Notes and Quotes from James Franklin's Sept. 23 Post-Practice Availability

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech football is three days away from its ACC opener vs. Boston College. Ahead of the Week 4 tussle with the Eagles, here are the most pertinent notes and quotes from head coach James Franklin's post-practice media availability on Wednesday.

No. 1: Are there any details surrounding injuries?

The most pressing topic was the status of left tackle Justin Terry, who left before the end of the first quarter of Virginia Tech's game against Maryland Saturday. Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland entered the game in his place and produced an OK performance.

In the final grades, Howland earned a 62.7 pass block grade which ranked No. 8 of 11 eligible players. Terry's total was a 49.4; Howland played 58 of a possible 82 snaps, while Terry occupied the other eight. Howland's run block grade of 55.7 ranked last of 18 Virginia Tech players on Saturday.

Howland's PFF grade on run block took a noticeable dip from Saturday's initial grades; in the early goings, he held a 75.4 pass-blocking grade, which was third on the team behind right guard Montavious Cunningham and right tackle Aidan Lynch.

Terry and wide receiver Ayden Greene were not seen at practice. As a result, both Howland and Layth Ghannam, who started the first three games at left guard, were working at left tackle. Running back Bill Davis was dressed Saturday but wasn't going through drills.

Did not see LT Justin Terry or WR Ayden Greene at practice today. We'll ask James Franklin about both in a bit. (First availability report comes out today, too).#Hokies worked both Logan Howland and Layth Ghannam at LT during 1-on-1s.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) September 23, 2026

Defensive tackle Emmett Laws was off to the side working with assistant strength and conditioning coach Jarrett Ferguson; he did not participate in team-specific drills that were open to the media.

Laws is out for Saturday's game, per the ACC initial availability reportr. Terry and Greene are both listed as questionable, as are Davis and wide receivers Luke Stuewe, Takye Heath and Shamarius "Snook" Peterkin. Stuewe was going through drills, while Heath and Peterkin were off to the side.

No. 2: What's the status around who serves as QB2?

Though Virginia Tech's starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (79-of-101 for 865 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions) has had a stellar start to the season, it's natural to look at what's behind him. Only one of Virginia Tech's other quarterbacks, UNC transfer Bryce Baker, has seen true collegiate action. Baker went 10-of-12 for 127 yards in the opener against VMI; he then went 1-of-2 for no yards against Old Dominion.

Behind Baker, there's Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn, both of whom have been on the scout team for each of the last three games and have not logged any snaps at the collegiate level. Ryan has three years of eligibility after this season; Huhn, four. After 2026, Grunkemeyer has two years of eligibility, while Baker has three years at his disposal.

No. 3: Corner coverage issues

Virginia Tech's secondary was leaky at times in Saturday's affair, enabling Terrapins signal-caller Malik Washington to complete 30 of his 43 passes for 359 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no picks. Seven of Washington's passes went for 17 or more yards.

Franklin touched on the topic Wednesday, saying that improvement is warranted in that area, though it's not a premium.

No. 4: Mason McKenzie has been a rushing threat, though he's a quarterback prone to lapses.

Washington has thrown for 223, 252, and 173 passing yards in Boston College's first three games of the season. He's thrown for 648 passing yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions.

In each of the last two games, McKenzie has thrown two interceptions. McKenzie completed 14 of his 21 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, logging a quarterback rating of 11.2.

"He's an undersized guy, but he is gutsy and he is competitive as heck," Franklin said of the D-II transfer. "I think he's probably more athletic than people give him credit for. After the game, you watch the game, you're like, wow, he was quicker, more competitive and more athletic than we anticipated him being. I think he's best outside the pocket, making plays as a thrower as well as a runner — and he's well-coached."

No. 5: Luke Reynolds, who's been on a tear, rares up for a home trip.

Reynolds hails from Westford, Mass., though he attended Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. After 368 receiving yards in 29 games at Penn State over two years, the junior tight end has blossomed in his first year with the Hokies. Through three games, Reynolds has caught 25 passes for 265 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Reynolds is the first Hokie tight end since at least 1987 to log back-to-back 100-yard games. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end totaled a career-high 108 yards on eight catches against Old Dominion Sept. 12, then followed that effort up with a 12-reception, 107-yard effort against Maryland this past Saturday.

"I'm not surprised with the results," said offensive coordinator Ty Howle. "... He eats, sleeps and breathes [the game]... it's been fun to watch his progression."

Also... weather, weather, weather.

Virginia Tech's tussle against Boston College is set for Saturday, Sept. 26 at 12 p.m. ET. Coverage for the contest will be carried on the ACC Network.

Add us as a preferred source on Google