Virginia Tech’s first week of fall camp under James Franklin has already offered a clear glimpse at where this thing is headed.
The Hokies are still early in the process, but the tone has been set: Franklin wants a quarterback decision made before week one, Luke Reynolds is making noise fast, and the overall buy-in inside the program appears to be taking shape.
The quarterback situation is still the biggest headline. Ethan Grunkemeyer remains the clear favorite to win the job, but Franklin has not handed it to him yet. That part matters to the new staff, and Franklin made it plain that Virginia Tech will reveal its starter before the season begins.
"We're not gonna be like some of these people now, like they do the Daffy Duck lineup, like we're not gonna play those games with you. I think that's disrespectful to you guys and the fans.
Yeah, so we will, you know, before game week, right? It may be the day before game week.
I'm not sure. It could be before that.
Again, it's not as big of a deal for us as you guys, but out of respect for your guys' jobs and what you got to do, once it becomes clearly obvious, then we'll do that."
Grunkemeyer still looks like the likely answer, but Franklin is making him work for it.
Another name turning heads early is Luke Reynolds. He may not be a household name yet, but there’s a real chance he becomes one by the time the season is over.
Reynolds came in as a former five-star recruit and flashed at Penn State, and Franklin’s track record with tight ends only adds to the intrigue. Tyler Warren, after all, ended up as a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Franklin sounded genuinely bullish on what Reynolds can bring to the Hokies:
"We've always thought Luke was a big-time player. We thought he was going to have a huge career, and when we felt like we had a chance to get him here, we were like, yeah, this is a no-brainer.
And not only that, he's just an awesome kid. He's really liked by his teammates.
You guys saw flashes of what he can do in the spring game. But again, he's a true tight end.
He's going to stick his nose in there and knock you, and he's 252 pounds as well. So, that makes him even more difficult to defend because they got to choose, right?
Are we going to play nickel and try to match up with them, and then he's going to put his nose in the C-gap and mash your ass, right? And then you if you end up putting a you know a linebacker in there, then he's going to be a matchup problem. So that those to me, that's when you get the most value out of tight ends is when they're true tight ends."
That kind of versatility is exactly why Reynolds has a chance to matter right away.
The other encouraging sign from camp is less about one player and more about the mood around the program. Franklin pointed to the way the roster has come together, saying the group has made progress in understanding the new staff and the new expectations. He also noted that the players who stayed or arrived did so by choice, which he believes has helped the buy-in.
"Yeah, I think think a couple of things. First of all, I think that's one of the differences now in college football, and you could make an argument.
We all have our opinions, right, on some of the things in college football now. But every single one of those kids chose Virginia Tech and chose us, because every single one of them could have left, right?
So, I think there's a little bit different of a mentality and buy-in with that because they all chose to stay, you know, or come here. So I think that helps.
I also think, you know, when you when you retain Brent Pry and Jarrett Ferguson and Michael Hazel, all these guys, and they can say these are the guys we need to retain, not only from a playing perspective but also from a culture perspective."
For a team trying to climb into the ACC contender conversation, that kind of trust-building matters just as much as the highlights. And after one week of fall camp, Virginia Tech seems to be moving in the right direction.
In Other News...
James Franklin Already Faces A Defining Virginia Tech Camp Decision
Early fall camp has given James Franklin a first real look at how Virginia Tech is taking shape, and the early returns have been encouraging enough for him to talk openly about progress while still keeping a close eye on the concerns raised by team leaders. Franklin said the Hokies are making strides in camp, but he also kept circling back to the need for complementary football, with offense, defense and special teams all pulling in the same direction if this group is going to build anything sustainable.
The next big call is already looming with the season opener against VMI, and Franklin has not yet settled on his starting quarterback. For a team trying to set its tone in August, that decision hangs over everything else, even as the staff continues to sort through the roster with a careful hand. Virginia Tech also appears intent on being selective in the portal, sticking to familiar connections rather than chasing help just for the sake of adding numbers. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Suddenly Has One Big Fall Camp Concern To Watch
Fall camp is underway in Blacksburg, and Virginia Tech is already getting a better sense of which pieces of the 2026 roster can help shape the season. The Hokies have spent the early days sorting through a busy wide receiver room, where Stuewe, Denmark, Que'Sean Brown, Ayden Greene, Marlion Jackson and A.J. Brand have all drawn attention as camp opens and roles begin to take form.
Chanz Wiggins adds another intriguing layer to that group, since his return gives the offense another name to monitor as the staff tries to build depth and competition. The bigger concern, though, sits elsewhere in the trenches, where the Hokies are dealing with an injury situation on the offensive line and trying to keep the front intact while camp decisions start to matter more. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Defense Is Setting A Tone Fans Have Been Waiting For
Virginia Techs defensive push has been one of the early talking points of fall camp, and Isaiah Brown-Murray says the group is leaning into the chance to build something sturdy before the games count. With Brent Pry back running the defense and several key pieces back in the fold, the emphasis in practice has been on chemistry, communication and competition, the kind of groundwork that can shape how a unit looks once September arrives.
Brown-Murray made it clear the Hokies are treating these August reps as more than routine tune-up work. There is a sense that the defense wants to establish an identity early, and that starts with daily habits in practice as the group prepares for the Sept. 5 opener against VMI. For a fan base looking for signs that the defense can set the tone, this is the sort of camp message that matters. [Read more 🡒]