Virginia Tech’s 2026 outlook is full of new faces and fresh optimism, but the real swing factor still comes down to a handful of players actually producing on Saturdays.
James Franklin is in as head coach. Brent Pry is back in Blacksburg, now running the defense.
The Hokies also dipped into the transfer portal for help. After a 3-9 season that never found much rhythm, the setup looks better on paper.
Still, none of that matters much if the players who are supposed to drive the turnaround don’t hit.
At the top of the list is Grunkemeyer, who carries more weight than just about anyone on the roster. The Penn State transfer is expected to take over at quarterback in his first season at Virginia Tech, unless something unexpected happens. How fast he settles into Ty Howle’s offense could go a long way toward defining the Hokies’ ceiling.
There is at least some proof to lean on. Grunkemeyer has starting experience at Penn State, and Franklin clearly trusted him enough to make him the centerpiece of the offense he’s building in Blacksburg. If he turns into the kind of steady, efficient quarterback Virginia Tech needs, a lot of the questions around this team suddenly get a lot less loud.
Another big piece is Reynolds, the tight end Franklin brought in as one of the more intriguing parts of the offensive overhaul. The expectation is that he’ll be heavily involved in Howle’s system, which makes sense because Virginia Tech needs ways to make life easier for Grunkemeyer.
A productive Reynolds could do exactly that. In the past two years at Penn State, he
He can give Grunkemeyer a reliable safety valve over the middle while also creating matchup problems against linebackers and safeties. If Virginia Tech can consistently get the ball into his hands, the entire offense becomes more difficult to defend.
The defense has its own difference-makers, starting with Stevens. The redshirt junior defensive end may not be the loudest name on the roster, but he could be one of the most important. After spending the last two seasons mostly in reserve duty, he’s expected to take on a much bigger role in 2026.
Franklin and Pry have both praised his gains in strength, speed and football intelligence. Stevens doesn’t have to turn into a double-digit sack machine for this defense to take a step. If he can just win his one-on-one battles and make quarterbacks get rid of the ball faster, that alone could create a ripple effect.
That would also help Copeland, because more attention would have to go elsewhere on the line. Copeland already showed what he can do, posting 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, and the added space could make him even more disruptive.
In the secondary, the return of Reddish could matter just as much. The safety missed the final nine games of last season with a shoulder injury, but if he’s healthy, Pry gets a potentially elite piece back on the back end.
Reddish brings experience and physical traits that make him one of the most valuable veterans on that side of the ball, especially for a defense that has to do a better job creating turnovers. Virginia Tech forced just six turnovers in 2025, and that number has to improve if the Hokies are going to make a real jump.
If Reddish plays at the level the staff thinks he can, the defense could look very different behind the line.
Greene rounds out the group, and his role matters more than it might first appear. The senior receiver is coming off a season with 31 catches for 516 yards and three touchdowns, and he enters 2026 as one of the most established players in a receiver room that has been heavily reshaped.
Que’Sean Brown has arrived from Duke, and several others are in the mix for the third starting spot. That added competition could help Greene, but he also has a chance to separate himself further. If he keeps progressing, he could become Grunkemeyer’s most dependable target and give the passing game a much sharper edge.
None of these five has to carry Virginia Tech alone. That’s not how football works. But each one represents a major part of the puzzle, and if even a couple of them break through, the Hokies’ 2026 season could look very different from the 3-9 team that came before it.
Grunkemeyer has to be the quarterback answer. Reynolds has to become the mismatch threat.
Stevens has to help generate pressure. Reddish has to steady the secondary.
Greene has to keep growing into a true No. 1 option.
If that happens, Virginia Tech may start to look like a completely different team.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech's Recruiting Surge Faces Its First Real Test In Camp
James Franklin has given Virginia Tech plenty to point to in the 2027 recruiting cycle, and the class is already drawing attention for its size and quality. With 26 commitments in place and several four-star prospects among them, the Hokies have built a group that looks the part on paper, headlined by quarterback Peter Bourque, a top-100 prospect who gives the class real star power.
Now comes the harder part. Virginia Tech still has to show something on the field under Franklin, because a promising recruiting haul is only as steady as the season that follows it and the schools ability to hold those commitments together. For a program trying to turn momentum on the trail into actual wins, the next stretch will matter just as much as the rankings that got everyones attention in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hokies Tight End Lands In One Of College Footballs Strangest Returns
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Wright went undrafted and later was waived, opening the door back to campus and setting up a reunion with LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. For Virginia Tech fans, it is another reminder of how fluid modern roster building has become, with eligibility rulings, transfer movement and pro opportunities all colliding at once. Wright is expected to play the 2026 season with the Tigers, leaving one more twist in a career that has already crossed multiple stops. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Still Has One Huge Offensive Line Decision To Make
Virginia Tech is into fall camp with the 2026 season opener drawing closer, and one of the biggest questions on offense is still sitting in front of Brent Pry and his staff. The Hokies have spent the offseason building more depth and pushing competition along the line, bringing in multiple transfers and leaning on returning players to create a better mix at both tackle and inside.
Even with that added depth, Pry has not settled on the starting group yet, and the evaluation process is still ongoing as camp continues. It is the kind of decision that can shape everything else the offense tries to do, because the line has to hold up for the scheme to function and for the Hokies to take advantage of the talent around it. [Read more 🡒]