Simulating The Next Five Seasons For Virginia Tech On EA Sports' 'College Football 27'

How do the Hokies fare over the next five years on lead editor Thomas Hughes' simulation?

Virginia Tech Athletics

EA Sports' "College Football 27" game has now dropped for early access. The Hokies, who come into the game with an 81 overall rating, sport a newcomer at the quarterback position in Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer. How do Grunkemeyer and the rest of Virginia Tech football fare in my CFB27 simulation of the next five seasons?

[Editor's note: The five-season project is also conducted via simulation and uses no user-based inputs throughout the entirety of the simulation.]

2026 Season (Year 1/5)

Virginia Tech opens the season with four straight wins, including a 25-24 comeback victory over Maryland. The Hokies enter Week 5 ranked in the top-25 for the first time since Week 3 of 2021 as Luke Reynolds, Que'Sean Brown and Takye Heath emerge as the Hokies' main receiving threats and Jeff Overton operates as a solid complement to incumbent No. 1 Marcellous Hawkins.

Virginia Tech also stuns Clemson with a 24-21 victory for its first victory in Memorial Stadium since 2009 to move to 7-1. However, from there, Virginia Tech's momentum peters out. The Hokies' lone victory in the final five games of the season is a 20-13 win over Stanford, and Virginia Tech loses to SMU and Miami by 34-10 and 28-3 margins, respectively. The then-No. 17 Hokies then lose to UVa. 20-13 in the regular-season finale as the Cavaliers make it to their first CFP ever. Virginia Tech ultimately ended the season 8-5 (5-4 ACC) after losing the Holiday Bowl to Oregon State.

After the season, Virginia Tech loses Reynolds and Jeff Overton to the transfer portal, as well as Que'Sean Brown, Takye Heath and Ethan Grunkemeyer. Kelden Ryan also leaves to become the backup at Southern Mississippi. Overton leaves for Virginia, while Reynolds and Heath set up shop at Ohio and Vanderbilt, respectively. Grunkemeyer and Brown do not find a roster.

South Carolina wins the national championship 38-21 over Oregon.

Record: 8-5 (5-4 ACC)

2027 Season (Year 2/5)

Bryce Baker enters the season as the starting quarterback over Troy Huhn and AI-generated player KJ Towers, but the three end up interchanging snaps in a triumvirate at the position. Virginia Tech drops its opener to No. 11 Notre Dame, 34-27, and it bounces back with a 28-21 win over Liberty.

The lowlights continue with a 31-28 loss to NC State before getting blown out by Georgia Tech, 42-7. Though the Hokies bounces back with their first win — a 24-23 nailbiter over SMU — they then lose their next three to Maryland (38-27), North Carolina (38-24) and Miami (28-14) to fall to 2-6. Though Virginia Tech wins three of its last four, it comes at little solace as the Hokies finish 5-7 (4-5 ACC) and lose to UVa. in a 38-7 blowout to close the year.

As a result of Virginia Tech's 5-7 (4-5 ACC) campaign, the Hokies move on from Franklin and pivot to Georgia Tech's Brent Key. The Yellow Jackets bring in Eliah Drinkwitz from Mizzou as the replacement, while Franklin moves to Air Force as the new offensive coordinator.

Ole Miss wins the national title game, 24-20, over Oklahoma.

Record: 5-7 (4-5 ACC)

2028 Season (Year 3/5)

AI-generated player Connor Droogsma takes over for the team and throws for 2,628 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Fellow AI-generated player Lynn Kashama totals 625 rushing yards and six scores on the ground, rolling up 427 yards after contact. The Hokies sport three 600-yard-plus pass-catchers, all of which are generated players: wide receivers Kareem Crowther (661 yards, five TDs) and Brian Craver (636 yards, three touchdowns), and tight end Tom Larson (630 yards, three touchdowns). On the defense, Brennan Johnson, who's switched to linebacker, posts 82 tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Christian Evans rolls up 17 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.

Virginia Tech opens the season relatively strong with a pair of one-score wins over Maryland (20-19) and Liberty (24-21). For there, though, things bottom out. The Hokies sustain five losses in a row, falling to No. 15 Pitt, UNC, Duke, No. 14 Louisville and No. 3 Miami. Virginia Tech does rebound, beating California and Boston College — and it beats Virginia in a 16-14 thriller for its first victory since 2024. Still, the Hokies finish 5-7 for a second consecutive season, which includes a 52-7 blowout loss to Notre Dame.

Elsewhere, Air Force, with Franklin as OC, goes 2-10. Oklahoma and Ole Miss rematch in the title, with the Sooners handing the then- 15-0 Rebels their first loss in a 25-22 barnburner.

Record: 5-7 (3-6 ACC)

2029 Season (Year 4/5)

Droogsma transfers to Vanderbilt, leaving generated player Christian Vujnovich in charge of the offense. He goes 190-for-320 for 2,469 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, chipping in 454 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Virginia Tech boasts a versatile rushing attack with three 300-yard-plus players: tailbacks George Burnett (568 yards, three touchdowns) and Jibreel Ruggs (368 yards, one touchdown, plus Vujnovich. Crowther totals 846 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Keylen Adams posts 487 receiving yards nad two scores as the Hokies' No. 3 wideout.

Virginia Tech loses twice to open the season, but it bounces back with three straight wins — including a 33-10 win over Maryland and a top-25 upset of No. 18 Miami (OH) with a 38-10 domination. Still, Virginia Tech loses three straight from Weeks 10-12, and it finally loses its shutout streak when Louisville holds Tech scoreless in a 44-0 pummeling. Virginia Tech ultimately goes 6-6 (3-6 ACC) in the regular season, winning its regular-season finale over Virginia, 24-16, to qualify for a Bowl.

The Hokies are invited to the Frisco Bowl, where they defeat Tulsa 38-28 for the first bowl win in the five-year simulation.

Air Force goes 3-9 with Franklin, while Oklahoma goes back-to-back, beating No. 3 Indiana this time by a 28-21 margin.

Record: 7-6 (3-6 ACC)

2030 Season (Year 5/5)

Vujnovic breaks out with a true all-time Virginia Tech season, compiling 5,100 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and 17 touchdowns; Brian Crouch also totals 1,594 yards and 14 scores on the ground while Vujnovich chips in 764 yards and 23 scores. Crowther drops a jaw-dropping 2,100 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final year of eligibility before heading off to the NFL.

Virginia Tech, however, sustains blowout losses to No. 4 Clemson and No. 11 Miami by 34-12 and 45-0 final scores. It also falls to No. 12 Pittsburgh (27-24) and Georgia Tech (24-6), but bounces back with a 24-21 thriller over Virginia to deny the Cavaliers bowl eligibility.

Virginia Tech, which finishes with a 9-4 (6-3 ACC) record, ends the season with a 38-10 blowout win in the Holiday Bowl over six-win Washington State.

Clemson, now coached by Jeff Brohm, wins the championship with a 30-24 conquest of Texas A&M. Air Force goes 5-7 in Franklin's third year as OC.

Record: 9-4 (6-3 ACC)

Virginia Tech's final 5-year record: 33-29 (21-24 ACC)