10 Hokies Land On Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000 Watch List

Ten Hokies were named to the Shriners Children's East-West Bowl 1000 Watch List. Here's the full list, organized in alphabetical order by last name:

wide receiver Que'Sean Brown
cornerback Isaiah Brown-Murray
defensive lineman Kemari Copeland
defensive lineman Elhadj Fall
tight end Benji Gosnell
running back Marcellous Hawkins
kicker John Love
tight end Luke Reynolds
linebacker Kaleb Spencer
cornerback Jaquez White

🔟 Hokies land on the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000 Watch List.#LetsGoHokies | @ShrinersBowl pic.twitter.com/7n60v2aIrX
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) July 22, 2026

Eight Hokies were previously tabbed to Athlon Sports' preseason All-ACC teams, while Phil Steele named nine. By contrast, the Shriners Children's Bowl 1000 East-West Bowl watch list operates irrespective of conferences, selecting from all over and constructing a deeper pool.

Brown, Copeland, Hawkins, Spencer and Love were unanimous nods to all three teams, while Brown-Murray was named to the East-West Watchlist and Athlon Sports' preseason All-ACC team. Defensive tackle Elhadj Fall was named by Steele and the East-West Watchlist, while long snapper Christian Epling and offensive lineman Layth Ghannam were tabbed to Phil Steele's preseason All-ACC list.

Athlon Sports tabbed center Kyle Altuner on their list; he will be a redshirt sophomore in the 2026 season after starting every game under center for the Hokies in 2025.

Copeland logged seven tackles for loss and 4.5 tackles for loss last season, punctuated by a three-sack game against Cal. He was named All-ACC Third Team in 2025, and he is the only All-ACC returnee. Brown finished with 846 receiving yards and five scores as a redshirt sophomore at Duke, totaling 178 yards against Arizona State in the Sun Bowl.

Reynolds comes to Tech after two years at Penn State where he combined for 368 receiving yards and one touchdown. He finished with a game-high 69 receiving yards' in the Hokies' spring game April 18. Gosnell, who will be a redshirt senior, has started in every game the past two seasons for the Hokies. In 2025, he recorded 86 receiving yards on 12 catches; his strongest season came the season prior, where he totaled 341 receiving yards and two scores on 32 catches.

Hawkins was the Hokies' primary back last season, finishing with a team-high 749 rushing yards. He logged 167 rushing yards against California and 101 against Florida State.

Fall enters his second season with Virginia Tech after three at Georgia Southern. Fall started six games, finishing with 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He finished with a 63.0 defensive grade on PFF.

Like Fall, Brown-Murray enters his second season at Tech after three years at another school. Brown-Murray moved to the Hokies in 2025 after three seasons at East Carolina. He totaled 63 tackles in his time with the Pirates. In 2025, he started every game for the Hokies; he recorded 39 tackles (29 unassisted), two tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception.

Love was named All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2023 and 2024, and he has never missed a PAT in his collegiate career. He booted two made field goals of 50-plus yards, and he went 15-for-20 last year.

Spencer produced a team-high 67 tackles, logging 31 unassisted stops and also producing nine TFLs. He finished with a 76.2 PFF grade against the run, though his overall grade sat at 58.4 (No. 32/47).

White was ranked as the No. 13 cornerback in the FBS by PFF defensive grades, finishing with a 87.4 tally. His coverage grade sat at 86.8 (No. 21 of 878) and his run defense stood at a 88.2 (No. 21 of 876).

Virginia Tech's 2026 season starts on Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Hokies host VMI at Lane Stadium. The contest — James Franklin's first as the head coach of Virginia Tech — will get underway at 7:30 p.m. ET, and it will be broadcast on the ACC Network.

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