If Virginia Tech’s 2026 season is going to have a pulse, it starts with Ethan Grunkemeyer.
The former Penn State quarterback is the transfer who matters most in Blacksburg, because he is the one player who can decide whether the Hokies’ rebuilt offense actually works. Virginia Tech brought in help across the roster - offensive line, receiver, defensive front - but no addition carries the same weight as the quarterback.
Grunkemeyer arrives with real Power Four experience and a track record that gives the Hokies something to build around. In 2025 at Penn State, he was forced into action after starter Drew Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Over seven starts, he threw for 1,339 yards with 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and he completed 69% of his passes.
The numbers behind that stretch are just as encouraging. Grunkemeyer posted a 75.0 ESPN QBR during his run with the Nittany Lions, a mark that points to efficient play for a first-year starter handling pressure snaps. If he had met the snap minimum, that figure would have placed him in the top-25.
That’s the bet Virginia Tech is making: that the late-season version of Grunkemeyer can carry over into a full season as the guy.
The fit matters, too. He’s not walking into a completely unfamiliar setup.
Grunkemeyer followed James Franklin and his staff from Penn State to Blacksburg, so there’s already a built-in level of trust and familiarity. In a year where Virginia Tech is essentially piecing together a new operation, that continuity carries real value.
He also stands apart from the rest of the quarterback room. Grunkemeyer is the only proven Power Four quarterback on the roster with starting experience, and really the only one with any collegiate snaps at all. That puts him well ahead of Bryce Baker, a former four-star recruit from North Carolina who has yet to appear in a true game.
The Hokies’ transfer class has plenty going for it. It’s deep, physical and balanced, with upside at receiver, size up front on the defensive line and developmental talent sprinkled throughout. Virginia Tech added names like Que’Sean Brown from Duke and Luke Reynolds from Penn State, who caught 257 yards worth of passes last season.
But all of that only matters if the passing game holds together.
That’s why Grunkemeyer is the most important transfer in Virginia Tech’s 2026 haul. He’s the piece that ties the whole thing together - and the one player who will determine whether the offense takes off or falls flat.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech's Most Important Transfer Comes Down To Proven Scoring Or Upside
Virginia Techs transfer haul for 2026-27 looks like the kind of class that can be sorted into two clear buckets: players who already know how to produce, and players whose value may depend on how much their game grows once they get to Blacksburg. Elohim fits the first category after showing he can score, handle the ball and create offense at Florida Atlantic, while Miles Heide appears headed for a more familiar support role as a size-and-defense option in the rotation.
The more intriguing swing is Kuol Atak, whose time at Oklahoma hinted at a stretch-forward skill set but left plenty of room for more. If the Hokies are looking for the transfer who can most change the ceiling of the roster, his appeal comes from what he might become with a bigger role and more minutes, even if Elohim remains the safer bet when the question is simply who can be counted on right away. [Read more 🡒]