One of James Franklin’s highest-ranked recruits is following him to Blacksburg.

Former Penn State football tight end Luke Reynolds is transferring to Virginia Tech, Pete Thamel announced on X on Sunday. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

NEWS: Former Penn State tight end Luke Reynolds has committed to Virginia Tech, he tells ESPN. He's the No. 2 tight end in ESPN's portal rankings and the top uncommitted tight end. He's a former Top 100 recruit who has 35 catches for 368 yards over two years. pic.twitter.com/HVB7V70nOA

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 11, 2026

Reynolds initially committed to Penn State out of Cheshire, CT, as part of the Class of 2024 as the No. 1 tight end recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports. The five-star took unofficial visits to UMass, Wisconsin, Louisville, and Virginia Tech before committing in March 2023.

He showed promise backing up Tyler Warren as a true freshman in 2024, catching 9 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. In the team’s win against Minnesota, he made a game-changing play by taking the snap on a fake punt and running for 32 yards to help ice the game.

With Warren gone, Reynolds split snaps with Khalil Dinkins as the team’s starting tight end to start 2025, ultimately finishing the season with 26 catches for 257 yards and pulling off another fake punt scramble against Nebraska.

Reynolds’ production came mostly in non-conference play, and the sophomore lost snaps to redshirt sophomore Andrew Rappleyea towards the end of the season, ultimately electing to enter the transfer portal when the season ended.

He entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag and was quickly projected to go to Virginia Tech, following his former head coach and tight ends coach.