James Franklin continues to build a strong 2027 class in Blacksburg and it got stronger today with the addition of safety prospect Elijah Butler. The Hokies were able to land Butler over SEC schools like Florida and Auburn. St. Frances Academy athlete Elijah Butler just committed to #Hokies and James Franklin live on Rivals' YouTube livestream. Top-12 player in Maryland whose top-six schools included Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Maryland and Oregon. He's Virginia Tech's 11th pledge in the 2027 class. pic.twitter.com/iiHptZc6sL — David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) May 8, 2026 Looking at the prospect Butler (6'3 190 LBS) plays his high school football at St. Frances Academy in Maryland, and he is ranked as the No. 435 player in the country according to the 247 Sports Composite, the No. 39 safety, and the No. 10 player in the state of Maryland. He can play both sides of the ball, but he is being projected as a safety at the next level.…