Five Most Important Notes From James Franklin's Sept. 2 Media Availability

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Just over three days separate Virginia Tech football from its season opener against VMI on Sept. 5. On Wednesday afternoon, head coach James Franklin spoke to the media following practice. Here's the five most important notes to glean from Franklin's session and from practice as we inch closer towards Saturday's opener:

No. 1: Does the backup quarterback situation have an answer? Yes... and no.

Now that a starting quarterback has been announced, the attention, perhaps rightfully so, turns to who will be the next man up. Franklin said that the competition for QB2 was open at Monday's press conference. In regard to which quarterbacks were out wearing orange game jerseys, Ethan Grunkemeyer, who was confirmed to start Saturday's game during Monday's press conference, and Bryce Baker were the only two quarterbacks that was adorning orange game jerseys at Wednesday's practice. Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn were both in white scout jerseys.

"The No. 2 role has not been decided yet," Franklin said. "It's been that close all camp. I would say Bryce is probably in the lead right now, but that decision has not been made yet."

No. 2: George Ballance will wear No. 25 this season.

Rather than a game-by-game decision, Ballance, a former walk-on that earned a scholarship in December 2025, will wear No. 25 for the entirety of the season, a breaking from the norm. Franklin remarked that the team had received permission from Frank Beamer to do so and that Ballance is "everything that epitomizes a Hokie football player." Ballance will be the team's special teams captain, per Franklin.

Talked to #Hokies linebacker — and newly-anointed captain — George Ballance about his parents' reaction to him having the chance to wear No. 25 for the entire season. Here's what he had to say: pic.twitter.com/2Dho2PhTuy
— Thomas Hughes (@thomashughes_05) September 2, 2026

"My mom and my dad were kind of starstruck," Ballance said. "My older brother, he played baseball here, but, like, he's always been the guy; he was probably more hardcore Hokie than I was. He knows everybody by first name, last name, everything, and so, just telling them, it was pretty cool. And they were like, man, it's a huge honor and what not. Just got to go out and play good football, go out there and honor it in the right way."

No. 3: D.Q. Smith was at practice going through individual drills.

Smith, who did not adorn a numbered jersey during practice, went through individual drills. He's a direct beneficiary of the Class of 2022 situation, which has declared certain athletes ineligible depending on whether a state-specific case is on the docket. When asked about whether Virginia Tech will pursue Class of 2022 athletes during fall camp, Franklin didn't shy away, saying that the team would do it if it was on a level playing field.

Smith wasn't working with the top safeties, so it's unreasonable to expect him to get playing time right off the bat. Down the line, however, could be a possibility if the Class of 2022 situation leans his way. He will not play in Saturday's opener against VMI due to the acclimation period mandated by the NCAA.

"We talked to the ACC and made sure that we were clear and good to go," Franklin said of bringing Smith into the team. "... It was an opportunity for us to bring a guy who started for four years in major college football and significant reps, and should really help us on defense and on special teams. So, we've talked about it really since I got the job about creating depth and competition at every single position, as long as our administration was good with it, the ACC was good with it and our leadership council was good with it."

Safety has been a point of emphasis for Virginia Tech, which operates with a lot of unproven players entering the 2026 season. Tyson Flowers is the most experienced option, though he struggled with tackling in 2025, posting a 45.4 grade in Pro Football Focus. Quentin Reddish slots in as the other starter, though he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury three games into the 2025 season after totaling 15 tackles.

"There's just a lot of guys at that position that haven't played a ton of football, so being able to create more competition in that room is important," Franklin said. "We've got to continue to develop depth. I do think there's some guys in that room that we're excited about taking the next step and think that they can. I also think a lot of those guys will play a bunch on special teams, which will help with their development and getting them ready for Game 1."

No. 4: The battle for the third wide receiver continues to be an interesting quandary.

True freshman Davion "FatRat" Brown earned the third reps during uncontested catches during Wednesday's practice, followed by Louisiana Tech transfer Marlion Jackson. While Ayden Greene and Que'Sean Brown have figured to lock up the top-two receiving spots, the third wide receiver spot seems like it could still be open for the taking from a gaggle of candidates.

No. 5: What did the defense look like?

Here's what the first line of defense looked like against the scout team. Aycen Stevens, Kemari Copeland, Elhadj Fall and Aycen Stevens made up the first team at defensive line, while Kaleb Spencer, Noah Chambers and Keon Wylie were the first-teamers at linebacker. As for the safeties, it was Tyson Flowers, who wore No. 1 at practice Wednesday after previously adorning No. 11, and Quentin Reddish. Nickel-turned-safety Knahlij Harrell was working with the second-team at safety.

As for the defensive line second-teamers, it was Mylachi Williams, Randy Adirika, Gerard Johnson III and Jason Abbey from left to right. Of note for the defensive line: Defensive tackle Emmett Laws was in uniform at practice, though he did not participate in any drills. Franklin remarked that the 6-foot redshirt sophomore has been ahead of pace.

"Way ahead of schedule right now, we've got to be smart about that," Franklin said of Laws' progress. "... What you're looking for is balance, right? Is one leg what percentage behind his other leg in terms of strength, in terms of movement, in terms of explosion, and he's way ahead of schedule. So, we'll be smart about that. But he's had the great attitude and he's had a great mindset, which to me is a big part of all this — how they approach it. He's been phenomenal. So he's a guy that we anticipate getting back here at some point, but when that is to be determined."

Virginia Tech's 2026 season kicks off against VMI on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, with viewing for the contest available on the ACC Network. The matchup between the two schools will be the first since 1984.

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