Sports fans generally disagree on almost everything, but one unanimous consensus across the college football world is that hiring James Franklin at Virginia Tech was a steal. For 11 seasons, Franklin led Penn State, turning the program into a perennial national championship contender and a hotbed for highly touted recruits. Despite being on the cusp of the National Championship, the Nittany Lions ultimately gave Franklin his walking papers. Although he was prepared to walk into a hefty buyout sum, he chose instead to jump back into the fire, agreeing to become Virginia Tech’s head coach.
There was significant chatter around who would succeed Brent Pry after his mid-September firing, with Virginia Tech legend and current Norfolk State Head Coach Michael Vick put forth as an outside contender. While it's clear Franklin is the perfect match to revitalize the Hokies, his hire drastically complicates Vick’s already challenging path at Norfolk State.
Heading into the final week of the MEAC season, Vick's Spartans are 1-10, with their only victory coming against Division II rival Virginia State. They have yet to win a Division I game. Meanwhile, his former Eagles teammate, DeSean Jackson, is surging, with Delaware State set to host the de facto MEAC Championship. Vick needs a win against Howard University to end this tumultuous season on a high note and look toward the future, but that future has just become far more complicated due to Franklin's arrival.
One of Vick's biggest advantages—the factor that caused people to overlook his inexperience—is his star power. Vick is one of the most recognizable names in modern football; his electric play inspired quarterbacks to embrace the dual-threat capability. His journey ran through Virginia, where the talented athlete from Newport News went on to lead Virginia Tech to national prominence. The popular belief was that Vick, a hometown legend, would use his appeal at the HBCU to attract the best athletes in Virginia.
But things became complicated when DeSean Jackson assumed his role at Delaware State just weeks after Vick’s hiring, diluting the star power narrative in the MEAC. Vick and Jackson soon found themselves in recruiting battles for the same athletes, with Jackson quickly building a winner that could make the Celebration Bowl. Vick now has to prove to recruits why they should choose his program over Jackson's surging team.
Now, it gets even worse for Vick. He doesn't just have to compete against Jackson for highly touted East Coast recruits; he now has to compete in-state against James Franklin. Franklin is synonymous with winning and recruiting excellence, particularly in the DMV area, from his time at Penn State.
For highly talented Virginia athletes looking to stay home, the question becomes: why would they not go play for Virginia Tech if Franklin and his staff come calling? The narrative of the hometown hero still holds sway, but Franklin is now recruiting in the same state, for the same school Vick elevated to prominence, potentially undercutting Vick’s most powerful pitch. Vick now has to recruit against two coaching stars: one in his conference who is actively winning, and another at his own FBS alma mater who is a national recruiting powerhouse.
This new reality means Vick's recruiting pitch must change. Instead of chasing the biggest stars, perhaps he needs to focus on finding the “diamond in the rough” that he can possibly develop into winners. The transfer portal hauls will be important but that's only a quick fix. How effective will shooting for the stars on the high school trail be with all the factors against him this offseason?
However, the first thing Vick needs to figure out is what he wants his team's identity to be. Is his offense going to be one that slings the ball down the field in an up-tempo attack that mirrors his NFL career? Or will they be a traditional, gritty MEAC team that runs the ball and dominates time of possession? Does he want a pure pocket passer, a pure runner, or a true dual-threat quarterback?
Vick must make these strategic decisions as he moves into year two with Norfolk State. Winning was never going to be easy, but these new factors make the Spartans’ recruiting journey this offseason way more interesting to watch.
