BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech’s prep for Old Dominion brought a little more clarity to a few spots on the depth chart, and a few reminders that James Franklin still wants his team treating the Monarchs like a real threat.
Franklin spoke after five practice segments on Sept. 9, with Saturday’s 12 p.m. ET matchup at home now just three days away. The Hokies are adjusting from the 7:30 p.m. season opener against VMI to a noon kickoff, and Franklin said the routine will look very different this week.
“We talked about a night game and what that was going to mean, what our schedule was going to be like,” Franklin said. “This will be different - very different.
We're going to wake up and essentially eat and play the game, so it will be a very different schedule in the hotel; we'll get less meetings and less walkthroughs... Having a night game to start the season was valuable for us because, literally, we probably got two extra meetings and two extra walkthroughs in.
It will be different this week, and we've just got to get them ready for it and know what to expect.”
A few personnel notes stood out from practice. Scout-team quarterbacks this week were Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn, and Franklin said the pair have been alternating.
“Sometimes, Kelden's going to give us a better look on the [developmental squad], and some weeks it's going to be Troy based on the style of quarterback we're playing,” Franklin said. “We try to rotate those guys kind of every team period.
Sometimes Coach Pry is going to be obviously have a stronger opinion on who he wants. But they've done a nice job.
I've been very impressed with both of them.”
That setup appears to point to Bryce Baker as the backup behind starter Ethan Grunkemeyer on Saturday. Baker completed 10 of 12 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in the opener, while Grunkemeyer went 17-for-20 with two passing touchdowns before leaving after the Hokies had pushed the game to 52-0 in the third quarter.
At center, Kyle Altuner was working through something on his right leg, which was in a sleeve. Tech Sideline’s Andy Bitter reported Altuner was with the second team in 1-on-1 drills, while Tommy Ricard handled first-team reps in that setting. Altuner came out after Luke Reynolds’ touchdown against VMI made it 52-0 early in the third quarter.
Franklin had praise ready for Ricard.
“He's really done a nice job all summer,” Franklin said.
“He's great in the weight room,” Franklin said. “...
It's translating to the field now, playing powerful, explosive. He's doing a great job for us on special teams, too.”
Virginia Tech also had a few wideouts watching Thursday’s work from the sideline: Keylen “Brodie” Adams, Luke Stuewe, Takye Heath and Shamarius “Snook” Peterkin. None of them played in the opener, either.
Against VMI, Ayden Greene, Que’Sean Brown and Davion “FatRat” Brown were the starting receivers, with Marlion Jackson, Tyseer Denmark and A.J. Brand listed behind them.
There was also movement at nickelback. Isaiah-Brown Murray and Kenny Woseley were out there practicing after neither played against VMI.
Franklin had said their absence was tied to both “bumps and bruises” and VMI’s triple-option style, which pushed Virginia Tech toward a more traditional 4-3 look. Defensive tackle Emmett Laws was present as well, though he was in a Catapult training vest and not in helmets or pads.
Laws had been in shells last week.
Franklin also addressed the arrival of Smith, a four-year player at South Carolina who is now eligible to play after completing the NCAA’s mandatory five-day acclimation period. Franklin said Wednesday was Smith’s first practice.
“Yesterday was really his first practice,” Franklin said. “...
The coaches feel like he's a fast learner. He's played a ton of football, ...
I'll have a better idea today after watching the tape. ... He's super lean, and he picks up things really fast.
We're expecting him to contribute this weekend, but I'll have a better idea obviously later in the week.”
Safety Quentin Reddish added that Smith brings a lot to the room.
“Ton of experience,” Reddish said. “He's a great character - he definitely is going to be valuable to the safety room.”
Franklin also made clear he doesn’t need any extra motivation for this one, but he does want the Hokies’ crowd ready. Virginia Tech has lost two of its last four against Old Dominion, with defeats in 2022 and 2025. Last year’s loss dropped the Hokies to 0-3, their worst start since 1987.
“I’m embarassed to say this, but I didn't realize [that] we've played this opponent seven times [and] we've lost three,” Franklin said. “It's not what I thought it was in terms of the record.
Kept hearing about the last two losses we had... [but] in 2018, we were ranked No. 13 in the country when we lost. I hope everybody is giving [the Monarchs] the respect that they deserve because they're going to come in our stadium confident and expecting to win. ...
We've got an opponent that's coming in the stadium that's going to expect to beat us.
“I've got a ton of respect for their coaching staff, and we better be ready to go.”
Virginia Tech and Old Dominion kick off Saturday, Sept. 12 at 12 p.m. ET on The CW.
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James Franklin arrives in Blacksburg with a track record that should matter to anyone watching Virginia Techs in-state slate. As a head coach, he has gone 11-3 against opponents from his own state, and the last time one of those teams beat him came back in 2016 against Pittsburgh. That history includes some eye-opening results along the way, from his Vanderbilt days against Tennessee to repeated success against Penn States in-state rivals.
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The challenge now gets more interesting with Old Dominion coming to town, because the Monarchs already showed they can make life uncomfortable for an opponent. Their opener featured a strong defensive performance and a knack for creating extra possessions, the kind of trait that can test how clean Virginia Tech really is when the game tightens up. For a Hokies offense that looked explosive out of the gate, this is a chance to find out whether that rhythm travels against a defense that has already shown it can force mistakes. [Read more 🡒]