BLACKSBURG, Va. - Virginia Tech heads into Saturday’s ACC opener against Boston College with a few lineup questions hanging over practice, and the biggest one is on the offensive line.
Left tackle Justin Terry and wide receiver Ayden Greene were not spotted at Wednesday’s session, which led the Hokies to work both Logan Howland and Layth Ghannam at left tackle during one-on-ones. Terry exited before the end of the first quarter against Maryland on Saturday, and Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland stepped in for the rest of the game.
Howland’s numbers from that game were a mixed bag. His final PFF pass-block grade checked in at 62.7, good for No. 8 among 11 eligible players, while Terry’s total grade was 49.4.
Howland played 58 of a possible 82 snaps, with Terry on the field for the other eight. On the ground, Howland’s 55.7 run-block grade ranked last among 18 Virginia Tech players.
His run-block mark also dropped from the initial Saturday grading, when he had posted a 75.4 pass-blocking grade that ranked third on the team behind right guard Montavious Cunningham and right tackle Aidan Lynch.
The Hokies had another player working away from the main group Wednesday as defensive tackle Emmett Laws was off to the side with assistant strength and conditioning coach Jarrett Ferguson. He did not take part in team drills that were open to the media. Running back Bill Davis, meanwhile, was dressed against Maryland but did not go through drills.
There’s also some natural curiosity about Virginia Tech’s quarterback depth behind Ethan Grunkemeyer, who has been sharp to start the season. Grunkemeyer has gone 79-of-101 for 865 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
The only other Hokie quarterback with true collegiate experience is UNC transfer Bryce Baker, who was 10-of-12 for 127 yards in the opener against VMI and then 1-of-2 for no yards against Old Dominion. Behind him are Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn, both of whom have spent the last three games on scout team duty and have not played in a college game.
Ryan has three years of eligibility left after this season, while Huhn has four. After 2026, Grunkemeyer has two years remaining and Baker has three.
Boston College’s offense brings its own set of questions, and Virginia Tech’s defense will have to clean up after some shaky moments against Maryland. Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington completed 30 of 43 passes for 359 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, and seven of his completions went for 17 yards or more. Franklin said Wednesday that the Hokies need to improve in that area, even if it isn’t a premium.
The Eagles’ quarterback, McKenzie, has also had a rocky stretch, throwing two interceptions in each of the last two games. Against Maryland, he finished 14 of 21 for 173 yards, one touchdown and two picks, with a quarterback rating of 11.2. Through three games, he has thrown for 648 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions after posting passing totals of 223, 252 and 173 yards in Boston College’s first three outings.
One of the most encouraging developments for Virginia Tech has been the surge from tight end Reynolds, a Westford, Mass., native who attended Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. After managing 368 receiving yards in 29 games over two years at Penn State, the junior has erupted in his first season with the Hokies.
He has 25 catches for 265 yards and four touchdowns through three games, and he’s the first Virginia Tech tight end since at least 1987 to put together back-to-back 100-yard games. Reynolds set a career high with 108 yards on eight catches against Old Dominion on Sept. 12, then followed that with 12 catches for 107 yards against Maryland.
Ty Howle said the production hasn’t been a surprise.
"I'm not surprised with the results," said offensive coordinator Ty Howle. "... He eats, sleeps and breathes [the game]... it's been fun to watch his progression."
Virginia Tech and Boston College are set to kick off Saturday, Sept. 26 at 12 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
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