4-star recruit staying home with James Franklin after Penn State flip

Virginia Tech football is building out its first official recruiting class after hiring James Franklin. That includes flipping past Penn State commits like tackle Roseby Lubintus. One four-star made it official that he’s dipping out of the Nittany Lions — becoming a local win for the Hokies.

Linebacker Mathieu Lamah will head to Blacksburg, Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals confirmed Monday. Lamah hands Franklin a pivotal in-state college football recruiting win — as the tall LB hails from Bristow.

“The best in VA stay in VA,” the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Lamah told Fawcett in revealing his decision to join the Hokies.

Lamah stars for Patriot High in Nokesville — located less than four hours south of the Virginia Tech campus. He told Brian Dohn of 247Sports that he fully trusts Franklin.

I think it is just where I want to be at,” Lamah shared to the recruiting insider. “The only (question) with Franklin is not knowing the position coach but it’s the future of it. I know Franklin is going to bring a good guy in.”

Another 4-star joining Virginia Tech, James Franklin after Penn State exit

Lamah isn’t the only former four-star Penn State commit pledging to the Franklin-led Hokies.

Quarterback Troy Huhn backed out of PSU following the Franklin firing in October. Huhn started to hear from Stanford after decommitting, until Franklin reconnected with him.

Now, the Mission Hills, California QB joined the growing Virginia Tech ’26 class on Monday. Huhn becomes a rare west coast prospect heading to Virginia Tech.

But he’s also walking into a class featuring mammoth offensive lineman coming in: 6-foot-7 Maddox Cochrane (Wisconsin decommit) and 6-foot-5, 295-pound Thomas Wilder — who chose Va. Tech on Monday too. Wilder previously was committed to the Hokies under Brent Pry before his firing.

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