Virginia Tech doesn’t need a miracle in Week One. It needs a cleaner number.
That number is 125 - the Hokies’ national ranking in passing offense last season, when they averaged a little more than 153 yards a game in a 3-9 finish. When they line up against VMI on Sept. 5, the job for head coach James Franklin and his new staff is simple: make sure that kind of production is no longer the headline.
Of course, one game against an FCS opponent won’t prove the overhaul is complete. What it will do is give everyone in Blacksburg the first real glimpse of an offense they haven’t seen in live action yet, and that matters because this is the opening night of the James Franklin era.
Franklin brought offensive coordinator Ty Howle with him from Penn State, and Howle brought the scheme. Transfer quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer came along too, and while Franklin still hasn’t officially named him the starter, he’s been viewed that way for months.
The clearest place to start is under center, because that’s where last season’s problems showed up most obviously. Grunkemeyer isn’t a runner and doesn’t bring a deep starting resume, but that’s not the point in a matchup like this.
What Virginia Tech needs is timing. It needs completions that arrive on schedule.
It needs a quarterback who works through reads instead of escaping to the checkdown too quickly. It needs the offense to look like it has a heartbeat.
The first two drives will tell a lot. If they’re clean and well-scripted, that’s a strong sign Howle’s system is already taking hold.
There’s another spot worth watching, and it might say even more about what this offense wants to be. Howle also coaches tight ends, and Penn State transfer Luke Reynolds was brought in to make that connection matter.
In this setup, the tight end isn’t just there to help block. He’s supposed to be a real part of the passing game.
If Reynolds is running seams and getting red-zone targets, Virginia Tech is showing something new. If he spends the night locked in as an extra blocker, it starts to feel a lot like last season, just with a different coat of paint.
The run game, though, already gave Virginia Tech something solid to build on. Marcellous Hawkins was the team’s leading rusher last season with 749 yards at 6.3 per carry, and he’s back after doing that while defenses could focus on a struggling passing attack.
That’s what makes him even more dangerous now. Put him in a functioning offense and the pressure changes.
Still, this is not the night for a 30-carry workload against an FCS front. The better move is to let Hawkins establish the tone, then spread the work around.
Backup quarterback Bryce Baker should get snaps, and the true freshmen need reps they can carry into November. Jeffrey Overton Jr. gives the backfield another option after flashing as a freshman.
Virginia Tech has spent years cycling through coordinators and quarterbacks without settling on an identity. Franklin and Howle were brought in to change that. VMI won’t answer every question, but it will offer the first honest look at whether the Hokies finally have a plan.
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Virginia Tech Has A Preseason Honor Fans Can't Fully Celebrate
Virginia Techs offseason recognition package came with a reminder that preseason honors only tell part of the story. Eleven Hokies landed on the American Bowl Top 1000 Preseason Watch List for NFL Draft-eligible seniors, a sign that the roster has plenty of players drawing early attention as the 2026 season approaches. It is the kind of list that can reflect both depth and upside, especially for a program trying to turn individual buzz into something more meaningful once games start to count.
Still, not every name on that list is in the same place heading into September. Garrett is dealing with a long-term injury suffered before the season, and the timeline remains unclear, which leaves some of that preseason optimism hanging in the balance. Virginia Tech opens its 2026 schedule against VMI on Sept. 5, and by then the Hokies will have a better sense of how much of that preseason acclaim can translate onto the field. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Opener Puts Brent Prys Rebuilt Defense On Notice
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Kemari Copeland and transfer edge Javion Hilson are among the names expected to shape that effort, with both carrying real weight in the push to be more disruptive up front. The matchup should give Virginia Tech a chance to show it can set the tone early before the schedule toughens, but the real question is whether the defense looks more like a unit still searching or one ready to make opponents feel the difference right away. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Just Sent An Early Message With This Kentucky Result
Virginia Tech opened Friday night in Blacksburg with a result that should get the attention of anyone following the mens soccer program. The Hokies controlled the matchup against Kentucky and came away with a 3-0 victory, a clean start that gives the group an early platform as the season settles in.
Diego Dauzier was part of the reason the night stayed so comfortable, helping preserve the shutout with three saves. For Virginia Tech, a home win like this does more than add to the record. It suggests a team already finding its footing, even if the larger test of how far that edge can carry them is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]