He didn’t win many big games in Happy Valley, but James Franklin is winning the breakup with Penn State. In fact, he’s blowing the Nittany Lions out. Since settling in at Virginia Tech, where he received a hero’s welcome, Franklin has helped to dismantle what remained of Penn State’s 2026 recruiting class, and on Wednesday, as the Early Signing Period opened for college football, he took a victory lap.
Coincidental dessert choice at the #Hokies’ signing day ceremony put on today by James Franklin? pic.twitter.com/eQKPQ9CsbB
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) December 3, 2025
Franklin deserves some serious points for the pettiness here. Even if it hurts as a Penn State fan, you have to laugh cause that’s just too good. Don’t get the joke, let’s walk through the painful series of events that have led here.
Virginia Tech serves Crumbl cookies at signing day in hilarious shot at Penn State
Penn State started the week by finally zeroing in on Kalani Sitake as its preferred James Franklin replacement. Pat Kraft did his best to keep his interest under wraps, but once it got out, BYU’s deep-pocketed boosters got into the act.
With strong backing from the Church of Latter Day Saints, BYU is the second-biggest spender in the Big 12. That influx of cash, along with Sitake, has led the Cougars to the Big 12 Championship Game this weekend with a shot at the College Football Playoff on the line. It has also landed the basketball program five-star phenom AJ Dybantsa.
Texas Tech has its oil money, and BYU has its cookie cash. The public face of BYU’s push to match Penn State’s offer for Sitake was Jason McGowan, the CEO of Crumbl Cookie. He took to social media, calling Sitake “not replaceable” and presumably pledged serious money to Sitake’s contract extension and the program’s NIL resources.
McGowan wasn’t the only donor helping BYU to outbid Penn State for Sitake, but that’s how it will be remembered.
So, Penn State entered the Early Signing Period without a head coach and may not sign a single player. After an early morning flip from four-star safety Matt Sieg to WVU, Penn State’s three-commit class ranked 144th in the country, and it could drop further. Franklin, on the other hand, has catapulted Virginia Tech’s 2026 class into the top 30 nationally with eight former Penn State commits in tow.
For Franklin, revenge tasted like an overrated cookie. Insomnia is better. I’m not mad.