Going into spring practices, there are questions that new Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin needs to answer. One position that was loaded and might not have enough reps to go around was at quarterback.
Virginia Tech had five quarterbacks: Ethan Gurnkemeyer, a Penn State transfer; Bryce Baker, a North Carolina transfer; incoming freshman Troy Huhn; and returners Kelden Ryan and A.J. Brand. However, there is one less signal caller after Brand made the move to wide receiver. It opens the door for the Hokies to get creative on offense in 2026.
After Franklin confirmed the move, he balked at the idea that there is a "crowded" wide receiver room for Virginia Tech going into the fall.
James Franklin balks at crowded wide receiver room for Virginia Tech in 2026
There are a lot of talented players in the Hokies locker room at wide receiver. Ayden Greene returns, along with several young players who are looking to crack the lineup. Duke transfer Que'Sean Brown could be a big playmaker for Virginia Tech this upcoming season. However, Franklin still doesn't see it as a crowded room.
“Well, first of all,'' said Franklin, "I’m going to be honest, I don’t see it like you guys. I hate when you say ‘a crowded room,’ because I don’t see it that way. To me, a crowded room is we got three or four guys, or two or three guys, that were first-team All-ACC. There’s a ton of opportunities for guys to get on the field. Crowded to me means there’s not opportunities for guys to make a name for themselves. We don’t have that.
"We got AG, who’s been an established guy here for a while. And then we got a bunch of guys battling AG and others. I don’t see it as crowded. Crowded is you got nine starters back on offense and nine starters back on defense, that a bunch of them made first-team All-ACC or second-team All-ACC, but we’re not in that position.”
There is no doubt that it is a crowded room, whether Franklin wants to admit it or not. However, is that a bad thing? The more competition, the better. Greene made his feelings known earlier this week about the room and the overall depth of the roster, and just how deep it is compared to last season's 3-9 roster.
Depth and competition is good and the Hokies have plenty of that this spring.