One Virginia Tech Position Battle That Has Already Taken An Interesting Turn At Fall Camp

Virginia Tech's wide receivers room features an amalgamation of speed and size.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech football is barreling towards its season opener against VMI on Sept. 5, and ahead of the opener, If there is one position group on Virginia Tech's roster that I think could look dramatically different — depending on how fall camp plays out — it may be wide receiver.

Ayden Greene returns after leading Virginia Tech in receiving last season, catching 31 passes for 516 yards and three touchdowns. Que'Sean Brown, meanwhile, arrives from Duke after a 64-catch, 846-yard, five-touchdown season that would have easily made him the Hokies' leading receiver in 2025. That would seem to make the battle for the top two spots fairly easy to project, but everything behind them is considerably more murky.

But everything behind them is considerably less clear.

Greene has already proven that he can be a productive option in Blacksburg, while Brown brings a résumé that immediately makes him one of the more accomplished pass-catchers on the roster. The question may not necessarily be which one emerges as the No. 1 receiver, but rather how Virginia Tech's new offensive staff distributes opportunities among the rest of the room.

Marlion Jackson is one of the more obvious candidates. The Louisiana Tech transfer comes to Blacksburg after putting together the best season of his career in 2025, when he recorded 20 receptions for 370 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 18.5 yards per catch.

That combination of size and explosiveness has already made Jackson an intriguing piece of the competition. Offensive coordinator Ty Howle has specifically pointed to Jackson's ability to run despite his size, giving the Hokies another potential downfield threat.

"You look at Marlion; he's a big guy, but he can still sink his hips and run," Howle said of the Louisiana Tech transfer. "He can run. He's dynamic, so he has a really nice combination of speed and size. And so we've been able to see that, obviously throughout the summer when he was getting back and rolling. But also, in these first three practices, you've seen how he can be one of these guys that can maybe take the top off the defense, but still be able to run the whole route."

Then there is Tyseer Denmark, another transfer with a connection to Franklin's time at Penn State. Denmark played in eight games for the Nittany Lions last season and finished with two receptions for 17 yards. His speed, however, gives Virginia Tech another player who could carve out a role if he takes a step forward in the new system. Jeff Exinor is another one of the Penn State imports; the redshirt freshman played in five games for the Nittany Lions last season, mostly on special teams.

Luke Stuewe is another name worth watching as the Hokies work through the depth chart. The former three-star did not see the field in his true freshman season (2025). And then there are two wildcards in Chanz Wiggins and Keylen "Brodie" Adams.

Both players are returning from injuries that kept them out of the 2025 season, making it difficult to know exactly where they fit into the current pecking order. That depth could ultimately be one of the biggest strengths of the group — though it is reliant on potential translating into production.

True freshman Davion "FatRat" Brown could factor into the equation, too. Brown was rated as a three-star by 247Sports coming out of Trinity Episcopal School (Richmond, Va.); he clocked in as the No. 61 wide receiver in the 2026 class and the No. 10 player in the state of Virginia. So far in fall camp, the true freshman has emerged as one of the surprising names mentioned in the room, creating a potential opportunity to break into the rotation immediately.

That depth could ultimately be one of the biggest strengths of the group. Virginia Tech's passing offense ranked near the bottom of the ACC last season, averaging a drab 166.3 passing yards per game.

There is reason to believe that number can improve in 2026. Ethan Grunkemeyer brings solid experience at quarterback after a 1,339-yard, eight-touchdown seven-game stint at Penn State in 2025. Brown brings proven production from Duke, Greene has already shown he can be a big-play threat, Jackson brings size and vertical ability, Denmark offers speed, and Wiggins and Adams bring the unknown upside that comes with returning from injury.

The biggest question may simply be how many of them can earn consistent roles. That is what makes the receiver room one of the more fascinating position battles to monitor as fall camp continues. That is what makes the receiver room one of the more fascinating position battles in my eyes to monitor as fall camp continues.