Ever since James Franklin arrived at Virginia Tech, it has been an all out assault on his former program as he's taken recruits, coaches, and players from Penn State. When the Transfer Portal opened up, and Matt Campbell started to rebuild Penn State with his Iowa State roster, it meant that James Franklin was going to have even more pieces that he could poach.
Matt Campbell tapped into his former roster to land tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle to rebuild the Penn State tight end room. While Campbell added pieces, it allowed Sophomore tight end Luke Reynolds to slip free.
Luke Reynolds could be the best tight end in the ACC with James Franklin
On Sunday Night, James Franklin dipped into his former roster once again to lure tight end Luke Reynolds to Virginia Tech.
NEWS: Former Penn State tight end Luke Reynolds has committed to Virginia Tech, he tells ESPN. He's the No. 2 tight end in ESPN's portal rankings and the top uncommitted tight end. He's a former Top 100 recruit who has 35 catches for 368 yards over two years. pic.twitter.com/HVB7V70nOA
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 11, 2026
As a freshman, Luke Reynolds was stuck behind Tyler Warren, yet he still found a way to catch 9 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 32 yards. This season, Reynolds stepped into a bigger role, catching 26 passes for 257 yards while rushing for 26 yards.
Luke Reynolds was one of the best players to hit the market, ranking as the 6th best tight end in the Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal Rankings.
The most impressive factor of Luke Reynolds' game is his ability after the catch, as 163 of his 257 yards this season came after the catch, as he can make defenders miss. Reynolds joins a Virginia Tech team that may be able to compete for the conference championship as soon as year one under Franklin's leadership.
If Luke Reynolds is able to take the next step like he has each season, he'll quickly become one of the best tight ends in the conference. Reynolds has rare athletic talent, and if Franklin can deploy him in a similar fashion to Tyler Warren, he'll be a breakout star in 2026.