Virginia Tech coach James Franklin made headlines on National Signing Day when he managed to lure 11 recruits who had previously committed to Penn State while he was still the Nittany Lions coach to his new team.
On the other hand, according to various reports, new LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s move from Oxford to Baton Rouge was accelerated to take advantage of National Signing Day, showing the importance of the day.
Lane Kiffin Weighs In on James Franklin’s Recruitment Comments
Franklin already proved his worth to the Hokies after leading them to No. 26 in the class of 2026 recruitment rankings, according to 247Sports. During an appearance on CBS Sports on Wednesday, Franklin provided a humorous account of the effort he had to put into attracting recruits.
He further revealed that Kiffin, who departed Ole Miss despite the No. 6 Rebels being 100% guaranteed a spot in the playoffs according to PFSN’s College Football Playoff Meter, did not have to work as hard to retain the program’s recruits.
“I must admit I haven’t slept much,” Franklin said. “I’m a little envious. I saw other coaches that got hired, and they landed, and none of their commits decommitted from those schools. One guy landed his plane, and the No. 1 commit in the country was waiting for him. We had a very different process. We’ve been ripping and running.”
Kiffin immediately responded to Franklin’s assertion by quote-tweeting the CBS Sports clip with a cheeky quip about LSU’s privileged position in college football. “#JustDifferent @lsu James! Thanks for reminding everyone,” Kiffin tweeted.
10 players committed to the Tigers on National Signing Day, leaving Kiffin’s LSU ranked No. 11 overall in the country according to On3’s Rivals composite rankings.
Franklin Explains Recruiting Bump for Hokies
During his news conference early on signing day, Franklin explained that he had no intention of flipping so many commits from his previous program.
“By no means were we out looking to take commits from any specific school,” Franklin said. “It’s still about relationships unless the gap of money is too wide, and I’ve been a part of a few of those as well. Most of the guys that we are signing today are guys that we’ve had relationships with for two plus years.
“We’re in a different situation and a different brand with Virginia Tech that, for most of us, you guys on the show, we grew up with a Virginia Tech that was kicking butt and taking names.”
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions, Franklin’s former team, are still struggling with their coaching search, 54 days after firing him. The uncertainty over the head coaching position left Penn State with just two commitments and ranked No. 144Â on National Signing Day.
