The James Franklin era in Blacksburg begins on Saturday night at 7:30 when VMI visits for the first os three non-conference games. It has been nearly 10 months since Franklin was hired in Blacksburg, and all the offseason work will be put to the test against the Keydets.
There are a lot of questions facing the Hokies going into the 2026 season, and a lot of them will be answered as time goes along. Just how good Virginia Tech will be remains to be seen, but here are five bold predictions for Franklin's first season as head coach.
1. Ethan Grunkemeyer throws for 3,000 yards
This might seem high, but you can't overlook the play from Grunkemeyer last season at Penn State after Drew Allar got hurt. He carried a Nittany Lions team that looked like it was going to miss a bowl game to a surprising run to play Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. They even upset the Tigers behind a big game from Grunkemeyer.
There are some key weapons on offense, and it wouldn't be surprising to see new offensive coordinator Ty Howle open up the playbook this season. Wide receivers Ayden Greene, Que'Sean Brown, and tight end Luke Reynolds should be key targets this fall for Grunkemeyer.
2. Marcellous Hawkins rushes for 1,000 yards
There have been 17 1,00o-yard rushers in program history, but how many had a chip on their shoulder like Marcellous Hawkins, who didn't receive much Power 4 interest? Virginia Tech is one of the schools that did and could benefit this season from the huge chip on his shoulder. Also back is Jeffrey Overton, Jr., who could play a big part in the offense this season, but it starts with a motivated Hawkins in the backfield.
3. Luke Reynolds ends up an All-ACC First Team tight end
This is one of the best tight ends rooms in some time in Blacksburg, and it is headlined by Penn State transfer Luke Reynolds. He should be one of Grunkemeyer's top targets this season, and with his former position coach and now offensive coordinator in Blacksburg, expect him to be targeted a lot this season.
There is no lack of talent behind Reynolds at the position, but if he remains healthy, expect a lot of balls thrown his way. The position has been one that has been ignored in past seasons, but with Reynolds and returner Benji Gosnell headlining the group, expect a lot of tight end action in 2026.
4. Virginia Tech wins a game they're not supposed to, they also lose a game they're not supposed to
This has to be something that happens, no? So which game could the Hokies win where they're not going to a favorite? The options would be Clemson, SMU, California, and Miami. If we had to guess, it would either happen at Cal or Clemson, as Miami and SMU are the most daunting road games.
How about which game they should win but could lose? Maybe at Maryland or Boston College in Weeks 3 and 4? If they lose the latter, it's going to be a long season. Maryland under the lights on the road in the first true road game is one that could be the one that happens.
5. Brent Pry's defense finishes top 3 in the ACC
When Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry and hired Franklin two months later, who had Franklin do the unthinkable and hire Pry as his defensive coordinator? It caught everyone by surprise, but if you sit back and think about it, well, it could work.
They had a ton of success at Penn State together and Vanderbilt before that. Pry is a Virginia Tech guy, and really, not many fans had an issue with him. It was just that he wasn't cut out to be a Power 4 Conference head coach. There is a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball, and there was some sneaky-good talent added through the Transfer Portal. This could be a sleeping giant defense in 2026.
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