James Franklin’s hiring at Virginia Tech meant that he’d be able to lure players out of his former program. Penn State’s roster has nine players from the state of Virginia, including Kaytron Allen, Alex Birchmeier, Amare Campbell, and Anthony Donkoh. One can’t help but make the connection of the players switching colors to play for Franklin in-state. But before that happens, one such player has outrightly turned down the offer.

“You are 100% getting Tony Rojas. Amare Campbell, I doubt, would go to VT. He’s had a hell of a year, so if it’s not PSU, I see a lot of big schools reaching out to him,” wrote a Penn State alum on X, announcing that the Lions’ LB Tony Rojas will make a move.

However, Rojas, who is usually inactive on X, immediately took note of the post and relayed his stance on a potential flip to Virginia Tech. The Fairfax, Virginia, native replied with a thumbs-down emoji on the said X post. The reply not only put his transfer rumors to Virginia to bed but also those of his teammate, Amare Campbell.

It’s a harsh reality that James Franklin may face after moving from a resource-rich program like Penn State to Virginia Tech. The development is also important since Rojas was personally recruited by Franklin. Moreover, the head coach has spoken highly of Rojas’ development several times. Rojas, in return, penned an emotional post after James Franklin’s departure, and many naturally connected the dots about the LB moving to VT.

“Heartbreaking and don’t even feel real… I appreciate you, coach, for the opportunity and for being so good to my family and me. 🤞🏽 wasn’t just a great coach but someone who cared about us players and wanted to develop us as men off the field too,” wrote Rojas on X.

Not just that, when VT hired James Franklin, Rojas congratulated Franklin openly on X. “Well deserved,” wrote Rojas. So, why the reluctance to join Virginia Tech?

The major motivation for Rojas to join Penn State was the program’s reputation as ‘Linebacker U.’ Not to mention, Penn State boasts a rich legacy of winning two national titles in 1982 and 1986. Virginia Tech unquestionably tries to punch above its weight, but it dwarfs in comparison to the Big 10 program.

The program has since faded into ACC mediocrity ever since Frank Beamer’s tenure ended in 2015, and has not had a top-20 recruiting class since 2010. Penn State boasts a $200 million athletic budget annually, while VT tries to play ball with $120 million. Of course, Virginia Tech doesn’t have the same resources as Penn State. Still, Franklin plans to change that.

James Franklin outlines special recruiting philosophy for Virginia Tech

In the 2025 cycle, Virginia Tech produced a 38th-ranked class nationally and had 20 high school commitments. Only 10 percent of those recruits were blue chips, with 60 percent focusing on in-state prospects. Brent Pry then increased his reliance on the transfer portal, resulting in 30 incoming transfers in the class. That again didn’t lead to on-field results. The 2026 cycle is significantly impacted by Brent Pry’s departure, and the class is currently ranked 106th nationally. James Franklin, however, has a plan.

“We’re still going to be a high school developmental program because I think if you make the decision to go all in on the portal. It’s hard to ever come out of that because you’re going to have so much turnover every single year that you’re forced to stay in that world. And we’d like to have a healthy balance between the two,” said Franklin on the Pat McAfee show. Still, for the 2026 season, the head coach plans to use the transfer portal to give immediate on-field results.

“In year one, we’re going to have an opportunity to get a bunch of players out of the transfer portal that can come in and help us compete right away,” expanded Franklin.

Not getting Tony Rojas is a big blow. The player was a standout four-star recruit and has recorded 104 tackles at Penn State. He has redshirted this season and has two years of eligibility left. But this doesn’t mean Franklin can’t lure other players. It all depends on who Penn State hires as its next head coach.