There hasn’t been much positive news pouring out of Tallahassee this offseason. However, even in a trying recruiting cycle, Mike Norvell has been able to trade a few punches with the ACC’s newest big-name head coach, James Franklin.
Franklin has been on a recruiting tear since taking over at Virginia Tech, and he currently sits with a top-10 class in the country. Yet, the Seminoles were able to get the best of the Hokies on Monday as three-star linebacker CJ Ohuabunwa announced his commitment, becoming the 12th member of FSU’s 57th-ranked class.
Ohuabunwa had glowing reviews of the Florida State coaching staff after his official visit last weekend. It sounds as though he truly believes Norvell can turn the program around, an opinion not shared by much of the FSU fanbase. But he’s also optimistic about the future of the Hokies, and he may be even more certain about their positive trajectory.
“Coach Franklin is building something special with that program, I guarantee it. He’s going to put them back on top where they belong,” the three-star linebacker from Norcross, Georgia, told 247’s Kolby Crawford before revealing the FSU shirt under his Greater Atlanta Christian School jacket. “They know what they want, and they know where they’re headed.”
LIVE: LB CJ Ohuabunwa is set to announce his college commitmenthttps://t.co/apG3VldRjF
— Noles247.com (@Noles247) June 22, 2026
CJ Ohuabunwa guarantees James Franklin is going to turn Virginia Tech around
Based on Franklin’s background, it’s not a bad bet from Ohuabunwa. Franklin has won everywhere he’s gone, from leading Vanderbilt to a nine-win season long before Clark Lea tapped the booming Nashville market to elevate the program during the NIL era, to taking Penn State from the brink of collapse to the College Football Playoff semifinal during his 12-year tenure. The charismatic rising high school senior may even have a future in punditry, but that won’t necessarily make his faith in an up-and-coming ACC contender sting Noles fans any less.
It’s not only Franklin’s track record, though, that makes Ohuabunwa’s guarantee feel so realistic; it’s also a massive financial investment that came with his hiring. Franklin had a number of potential suitors immediately after being fired by Penn State midway through the year. He would not have chosen Virginia Tech if he didn’t believe he’d have the money needed to build a competitive roster.
That money, and Franklin's ability to build up a program, has Virginia Tech positioned better than anyone to become the ACC's foil to the apparent juggernaut Mario Cristobal appears to be assembling at Miami. That's a role Florida State should occupy, but the Hokies have jumped ahead in line, and even the latest FSU commit can see it.
It's much tougher to guarantee a Florida State turnaround, at least under Norvell
That one of the biggest issues in Tallahassee right now. Athletic director Michael Alford made a bet that the revenue-sharing cap set by the House v. NCAA Settlement last summer would institute a hard cap that athletic departments would not exceed when assembling their rosters, and he was sorely mistaken. That, along with a profound lack of belief in Norvell from donors after back-to-back losing seasons, has left FSU floundering on the recruiting trail.
It seems the donor base in and around Tallahassee would rather save their money to pay Norvell’s buyout, rather than spend it to help him turn things around. And without that level of financial support, even competing in the ACC, which only has one or two programs spending on par with the top Big Ten and SEC contenders, seems too tall a task.
So, while Ohuabunwa is guaranteeing Franklin will turn things around in Blacksburg, it feels pretty close to a guarantee that Norvell won’t be the coach of the Noles by the time his 2027 Early Signing Period comes around.
Add us as a preferred source on Google