When Penn State decided to fire James Franklin in October, it sent shockwaves not only through State College, but also through college football. As soon as he became available, Virginia Tech's search committee zeroed in on him and ended up getting him just over a month later as the Hokies next head coach.
As soon as the season ended for Penn State with a Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson at Yankee Stadium, some players who played a big part in that game had some decisions to make about their futures. One of those players was quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. He decided to enter the Transfer Portal and find a new home for 2026. It wasn't an easy decision, but once he got into the portal, the decision was easy as to where he was committing.
Virginia Tech QB Ethan Grunkemeyer explains how difficult it was to transfer from Penn State
Entering the portal is never an easy decision, but for Grunkemeyer, it was. He joined Adam Breneman's podcast and explained why it was a hard decision.
“I’m a loyal guy. I love Penn State. That place had given me opportunities. I wanted to be able to repay that. So it was really tough for me as a person,” Grunkemeyer said. “But sometimes, you just got to look past how you feel, and you just got to make the best decision for your future.”
So here's the deal: no matter how loyal someone is, the Transfer Portal and NIL will always make it easier to leave. That's the case currently, and it's college football's version of free agency in other sports. As far as following Franklin, quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien and the new offensive coordinator, Ty Howle, from Penn State, the decision was a no-brainer with the familiarity he had with them.
Leaving one place to go to another is never easy, but Grunkemeyer told Breneman that following his coaches from Penn State to Virginia Tech was an easy one. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and decisions need to be made. Now it's time to go make the most of them.
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