Virginia Tech flips 4-star TE Pierce Petersohn from Penn State

Dodge Center (Minn.) Triton four-star tight end Pierce Petersohn has flipped his commitment from Penn State to Virginia Tech, following new Hokies head coach James Franklin from Happy Valley to Blacksburg.

One of the many former PSU commits that checked out the ACC program on Nov. 22, Petersohn has now joined the fold for Virginia Tech ahead of National Signing Day. He was committed to the Nittany Lions since June 25.

It’s the third Thanksgiving commitment for the Hokies. Rivals four-star offensive tackle Marlen Bright also flipped from PSU to VT, while three-star OT Roseby Lubintus also joined the fold after visiting last weekend.

Petersohn is the No. 284 overall prospect and No. 14 TE in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 player in Minnesota.

A versatile prospect, Petersohn fits the mold of what Franklin has always looked for in his tight ends. After getting down to Blacksburg to see the former PSU coach and the Hokies, Petersohn, like many others, felt comfortable enough to lock in his pledge.

“Got to hangout with a lot of familiar faces that were at Penn State. Staff and recruits. The town is pretty similar to State College which is nice but just got to figure some things out still,” Petersohn told Rivals’ Greg Smith after the visit.

“Coach Franklin’s message was that tight ends are still gonna be used heavily in his offense at Tech. The program and fan base is really strong. And since he’s got there the community has really bought into him.”

Virginia Tech is now up to 12 commits in its 2026 class. Franklin has now landed four commits since arriving in Blacksburg. Four-star running back Messiah Mickens kicked things on Tuesday and has now been flanked by the trio of Turkey Day pledges.

The Hokies entered Tuesday with the No. 121 class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Mickens, the No. 17 RB in the nation, and Petersohn headline the class that’ll continue to grow ahead of National Signing Day. Bright check in as Rivals’ No. 29 OT, while Lubintus is a top-20 recruit out of New Jersey.

“I believe that’s a team that can take it far. Obviously this year they didn’t show it but we’re going to have good players there already and with the development of Coach Franklin and the staff he’s going to bring in and the freshmen coming in, that team in a few years is going to be real good,” Bright told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong.