BLACKSBURG, Va. - James Franklin didn’t need long to explain what he wants out of a tight end. For Virginia Tech’s head coach, Luke Reynolds fits the mold.
“He’s going to stick his nose in there and knock you in, and he’s 252 pounds as well,” Franklin said after fall practice on Aug. 6, the first day media was allowed to watch and observe camp.
That kind of frame, Franklin said, is exactly what makes a “true tight end” so valuable. The idea isn’t just size. It’s the ability to create problems no matter how a defense lines up.
“[His size] makes him even more difficult to defend because they’ve got to choose," Franklin said. "Are we going to play nickel and try to match up with him and then he’s going to put his nose in the C-gap and mash your ass?
Then if you end up putting a linebacker in there, he’s going to be a matchup problem. That’s when you get the most value out of tight ends is when they’re true tight ends.”
Reynolds has already shown enough to keep the buzz building. The former five-star was named to the Mackey Award Watch List last Wednesday, and he made a loud impression in Virginia Tech’s spring game on April 18 with a game-high 69 receiving yards on five catches.
“We've always thought Luke was a big-time player," Franklin said. "We thought he was going to have a huge career. When we felt like we had a chance to get him here, we were like, yeah, this is a no-brainer.”
That talent showed up again Thursday in one-on-one work. Reynolds went up against redshirt senior safety Tyson Flowers and won the route down the left sideline, staying in bounds on the catch. He made sure everyone knew it, too, shouting, “And it's two f--king feet!”
Franklin didn’t flinch at the energy. He said he likes confidence, but he also knows there’s a line between swagger and something that can wear on a team.
“There’s a fine line to it,” he said. “I want it to be extremely competitive.
I don’t mind them talking a little trash back and forth, but then when it’s done, we’re Virginia Tech. Some guys can’t do that.
They go too far. There's a fine line to that.
“But I think we need more of that. I think we need more energy.
I think we need more enthusiasm. I think we need more confidence.
I think that’s what we were lacking yesterday. Yesterday, I felt like we were just trying to get through practice.”
Franklin also called Reynolds “an awesome kid,” noting that teammates like him and that he’s flashed enough to look like a real problem for defenses.
Reynolds said after the spring game that he feels that he “has a better understanding of everything now” heading into his third collegiate season, and he looks like the leading candidate for the top spot at tight end even with three-year starter Benji Gosnell in the room.
Gosnell has started all 25 games over the past two seasons for the Hokies and all but five of his 38 career games, though he only totaled 86 receiving yards last season. Ja'Ricous Hairston is also in the mix after leading the tight ends room in receiving touchdowns with three and receiving yards with 112 last season. Virginia Tech’s tight ends were a major part of the spring game, combining for 205 of the team’s 428 receiving yards.
Virginia Tech opens the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET against VMI in the first meeting between the schools since 1984. The game will air on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Adds A Familiar Name To A Crucial Position Battle
Virginia Techs defensive tackle picture got a boost with the return of a familiar name, as Eric Mensah is back in Blacksburg after two seasons at Ohio State. Mensah had originally committed to the Hokies before flipping to the Buckeyes, then redshirted his first year in Columbus and saw limited action the next season because of injury.
Now he slides into a position group that needs bodies and competition, with a chance to earn real snaps in the defensive tackle rotation this fall. For Virginia Tech, it is the kind of addition that can matter quickly: a player who knows the program, has already spent time in a major-conference environment, and arrives at a spot where every rep in camp should count. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Biggest Camp Battle Isnt Getting Settled Soon
Training camp in Blacksburg is already bringing the usual questions, but Virginia Tech is not getting any quick answers at the most important spot on the field. James Franklin used a recent practice session to underscore that the Hokies are in evaluation mode, with the staff still sorting through competition across the roster as August rolls on.
The quarterback race is the obvious headline, and Franklin is in no rush to settle it. He said he plans to wait until closer to the opener against VMI before naming a starter, and he is taking the same approach with other positions as well, which means the depth chart should remain fluid for a while longer. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Fall Camp Is Already Shaping A Crucial Hokies Battle
Virginia Tech opened its 2026 fall camp on Aug. 5 with more than 50 players on the field, and the early days of James Franklins first camp in Blacksburg are already offering a look at where the most important questions on the roster may land. The Hokies are sorting through practice sessions, player performances and the general rhythm of a program adjusting to a new coach, with the quarterback situation drawing the most attention as the team gets its first live reps of camp.
Ethan Grunkemeyer appears to be the front-runner as the offense takes shape, but Franklin is leaving room for the competition to run its course before the opener against VMI on Sept. 5. There is also at least one other situation worth watching on the defensive side, where Emmett Laws was around camp but not participating in the usual way, leaving another piece of the Hokies depth chart unsettled as August moves along. [Read more 🡒]