Virginia Tech is close enough to kickoff that the guesses are starting to harden into real decisions, but there are still a few spots James Franklin hasn’t nailed down yet.
The biggest puzzle sits up front. The Hokies have more offensive line depth than they’ve had in a while, and that has made the competition for the five starting jobs more complicated, not less.
Franklin and offensive line coach Matt Moore are trying to sort out which combination gives Virginia Tech the best chance to function. In the middle, things look clearer, with Kyle Altuner, Layth Ghannam and Brody Meadows among the veterans in the mix.
At tackle, though, the picture is still shifting. Ohio State transfer Justin Terry, Montavious Cunningham and Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland have all been part of that battle.
Howland missed spring while recovering from injury, and Terry also missed significant spring time, which has made the evaluation tougher. Johnny Garrett’s long-term injury has only changed the math further.
Even so, this is a depth-driven problem, not a panic situation. Virginia Tech added four offensive line transfers and seven high school linemen, giving the staff more options than it had a year ago.
The receiver room has its own hierarchy taking shape. Ayden Greene is back after leading the Hokies with 516 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2025, and Duke transfer Que'Sean Brown joins him after posting 846 yards and five touchdowns for the Blue Devils.
Beyond that, the field opens up quickly. Takye Heath brings the edge of knowing the program and totaled 200 receiving yards last season.
Marlion Jackson has become one of the stronger challengers since arriving from Louisiana Tech, where he piled up 753 receiving yards over three seasons. Tyseer Denmark, Chanz Wiggins, Keylen "Brodie" Adams, Jeff Exinor, Davion "FatRat" Brown and others are still chasing those snaps.
That third receiver job may not even be a clean one-man win. Franklin and offensive coordinator Ty Howle could mix and match based on personnel and opponent, even leaning on 12-personnel with two tight ends on the field. But someone still has to step into the starting group, and for now Jackson and Denmark look like the names most firmly in front.
Linebacker is another area worth watching, even if it doesn’t have the same feel as the offensive line or receiver battles. Kaleb Spencer, Keon Wylie and Noah Chambers seem settled as key pieces, but the rest of the rotation is still being sorted out.
Antwone Santiago missed several practices during camp, and Gabe Williams is out with a "long-term injury", per the program. That has created openings for George Ballance, Curtis Jones Jr. and Sherrod Covil, who moved over from safety.
There’s plenty of athleticism in that group, but not as much certainty or health as some of the other rooms.
Quarterback technically remains undecided, though this one feels closer to a formality. Ethan Grunkemeyer has been the clear favorite for a while.
He is the only quarterback on the roster with college experience after starting seven games for Penn State last season and throwing for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Franklin has kept the competition alive through the final stretch of camp, but the expectation is that Grunkemeyer will get the first snap against VMI.
That leaves Virginia Tech entering the James Franklin era with a roster full of new faces and a few final questions still hanging in the air. The offensive line is the biggest one.
The third receiver spot is another. Linebacker still has some movement left, while quarterback looks more like the last piece of the formality than a real mystery.
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Klatt also leaned on praise from Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, who came away impressed with Grunkemeyers performance. It is still only projection at this point, but for Hokies fans looking for a sign that the offense might be heading in the right direction, that kind of outside validation is the sort of thing that tends to stick. [Read more 🡒]
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