Virginia Tech’s first season under James Franklin already comes with a fresh set of numbers, and ESPN’s Football Power Index doesn’t exactly see the Hokies as a sleeping giant - but it does see a team with a path back to respectability.
In ESPN’s 2026 preseason FPI rankings, Virginia Tech checks in at No. 33 nationally with a rating of 7.4. That puts the Hokies seventh among ACC teams, trailing Miami (21.8; No.
7), Clemson (13.4, No. 19), SMU (11.1, No.
24), Louisville (9.5, No. 27), Florida State (9.3, No. 28) and Virginia (7.9, No.
32).
The projection model pegs Virginia Tech for a 7.0-5.1 record and gives the Hokies no shot at running the table. ESPN’s numbers also put Virginia Tech at a 76.4% chance to reach six wins or more, with 3.2% odds of winning the ACC, 7.3% odds of making the 12-team College Football Playoff, a 0.3 chance of reaching the national championship and a 0.1% chance of winning it all.
The Hokies’ schedule lands in the middle of the league by FPI standards. Virginia Tech’s strength of schedule is ranked eighth in the ACC and No. 43 overall.
There’s reason for the optimism around Blacksburg beyond the rankings. Virginia Tech has rebuilt at quarterback with Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer, who threw for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions last season as a redshirt freshman. His 75.0 quarterback rating would have ranked No. 25 over a full season.
The backfield brings back its top producer in Marcellous Hawkins, who rushed for 749 yards last season. Jeffrey Overton Jr. is also back after finishing strong as a freshman, piling up 146 rushing yards over the final four games of the regular season and drawing the start in the regular-season finale against then-No. 17 Virginia.
At receiver, Ayden Greene returns after posting 516 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Virginia Tech also adds Que'Sean Brown from Duke, where he went for 846 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season.
Defensively, the Hokies will lean on redshirt senior Kemari Copeland, who finished with 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. One of his biggest performances came against California on Oct. 24, when he recorded three sacks.
Virginia Tech opens the 2026 season against VMI on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET. It will be the first meeting between the schools since 1984.
In Other News...
James Franklin Is Creating Real 757 Buzz Around Virginia Tech
The 757 Colts turned their media night into a useful snapshot of where Virginia Tech stands with some of the areas best young football talent, as several prospects from the 2028 and 2029 classes were on hand and already holding Hokies offers. The gathering mattered not just because of the names in the room, but because it came amid a noticeable recruiting surge for James Franklins program, one that has helped Virginia Tech get traction in a region that always matters to the Hokies.
What stood out from the night was the way those prospects talked about the program around Franklin. The culture, the environment and the expectations attached to Virginia Tech kept coming up, which is exactly the kind of message the Hokies want resonating with elite local recruits. For a staff trying to build long-term momentum in the 757, the encouraging part is that the buzz appears to be real, even if the next step in those relationships is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech's 2027 Class Is Already Sending A Message About The Rebuild
Virginia Techs 2027 recruiting class is already looking like a statement piece in the middle of a rebuild, with major services slotting it inside the national top 20 and third in the ACC. The group is loaded with 13 four-star recruits, a sign that the staff has not just been filling spots but building around prospects it believes can help reshape the roster.
What makes the start even more interesting is that the Hokies are not done yet. The staff is expected to stay selective as it looks for a few more additions, especially in the secondary, and the programs momentum plus its regional relationships give this class a real chance to keep climbing before the Early Signing Period. If Virginia Tech can land the right targets, this group could end up looking even stronger than it does now. [Read more 🡒]