Virginia Tech’s offense may be getting a fresh look under James Franklin, but the real swing factor could be much closer to the line of scrimmage. The Hokies have upgraded the room with transfers, gotten key veterans back from injury and signed one of their strongest offensive line recruiting classes in years. Even so, this group still has to prove it can hold up when the games start.
The tackle spots are the first place to watch. Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland and Ohio State transfer Justin Terry were brought in to help stabilize the edge, and Howland looks like the clear favorite on the left side after making three starts for the Sooners before a season-ending injury. If he’s healthy, Virginia Tech gets a player with SEC experience at one of the most important jobs on the field.
Right tackle is less settled. Johnny Garrett started 10 games there in 2025, while Terry arrives with experience at both Ohio State and West Virginia under current offensive line coach Matt Moore.
Garrett’s background could give him the early nod, but Terry’s ceiling makes this a real battle worth tracking. If the Hokies can get dependable play on both ends, that alone would mark a major jump from last season.
Inside, Kyle Altuner is the name that matters most. The redshirt sophomore started every game at center a year ago and played nearly 800 offensive snaps, which is a heavy load for a player so early in his career.
He showed enough to earn the staff’s trust, and he also kept the damage down by allowing just one sack all season. Now the next step is bigger than just being solid.
Virginia Tech needs him to command the unit, handle protections and help knit together a line with several new pieces.
The issue, though, may not be the first five. It’s the depth chart behind them.
Brody Meadows is back after missing all of 2025 with an injury, and Montavious Cunningham is expected to push for a starting guard role after making four starts last season. Layth Ghannam and Aidan Lynch both have started before, but neither was consistently at a high level in 2025. After that, Virginia Tech is leaning on younger players and freshmen who have not yet taken meaningful college snaps.
That’s where the promise and the risk collide. The 2026 recruiting class gives the Hokies more long-term upside up front, but true freshmen rarely walk in and solve offensive line problems right away.
The talent is trending up. The question is whether Virginia Tech can turn that into real depth before the injuries and attrition that always test a front five.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech May Have Found The Edge Rusher It Desperately Needed
Virginia Tech has spent plenty of time searching for a pass rusher who can change the feel of its defensive front, and Samuel Okunlola at least gives the Hokies a compelling reason to believe they found one. The former three-star recruit has already logged stops at Pittsburgh and Colorado, and his path has included a productive sophomore season, a move into a bigger role with the Buffaloes and enough experience to arrive in Blacksburg with real value attached to his name.
The appeal is obvious: Okunlola has shown he can handle starting work, get after the quarterback and give a defensive line some needed juice. His spring at Virginia Tech was limited after a shoulder injury surfaced early in his 2025 season at Colorado, so the Hokies are still waiting to see how quickly he can settle in and how much of an edge he can bring right away. For a defense looking for help on the perimeter, though, he looks like one of the more interesting additions on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Fall Camp Could Reshape The Hokies Depth Chart Fast
Fall camp always has a way of turning educated guesses into real depth-chart movement, and Virginia Tech looks like a team with several spots ready to change quickly. The quarterback room is one place to watch, with Troy Huhn in position to push past one of the backups even if he does not seize the No. 2 job, while the defensive line has a chance to look different if Emmett Laws takes the kind of step forward the staff needs inside.
There are similar questions behind those spots, too, especially at linebacker and in the secondary. Gabe Williams appears lined up as the fifth man in the linebacker rotation with room to rise, and the cornerback and slot picture could keep shifting as Que'Sean Brown settles into the top role and Takye Heath tries to carve out his place in the mix. [Read more 🡒]