How Virginia Tech Stars Can Impress in Season Opener vs VMI

The lights come on at Lane Stadium on Saturday night, the orange fills the bowl, and Virginia Tech starts over.

For the first time since James Franklin was fired at Penn State and landed in Blacksburg, the Hokies take the field with a new head coach, a nearly rebuilt roster and a pile of expectations they haven't earned yet. Kickoff against VMI is set for 7:30 p.m. on the ACC Network, the first meeting between the schools since 1984. The opponent won't do much to test anybody. The Keydets went 1-11 last fall and haven't had a winning season since 2021.

So the final score won't teach you anything. The individual tape might. Here are five Hokies worth watching when Tech opens the Franklin era, and what a strong night would actually look like for each.

Ethan Grunkemeyer, QB

This is the one everybody showed up to see. Grunkemeyer followed Franklin from Penn State, where he spent two seasons in the program and started seven games down the stretch in 2025 after Drew Allar's season-ending injury. He completed 69.1 percent of his throws for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions, then saved his best for last: a career-high 262 yards and two scores in a Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson.

What a good night looks like: not the yardage. Against a 1-11 FCS defense, the number that matters is how fast he processes. Decisive reads, clean footwork on the rare pressure he'll see, and a couple of downfield throws that show why Franklin wanted him badly enough to bring him along.

Marcellous Hawkins, RB

If this offense has an identity right now, it's Hawkins. The Oklahoma City product and former Central Missouri transfer led Tech with 749 rushing yards on 6.3 a carry in 2025, and he did it behind a passing game too shaky to keep defenses honest. He forced 44 missed tackles and gained 562 yards after first contact, ran for 167 against California, and posted a second 100-yard game against Florida State.

What a good night looks like: an easy early 100 yards and a long touchdown that lets Franklin rest him by the third quarter. Hawkins setting the tempo on the ground is how the Hokies want to live this fall.

Ayden Greene, WR

The 6-foot-1 Knoxville native led Tech with 31 catches for 516 yards and three touchdowns last season, a 16.6-yard average that made him the offense's one dependable big-play threat. His best outing came late, with five grabs for 95 yards against Miami.

What a good night looks like: chemistry with a brand-new quarterback. One or two explosive shots down the field, and you'll know the Grunkemeyer-to-Greene connection is running ahead of schedule.

Kemari Copeland, DT

Copeland started all 12 games in 2025 and finished with 48 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and a team-high 4.5 sacks, including a three-sack night against California that made him the first Tech defensive tackle with three in a game since J.C. Price in 1995. He was the Hokies' only All-ACC pick to return, and he spent the offseason breaking the school bench-press record at 510 pounds and climbing to No. 7 on Bruce Feldman's annual Freaks List.

What a good night looks like: constant backfield presence. VMI's line won't have an answer, so this is Copeland's chance to set the standard for Brent Pry's defense.

Jacquez White, CB

Virginia Tech's secondary needed a proven ball-hawk, and White is exactly that. The Georgia native e earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors in 2025 after piling up 67 tackles, 3.5 for loss, three interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. He's in line to start at cornerback opposite returner Isaiah Brown-Murray.

What a good night looks like: a quiet one in coverage, and ideally a loud one on the ball. The Keydets won't test him often if he's locking down his side, but a takeaway or a couple of breakups would be the first sign that his Sun Belt production travels to the ACC.

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