Virginia Tech’s second day of fall camp offered a clearer picture of where a few battles stand, even if the biggest one still has a penciled-in feel.
At quarterback, Ethan Grunkemeyer remains the most likely answer for the Hokies in 2026. He’s the only quarterback in Virginia Tech’s four-man room who has taken snaps in a real college game, and his Penn State résumé gives the staff a pretty strong baseline.
Last season, Grunkemeyer started seven games and threw for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He finished with more punch than he began, too, posting 777 passing yards, six touchdowns and no picks over the final four games.
James Franklin still hasn’t formally named him the starter in public, but he did say the job will be settled before the Sept. 5 opener against VMI. On Thursday, Grunkemeyer worked with a first-team offensive line of Justin Terry, Layth Ghannam, Kyle Altuner, Brody Meadows and Montavious Cunningham. On the second unit, Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland handled left tackle after missing spring with an injury, with Lucas Austin, Tommy Ricard, true freshman Benjamin Eziuka and Aidan Lynch alongside him.
The receiver room keeps giving Franklin and the staff plenty to sort through, and Luke Stuewe made his case loud and clear. The redshirt freshman beat Josh Jones on a deep ball and later got inside Josh Clarke on an in-cut, showing the kind of burst and separation that can change the feel of a practice rep. He didn’t play in 2025, but at 6-foot-2 and 199 pounds, he brings a different build to the position.
“You can tell he’s gaining confidence each and every day,” said cornerback Isaiah Brown-Murray. “He’s a very quiet guy, but he keeps his head on, he’s working every play. He’s going to give you 110 percent each and every play, and you know when you line up, whether he’s blocking or running a route, it’s going to be the same him.”
Brown-Murray also pointed to Tyseer Denmark, saying, "He's very good at the top of the route, and he has very good strong hands - you can tell he really understands route-running," along with Louisiana Tech transfer Marlion Jackson and quarterback-turned-wideout A.J. Brand.
Elsewhere in the pass-catching group, Chanz Wiggins was solid in limited work after missing the 2025 season with an injury. Davion "FatRat" Brown and Que'Sean Brown also turned heads with touchdown grabs, with the latter expected to start next to Ayden Greene.
Tight end Luke Reynolds has continued to make noise as well. The true junior hauled in a sideline catch against safety Tyson Flowers, got both feet down, and then barked out, "And that's two f--ing feet!"
Franklin said that kind of edge has a place, but only up to a point. "There's a fine line to [the trash-talk]," he said.
"I wnat it to be extremely competittive. 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... [but] I think we need more of that."
Brown-Murray said the group is driven by something bigger than just a good practice showing.
"We want to win," he said. "We're going to reinstate Virginia Tech, and we're going to find a way to win games - and there's no other option."
There were also a few health notes worth tracking. Virginia Tech has not updated the situation with defensive tackle Emmett Laws, who did not dress but was present as an observer after Brent Pry previously called it a "challenging situation."
Running back Marcellous Hawkins looked full-go at Thursday’s practice, though redshirt freshman Jeffrey Overton Jr. picked up a lot of the first-team work. Redshirt senior offensive lineman Johnny Garrett is out with a "long-term" injury, and Virginia Tech said he allowed just two sacks in 619 snaps last season and started 10 games for the Hokies.
Under the new five-in-five age-based NCAA eligibility rules, Garrett is out of eligibility after this season even if he is injured. Cornerback Jaquez White was also full-go, wearing a sleeve on his left leg.
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 🡒]