Virginia Tech flips TE John-Patrick Oates to kick off National Signing Day
Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle College three-star tight end John-Patrick Oates announced on Wednesday morning that he’s headed to Blacksburg. Oates has flipped his commitment from James Madison to Virginia Tech.
Pledged to the Dukes since Oct. 26, Oates is now the latest to flip to new head coach James Franklin and the Hokies. He picked up an offer from the new VT staff earlier this week after getting a look at campus.
Oates is the No. 816 overall prospect and No. 54 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. 24 recruit in Pennsylvania.
Franklin continues to build a respectable recruiting class in the span of just a couple weeks. He’s re-patched what was a top-20 Penn State class, flipping many of those recruits over to his new digs in the Old Dominion.
Oates is the third tight end commit in the Virginia Tech class, flanking four-star Pierce Petersohn, one of those aforementioned Penn State pledges, and three-star Isaiah Pina. The Hokies entered the day with 19 commits and will likely add more than just Oates on Wednesday. Penn State four-star commits in linebacker commit Terry Wiggins and safety Matt Sieg are also set to announce a final decision later in the day.
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The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder plays for one of the top high school football programs in the Keystone State, suiting up alongside multiple other Power Four signees. La Salle is still playing for a state title and currently ranks as the No. 49 team nationally, per the Rivals Composite Rankings.
When Franklin was hired by Virginia Tech, it had the No. 121 class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Four-star running back Messiah Mickens was the first to lock in on Nov. 25, just one week ago. Thirteen more have done the same since.
Mickens sits atop the class as the No. 228 overall prospect and No. 17 RB. Other top commits headed to Blacksburg include Petersohn, four-star wide receiver Davion Brown, four-star EDGE Tyson Harley, four-star quarterback Troy Huhn and four-star offensive tackle Thomas Wilder.
The up-to-date Virginia Tech class can be seen here.