Virginia Tech enters fall camp with plenty of reason for optimism, but the biggest question hanging over the Hokies is the one in the trenches.
James Franklin has overhauled the roster through the transfer portal, signed one of the country’s stronger recruiting classes and injected new energy into a program that just endured its worst season in more than 30 years. That gives Virginia Tech a much more talented look on paper than the 3-9 team it rolled out in 2025. Still, talent doesn’t solve everything, and the offensive line may be the unit that determines how far this team can go.
There is experience there. Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland and Ohio State transfer Justin Terry bring Power Four resumes, Kyle Altuner is back after starting every game at center as a redshirt freshman, and veterans Johnny Garrett, Brody Meadows and Montavious Cunningham all add depth and familiarity.
But the production from last season tells the story of why this group matters so much. Virginia Tech averaged 21.4 points per game, good for 114th nationally, and finished at 348.8 total yards per game.
The passing game was especially limited, with just 166.3 yards per contest, one of the lowest totals among Power Four teams. Too often, the offense couldn’t stay on schedule against ACC opponents.
Quarterback play was part of that, and Franklin is hoping Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer, who threw for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in 2026, gives the Hokies more stability than Kyron Drones. Even so, a better quarterback still needs time and space to work.
That’s where the uncertainty starts. Almost every projected starter on the line comes with a question mark.
Howland is returning from a season-ending injury at Oklahoma. Meadows missed all of 2025.
Garrett has played, but pass protection has to improve. Cunningham has only four career starts.
Altuner had a promising freshman year, but this is still only his second college season.
Individually, none of those issues is a deal-breaker. Together, they leave Virginia Tech with a front that still has to prove it can function as a true unit.
That’s the challenge with offensive line play: it’s not just about five capable bodies. It’s about timing, communication and trust, all of which have to be built through repetition. The Hokies have enough pieces to be better up front, but several of those pieces haven’t spent much meaningful time together.
Franklin clearly treated the line as a priority, attacking it through both the portal and recruiting instead of waiting for internal development to fix everything. That approach shows the staff knows exactly where the pressure point is.
The rest of the offense has reasons to be better, too. Virginia Tech should get more from the quarterback spot, has more depth at receiver and may be stronger at tight end than it was a year ago. The running back room also has multiple players who can contribute.
But all of that depends on the line giving the offense a chance to breathe. If Virginia Tech can keep Grunkemeyer upright, run the ball with consistency and avoid the stalled drives that defined last season, the offense has enough talent to make a real jump. If the line never settles in, the rest of the upgrades may not matter nearly as much.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech May Finally Have The Breakout Back Fans Wanted
Jeffrey Overton Jr. spent most of 2025 trying to get back to where Virginia Tech hoped he would be, and the early signs were encouraging enough to make the Hokies pay attention. The running back tore his ACL in December 2024, missed most of the season and then returned late, but in those final four games he showed the kind of burst and balance that can change a backfield conversation in a hurry.
Spring practice only added to the optimism, with Overton looking more physically ready after the long rehab process and handling himself well in limited work. The real test comes in 2026, when Virginia Tech expects to have him available from the start, beginning Sept. 5 against VMI, and the Hokies will find out whether the flashes from late last year were the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech May Have Found The Tight End Fans Wanted
Ty Howles move from Penn State to Virginia Tech brought a familiar offensive voice to Blacksburg, and it also opened the door for a tight end with real pedigree to follow him into the Hokies plans. Luke Reynolds arrives with the kind of rsum that suggests he can be more than just a complementary piece, giving Virginia Tech a player whose early college experience already hinted at a bigger role ahead.
Reynolds was productive right away in Happy Valley and kept building on that momentum as a sophomore, enough to make him one of the more intriguing additions on Virginia Techs roster for 2026. The Hokies have been searching for a tight end who can change the shape of the passing game, and Reynolds looks like the sort of player who could help answer that need, even if the full picture of how he fits alongside the rest of the offense is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]