Observations From An Open Virginia Tech Spring Football Practice

Andy Bitter

Senior Staff Writer

March 19, 2026 32

James Franklin takes in Thursday's spring practice with a watchful eye. (Ivan Morozov)

James Franklin watched intently from the defensive secondary, a safe distance from the one-on-one receiver-defensive back drill, but he jumped into action in an instant.

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32 Comments

pj4hokies1 March 20, 2026 at 2:34 PM

I think a little Simon & Garfunkel "Sound of Silence" or "bridge over troubled water" will get those boys fired up! LOL.
pj4hokies1 March 20, 2026 at 2:33 PM

I think a little Simon & Garfunkel "Sound of Silence" or "bridge over troubled water" will get those boys fired up! LOL.
Blake843 March 20, 2026 at 10:36 AM

Andy, after watching a practice, do you feel like the talent level as a whole is up from the last few years?
92Hokie14 March 19, 2026 at 5:35 PM

Will Love was punting? Great insight, can't wait for the fall.
hokieclan75 March 19, 2026 at 5:22 PM

Is Kriss Kross the reemergence of Chris Cross ?
1. GarrettP March 20, 2026 at 8:23 AM
  
  I am just old enough at 30 to know both of those artists lol
HokieTC March 19, 2026 at 4:01 PM

Great Write-up. Lots of info. THANK YOU!
japaha March 19, 2026 at 3:34 PM

Dangerous Crowd thank you for the humor! Some people didn’t get it lol
maroonhiker March 19, 2026 at 2:57 PM

Thanks, Andy. Lot of observations for one practice. Much appreciated.
DangerousCrowd March 19, 2026 at 2:41 PM

I am concerned the coaches are giving so much thought to the music played during practices. Why change the music? Why can't these players and coaches practice without music and just focus on football? This seems to be another alternative uniform situation where if the players and coaches were just more focused on playing football then Tech might win more games. Was any Bad Bunny being played? Were any songs in a non-English language? Will I have to learn Spanish to follow this team? Seems like a slippery slope. Like the saying goes, "First, they came for my music and I did not speak out, because it was not my music..."
1. hokiehill1117 March 19, 2026 at 2:48 PM
  
  Respectfully, this may be the funniest thing I have read all day.
2. bburgnative March 19, 2026 at 2:49 PM
  
  Good grief
3. NokieHokie March 19, 2026 at 2:59 PM
  
  Thank god there was no Allman Bros playing. Bring on the rap!
  1. SCHokie1103 March 19, 2026 at 5:24 PM
    
    Who cares what they played as far as Music I’m more interested in how they’re gonna play on the field than what kind of music they’re gonna play.
    1. NokieHokie March 19, 2026 at 6:04 PM
      
      Who cares what you are more interested in? We can do this all day...
      1. HokieCrazy1994 March 19, 2026 at 6:49 PM
        
        LOL
    2. NMB Hokie March 19, 2026 at 8:52 PM
      
      I want to hear a lot of Tech Triumph this season
4. I-W-K-Y-I-T-N March 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM
  
  So you're NOT down with OPP?
5. SCHokie1103 March 19, 2026 at 5:23 PM
  
  Are you for real? I can’t even believe someone that calls themselves a Hokie posted something like that. Unreal.
  1. HokieR March 19, 2026 at 5:41 PM
    
    I can't decide if this is sarcasm or not
6. Hokie2Architect March 19, 2026 at 5:37 PM
  
  I’m going on the assumption that this is sarcasm. Very very good sarcasm.
7. 11hokie March 21, 2026 at 8:36 AM
  
  Is this a serious post?
JohnsonCItyHokie March 19, 2026 at 1:56 PM

Any notable differences that jumped out at you relative to what you saw under Fuente or Pry practices? Yes I realize this was just the first practice under Franklin.
1. Andy Bitter March 19, 2026 at 2:28 PM
  
  Pretty standard football practice. I don't think they differ too much.
Freddyburg Hokie March 19, 2026 at 1:42 PM

I want someone to make a playlist of Franklin's practice music. Been looking for a good 90s hip hop playlist.
1. GoneFishin Hokie March 19, 2026 at 2:04 PM
  
  You must be a lot younger than this Fxburg Hokie. 🤣
VT_Consul March 19, 2026 at 1:33 PM

Is this the first time Andy has used the phrase "dapped him up" without it being a quote from a player?
1. Andy Bitter March 19, 2026 at 1:43 PM
  
  I can use that phrase! I'm hip!
  1. VT_Consul March 19, 2026 at 2:09 PM
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO2x5zMknDo
Seikoh_04 March 19, 2026 at 1:32 PM

Andy did you know all those songs or did an intern slip you the playlist?
1. Andy Bitter March 19, 2026 at 1:43 PM
  
  I had to Shazam a couple of them, but I came of age in the '90s. I knew most of the list.
TomTurkey March 19, 2026 at 1:04 PM

Thanks, Andy, whip up the fan interest with a great tasting of the intensity and quality of this early practice. I appreciate your getting an extended look at the competitiveness of Franklin's approach. We can rest assured his staff will put the best available on the field and develop as well as possible the backups.

Observations From An Open Virginia Tech Spring Football Practice

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