2026 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 11: Virginia Tech
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This is the 11th edition of Miami Hurricanes on SI's breakdown of each team on the 2026-27 Miami Hurricanes football schedule.
When James Franklin and Penn State parted ways last year, it set the wheels in motion for one of the most thrilling offseason coaching carousels in recent memory. Now, in his new role as the head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies, Franklin will be tasked with managing the ACC gauntlet.
By the time the Hokies and the Hurricanes meet in Coral Gables later this year, most questions about Franklin's first year at the helm will be answered. For now, though, questions abound, meaning there's still plenty to learn about the new-look Hokies.
The Offense
One of Franklin's calling cards is that his offense almost always consistently puts up points. That's to be expected this year, too, as Franklin and his long-time offensive coordinator at Penn State, Ty Howle, looked to improve the skill positions across the board through the portal.
One position that needed little improvement, though, was running back. Marcellous Hawkins is back for another year with the Hokies following a 2025 campaign that saw him average more than six yards per carry. He'll be paired with former Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns powerback Bill Davis, who, at 230 lbs, runs just like his name suggests.
But by far the biggest boon for the Hokies will be their new man under center, Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer. The former Nittany Lion saw significant action last season and completed 69% of his passes. With a more stable foundation, he's expected to be the starter. However, North Carolina transfer Bryce Baker is a redshirt freshman that the program has its eye on.
The receiving corps got a much-needed overhaul. The highlighted returner is Ayden Greene, the Hokies' leading receiver from last year. He'll be paired with Duke transfer Que'Sean Brown, who hauled in nearly 850 yards last year, along with Marlion Jackson of Louisiana Tech. Jackson is penciled in as one of the team's premier deep threats this year.
The OL will return a lot of experience. That being said, they weren't incredibly good last year and will need to find ways to establish the run in Franklin's offense to be successful. The skill positions are much improved, but it all starts up front for this Hokies squad.
Defense
By the time the Hurricanes see the Hokies make the road trip down to Miami, the verdict should be in on the Brent Pry experiment. For those who didn't keep up with the offseason carousel, Pry was fired as the VT head coach, then rehired by Franklin and company as the defensive coordinator, meaning that Pry was essentially demoted just to bring in Franklin.
It's an odd situation, and while some believe that there will be no issues, I don't see it unfolding that way. Any time two true head coaches are forced to share a program, things can get tense. Couple that with the possibility that the Franklin era doesn't start off the right way, and things could get dicey.
But whether Pry is around or not, having Franklin in the building will quickly enhance one part of the defense: The pass rush. You can judge Franklin all you want for how he struggled against the true upper echelon of college football, but you can't deny that his programs simply churn out stud edge rushers.
VT knew it had holes to fill on defense and went and found a plethora of transfers to get it done in time. One of whom, Keon Wylie, came over from the LB factory that is Penn State to pair with the team's leading tackler from 2025, Kaleb Spencer. Together, those two are going to create problems over the middle of the field for opposing offenses.
The defensive side of the ball is where Franklin has to work hardest to improve the Hokies' staff, and even then, it probably won't be enough to stop the Hurricanes.
Schedule
By this juncture, Miami should solely be worried about closing out the regular season 3-0 and winning the ACC title. The schedule makes it so that the lone true Top-5-ish opponent the Hurricanes should run up against will be Notre Dame, and if they handle business against Duke, beating up on a Virginia Tech team trying to make it through the first term of a new head coach shouldn't be too much to ask.
Additionally, Miami should have just come off a win against Duke in response to a Notre Dame loss, if my predictions land, and should still be carrying a chip on their shoulder as they eye the postseason. I have the 'Canes in this one by a lot.
Outlook
If the Hurricanes' only loss at this point is to a highly ranked Notre Dame team, then they should still be a lock for the conference championship. At this point, only the seeding will matter, and the Hurricanes will want to be seeded as high as possible.
That means ending the season on a three-game win streak, which, given the competition, shouldn't be too tall a task. The Hurricanes should win this one to improve their record to 10-1 on the 2026 campaign.
The Game
Date: November 21
Time: TBA
TV: TBA
Location: Hard Rock Stadium
Series History: Miami leads 27-15
Last Meeting: 2025
The Team
The Coach: James Franklin
Offensive Coordinator: Ty Howle
Defensive Coordinator: Brent Pry
2025 Record: 3-9
2025 Rankings: 114th Total Offense, 107th Total Defense
Players to Watch: Ethan Grunkemeyer, QB, So.
Top Newcomer: Que'Sean Brown, WR, Duke
Biggest Question: Can the offense improve enough to outweigh a work in progress on defense?
The School
Location: Blacksburg, VA
Founded: February 13, 1872
Enrollment: ~17,500 students
Nickname: Hokies
Colors: Chicago Maroon, Burnt Orange
Mascot (Symbols): The HokieBird
The Program
Last Win in the Series: 2019
Last ACC Title: 2010
National Championships: NA
Playoff Appearances: NA
Last missed bowl season: 2025
Heisman Trophies: 0
The Schedule
November 21, Time TBA, Virginia Tech Hokies @ Miami Hurricanes
This is the 11th story in Miami Hurricanes on SI's early preview series of all 12 regular-season opponents for Miami football in 2026.
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Tanner Marlar is a contributing writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI who has covered collegiate athletics at the local and national levels for nearly a decade, including at Cowbell Country, Mississippi State On SI, Boston College On SI, and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. As a former beat writer, Tanner strives to give thought provoking and exciting coverage to readers who want to know the very best current information about their team.
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