Virginia Tech’s offense is heading into 2026 with a few clear strengths, a few obvious questions, and one position group that looks ready to carry the load.
The biggest reason for optimism starts at quarterback, even if the ceiling still feels hard to pin down. Presumptive starter Ethan Grunkemeyer should give the Hokies better play than they got a year ago, and that alone changes the conversation.
But there’s a difference between improved and explosive, and Virginia Tech’s late-season road trip - Clemson, SMU and Miami all on the schedule - is a reminder that the bar gets higher fast. The quarterback room looks better.
How much better remains the real question.
If there’s one unit that’s easy to back, it’s the running backs. Virginia Tech has a real shot to put together one of the ACC’s better rushing attacks behind Marcellous Hawkins, whose burst and physical style make him the kind of back an offense can build around.
Jeffery Overton Jr. has also created plenty of buzz heading into his second season, and the Hokies have enough young depth to survive the bumps that come with a 12-game grind. With new offensive coordinator Ty Howle expected to lean more balanced, the ground game should be the engine that keeps everything moving and creates easier throws downfield.
The receiver room is tougher to sort through. There’s no shortage of proven production at the top, with Duke transfer Que'Sean Brown bringing 846 receiving yards and five touchdowns from 2025, and Ayden Greene returning after posting 516 yards and three scores.
But after those two, the depth chart gets thin in a hurry. Takye Heath, who had 200 receiving yards, looks like the next man up, and beyond that it’s mostly redshirt freshmen and true freshmen battling for snaps in a crowded room.
Tight end, though, may be the sneaky piece that changes the shape of the offense. Spring games don’t usually reveal much, but Virginia Tech’s tight ends made their presence felt anyway, accounting for 205 of the team’s 428 receiving yards on 17 catches. Penn State transfer Luke Reynolds led the group with 69 yards, and if he can turn that kind of showing into real-season production, the Hokies should feel good about the position in 2026.
Up front, Virginia Tech looks more stable than spectacular. There’s enough experience to believe the offensive line won’t be a weakness, with Montavious Cunningham and Johnny Garrett bringing veteran presence and Kyle Altuner coming off a strong year at center.
Still, calling this group one of the ACC’s best would be jumping the gun. Most of the projected starters were part of last year’s 3-9 team, and replacing the production and leadership that left won’t happen overnight.
Line play is about more than talent; it’s about chemistry, and that usually takes time. For now, heading into September, the verdict is sell.
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Ethan Grunkemeyer Draws An Early ACC Verdict Hokies Fans Will Debate
Ethan Grunkemeyers move to Virginia Tech already gives the Hokies a quarterback storyline worth watching heading into 2026, and the early outside read on him only adds to the intrigue. After transferring from Penn State, where he stepped in for an injured starter last season and helped keep the Nittany Lions on track for bowl eligibility, Grunkemeyer arrives with real-game experience and a chance to settle into a familiar offensive environment in Blacksburg.
One analyst has already slotted him eighth among ACC quarterbacks for 2026, a placement that should spark plenty of debate among Hokies fans who see both the promise and the uncertainty in his profile. The appeal is obvious: he knows the staff, he has already handled pressure in a tough spot, and Virginia Tech believes he can be the answer at the position. The question now is how quickly that potential turns into production once the spotlight shifts to the ACC. [Read more 🡒]
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The schedule will do plenty to sort that out, especially once September gives way to the games that tend to define how Virginia Tech is viewed in the ACC race. The rivalry date with Virginia looms large again after last seasons lopsided loss in Charlottesville, and home-field advantage only matters if the Hokies play like a team ready to carry expectations instead of chase them. If this group is going to justify the buzz, it will have to do it against the opponents that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Has Nebraska Back In A Conversation Fans Missed
The conversation around old powers finding their way back into the national picture has a way of resurfacing every few years, especially when the names involved still carry real weight. Nebraska, Tennessee and Virginia Tech all had stretches in the 1990s when they felt like fixtures in the sports center of gravity, and even with the game having changed around them, the appeal of seeing those brands matter again has never really gone away.
For Virginia Tech, the idea is tied to a fresh start after last seasons coaching change, with the Hokies trying to rebuild their way back into relevance while others around them chase the same kind of leap. Tennessee is the only one of the three to have already reached the College Football Playoff, and that history is part of why a viewers speculative take about all three getting there in the same season has enough juice to keep people talking, even if the path for each program looks very different. [Read more 🡒]