Virginia Tech is set to dip into its 2026 recruiting class for help on the offensive line, with true freshman Benjamin Eziuka expected to make his first collegiate start Saturday against Clemson.
The move comes as the Hokies continue to juggle a battered front. Virginia Tech already lost returning starter Johnny Garrett in the offseason, starting left tackle Justin Terry went down early in the year, and both Brody Meadows and Montavious Cunningham have also battled injuries that have taken them in and out of practice.
That has forced James Franklin and offensive line coach Matt Moore to shuffle pieces weekly just to keep the line together. Layth Ghannam has shifted from left guard to left tackle to cover for Terry, while redshirt freshman Michael Troutman has picked up his first starts at guard in place of Cunningham.
Now Eziuka looks like the next answer. He played more than 40 snaps last weekend against Georgia Tech in a rotational role with Gavin Crawford, and that workload appears to have opened the door for a larger job against Clemson.
A Michigan native from Detroit Catholic Central, Eziuka flipped his commitment from Penn State to Virginia Tech to follow Franklin to Blacksburg.
Franklin spoke earlier this week about what the Hokies like in the freshman and painted a clear picture of why he’s earned this opportunity:
"He came to camp for us and was just super impressive. I think he's like a 4.0 GPA [and] went to a really, really good high school that puts out a ton of prospects and also wins a bunch of games, so he's been raised well by his family.
He's been raised well, kind of, as a football player. He comes in here and he's super mature.
He's 320-something pounds and it's not bad weight. He's dense.
He's powerful in the weight room and he's super trustworthy. Everybody uses that quote 'do your job,' he's that guy.
You know what you're gonna get from him every single day. He's got a really good core strength and balance.
He's got a very bright future. We were planning on rotating those two guys, we didn't plan on him having 46 reps in the game, but he went in and played well, so we left him in longer.
So, I think he's got a bright future. Not only is he a good football player - you would love for him to be 6-5, but he's not.
The good Lord don't give you everything, but he's got pretty much everything else that you're looking for."
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Has A Real Shot At Clemson For One Reason
Virginia Tech heads into its matchup with Clemson with a case that goes beyond the usual underdog optimism. The Hokies have the better record, a more reliable offense and a quarterback who gives them a chance to keep pace, while Clemson has leaned on a passing attack that has struggled to produce much downfield. Add in Virginia Techs defensive strengths and this is not the kind of matchup the Tigers can simply assume will sort itself out.
Still, there are real stress points for the Hokies even before they get to Clemsons home stadium, where few visiting teams find much comfort. The offensive line situation is thin enough to make every snap matter, and the kicking game has been part of the concern as well. If Virginia Tech is going to turn this into more than a competitive night, it will have to survive those issues and keep Clemson from dictating the terms early. [Read more 🡒]