James Franklin's arrival in the ACC has already become an annoyance for Louisville

Just when the Louisville Cardinals express an inkling of dominance on the recruiting trail compared to fellow ACC teams, a new player entered the equation.

James Franklin, the former head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, took over the Virginia Tech Hokies, and with his experience, there are dozens (if not hundreds) of players who want to call him their head coach.

Most recently, that included Chase Johnson, a four-star cornerback whom the Cardinals and head coach Jeff Brohm had been targeting.

Alas, Johnson committed to the Hokies and Franklin, leaving Louisville wanting a different outcome alongside a few other powerhouse programs.

Chase Johnson commits to Virginia Tech over Louisville, others

Johnson picked Virginia Tech over the Cardinals, the Florida State Seminoles (another ACC member), and the Georgia Bulldogs.

A Georgia native, Johnson is the No. 40 prospect out of the state and the No. 38 cornerback in the class of 2027. Missing out on him, especially for him to go to another ACC team, is a spur in the side of the Cardinals.

It came as no surprise that Franklin was able to bring dozens of his former Penn State players with him to Virginia Tech, virtually wiping out the Nittany Lions' roster, which was subsequently rebuilt by former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell and the former Cyclones he brought with him.

In other words, Franklin is already becoming an annoyance and a hindrance for Brohm and Louisville on the recruiting trail.

The cherry on top of this not-so-sweet cake? Franklin was able to do this just a few months after taking over in Blacksburg. Now, Brohm hasn't entirely swung and missed on the recruiting trail, bringing in a top-50 class of 2026.

Louisville also lays claim to a currently-ranked No. 20 class of 2027, featuring four-star cornerback Allen Evans, four-star wide receiver Ja'Hyde Brown, and more blue-chip prospects.

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