When the Transfer Portal opened earlier this month, you knew that there was going to be a lot of work being done by new Virginia Tech football coach James Franklin. There were a lot of needs for him to address in remaking the roster for the 2026 season.
It wasn't surprising to see Franklin go after several of his former players in the portal from Penn State. He has brought in a handful who are going to step in and make a big impact in 2026. After Indiana beat Miami in Monday night's National Championship Game, it didn't take long for the way-too-early Top 25's to be released. As they came out, Virginia Tech got some love from various outlets, including CBS Sports. On Thursday, they released the best Transfer Portal newcomer for every team ranked, and Virginia Tech's was a little bit of a surprise.
Penn State transfer Luke Reynolds tabbed Virginia Tech's best transfer this cycle
Cody Nagel of CBS Sports listed former Penn State tight end Luke Reynolds as the best transfer to make an impact in 2026 in Blacksburg.
"Virginia Tech's portal run looks less like shopping and more like a reunion tour, and Luke Reynolds tops the list of those following James Franklin from Penn State. The former five-star tight end never fully broke out in Happy Valley, but he still logged 26 catches for 257 yards across 13 games last season. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Reynolds brings a size-and-athleticism combo that gives the Hokies a true mismatch in the middle of the field. With Reynolds and 11 other former Nittany Lions following their coach to Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is importing a ready-made core that already understands the standard and the culture,'' Nagel wrote.
According to Cooper Petagna's 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings, Reynolds was the No. 2 tight end to enter the portal. It is not surprising that he is following Franklin to Virginia Tech. He will also have a familiar face throwing the ball to him in another Penn State transfer, quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.
This should be an exciting offense to watch in 2026 for the Hokies, led by Grunkemeyer, Reynolds, and some of the key retention Tech got from the 2025 roster. It would have been easy to pick Grunkemeyer, and, surprisingly, he wasn't named their best addition after the season he had for the Nittany Lions.