds, and has combine speed. The North Cross High product clocked a 10.99s 100-meter dash and a 4.58s 40-yard dash. In his junior season alone, he absolutely tormented defenses with 53 receptions, 1,112 yards, and 14 touchdowns.

He didn’t just dominate on offense. Brown was an absolute menace at safety, racking up over 60 tackles and pulling down six interceptions last fall. That rare two-way versatility is exactly why Franklin made him a priority the second he arrived at Tech.

The psychology behind this flip really comes down to the persistent relationship James Franklin built with Brown long before he even arrived in Blacksburg. Franklin had been recruiting him while he was still the head coach at Penn State, and only 13 days after Brown committed to UVA, Franklin (now at Tech) reached out to rekindle that bond.

“Virginia Tech was one of my first offers,” the four-star hometown WR said. “They always believed in me. Once coach Franklin and his staff got solidified over there, they started recruiting the heck out of me.”

“Brown also gave credit where it’s due: “I like how coach Mines has developed a bunch of NFL talent along with coach Franklin,” Brown added. “Also, me and coach Mines have had a long-lasting relationship, even before coach Franklin came in. When Coach Pry was the head coach, Coach Mines and I were very tight.”

With this flip, Virginia Tech finally finds itself inside the top 19 in the recruiting class rankings.

Virginia Tech’s 2027 recruiting class

The Hokies are officially the No. 3 class in the ACC, trailing only Louisville and Miami. Brown is the ninth or tenth official commitment for the Hokies, which is remarkable given that we are just in May.

One of the first things they did was recruit a solid defensive line. They recruited edge rushers Xavier Perkins, Andrew Rogers, and Alexander Taylor, along with DL Brock Frisby. The last few weeks of April saw a couple of offensive pledges. Some of them are Stanley Smart and Kelvin Morrison at running back, and Anthony Roberts at wide receiver.

The best part for Hokie fans is that this is likely just the beginning. The team has about 80 to 90 official visits lined up from May to July. It shouldn’t surprise anybody if they finish top 10 in the country in Franklin’s first year and second in the ACC (behind Miami) when everything is said and done.