Ethan Grunkemeyer has gone from being a solid college quarterback at Penn State to putting up numbers that put him among the nation’s best.
The Virginia Tech quarterback has thrown for 2,140 yards, a total topped by only nine quarterbacks in the country. Of those nine, just four are at the Power 4 level.
He’s tied for 13th nationally with 17 touchdown passes in eight games and has thrown only two interceptions, both coming against Pitt on Oct. 2.
Grunkemeyer has also completed 71.6 percent of his passes, a mark that ranks 13th in the country and eighth among Power 4 quarterbacks. His play has been a major reason Virginia Tech, which went 3-9 last season, is now 6-2 and bowl eligible with four games still left.
His biggest college moment came Saturday night against Clemson.
With fewer than two minutes remaining and Virginia Tech down three, the Hokies faced a fourth-and-1 at the Clemson 5. James Franklin, now Virginia Tech’s coach after leading Penn State, chose to go for the win instead of settling for a field goal to force overtime. Grunkemeyer delivered, finding former Penn State tight end Luke Reynolds for the game-winning touchdown.
Reynolds has carved out a big role of his own. The third-year player has 493 yards and six touchdowns on 50 catches.
Virginia Tech’s offense is being run by another familiar Penn State name in Ty Howle, who previously served as Penn State’s tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator before joining the Hokies.
Grunkemeyer’s rise at Virginia Tech comes after being pushed into the lineup at Penn State last season. Six games into the year, starter Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury, and the redshirt freshman had to step in. He responded well over the final seven games, finishing with eight touchdown passes, four interceptions, 1,339 passing yards and a 69.1% completion rate.
In Other News...
Penn State Just Won A Recruiting Battle Ohio State Wanted
Penn State has added another piece to its 2027 recruiting board with the commitment of Jordan Hall, a three-star running back from Princeton High School in Cincinnati. Hall had been committed to Miami (OH) before reopening his recruitment, and the move quickly drew more attention as Power 4 programs lined up with offers, including Missouri and Ohio State.
For Penn State, landing Hall matters not just because of his upside at a position the staff always tracks closely, but because the Nittany Lions won out in a battle that had plenty of competition attached to it. Ohio States presence in the mix gave the recruitment an extra edge, and Halls decision gives Penn State an early win on the trail for a class still years from signing day. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Recruiting Just Took Another Hit On Defense
Penn States 2027 recruiting board on defense took another setback when three-star linebacker Blake Betton flipped his commitment to Wisconsin. The Shakopee, Minnesota, prospect had been pledged to the Nittany Lions since April, but he chose to stay closer to home and head to Madison instead, leaving Penn State with only one linebacker commitment in the class.
Blake Bettons change of heart comes on the heels of another recent flip, this one involving quarterback Will Wood, and it adds another reminder that the early work on future classes is never secure. For Penn State, the loss is more than just one name changing direction, because linebacker depth remains one of the spots the staff will keep trying to build out as the 2027 cycle develops. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States First Matt Campbell Verdict Is Hard To Ignore
Penn States first stretch under Matt Campbell has made the early read pretty clear: the Nittany Lions have shown enough in a few spots to suggest there is a foundation here, but not nearly enough consistency to hide a frustrating start. At 3-4 overall and still searching for a Big Ten win, the team has leaned on a receiver group that can make plays and a cornerback room that has held up better than expected, even as the offense has often stalled around it.
The bigger issue has been the uneven play from quarterback Rocco Becht and an attack that has struggled to find rhythm when the schedule tightens. For a program trying to turn a rough opening month into something more stable, the hope now is that returning key pieces next season can help close the gap between occasional promise and results that actually show up in the standings. [Read more 🡒]