After the Transfer Portal opened in January, all signs were pointing to who the Virginia Tech quarterback was going to be in 2026. After Kyron Drones graduated this year and Pop Watson and Garrett Rangel hit the portal, the signs were there as to who was coming to Blacksburg.
After James Franklin was fired at Penn State, he watched from home as Ethan Grunkemeyer took over for the injured Drew Allar after he suffered a season-ending injury. The Ohio native took over and helped the Nittany Lions rally from a 3-6 record to three straight wins to become bowl-eligible. He then led Penn State to a bowl win over Clemson.
There were rumors that Grunkemeyer was going to follow Franklin and quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien to Virginia Tech. However, after the portal closed, Grunkemeyer had yet to commit to Virginia Tech. That left many wondering what was going on, but he eventually committed. With workouts underway for the upcoming season, Austin Nivison of CBS Sports ranked the projected ACC starting signal callers for the fall, and Grunkemeyer came in rather low.
Virginia Tech QB Ethan Grunkemeyer disrepected in CBS Sports QB rankings
Nivison ranked the Hokies' new quarterback sixth in the ACC, which feels a bit disrespectful after the season he had in 2025 and some of the other QBs on the list. Here is what he wrote.
"Grunkemeyer followed coach James Franklin from Penn State, and he gives the Hokies reason to believe they could be in for a quick turnaround. After Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury last fall, Grunkemeyer took over the starting job and performed admirably as a redshirt freshman. A four-star recruit in the 2024 signing class, he helped the Nittany Lions rattle off four straight wins to end their 2025 campaign. He threw for six touchdowns and zero interceptions over that span,'' wrote Nivison.
Grunkemeyer is young, but he brings a season of experience to Blacksburg, but it wouldn't be surprising if he finishes higher than his ranking at the end of the 2026 campaign. There is a lot to like about him going into 2026.