Predicting Virginia Tech's Major Statistical Leaders Three Weeks Before Season Opener

Three weeks before kickoff, here's a prediction for which Virginia Tech players will lead the Hokies in the major statistical categories this season.

Virginia Tech Athletics

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Three weeks from now, the first chapter of the James Franklin era at Virginia Tech will officially be written. For now, though, there is still plenty of time for predictions.

With the Hokies roughly three weeks away from opening the 2026 season, fall camp has provided a clearer picture of which players are poised to become the statistical leaders of Franklin's first team. Some choices feel relatively obvious. Others remain far more difficult to project.

Here are my predictions for Virginia Tech's major statistical leaders entering the final stretch of the preseason.

Passing: Ethan Grunkemeyer

This one feels like the safest bet of the bunch.

Grunkemeyer enters the season as the unquestioned starting quarterback after making seven starts for Penn State in 2025. He completed 69.1% of his passes for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions, gaining valuable experience while operating in a high-level offense.

Virginia Tech's offense should also give him ample opportunities to throw. With Ayden Greene and Que'Sean Brown at wide receiver and Luke Reynolds at tight end, there are weapons around him.

Rushing: Marcellous Hawkins

The running back room might be Virginia Tech's deepest offensive position.

Hawkins led the Hokies with 749 rushing yards last season and is projected to enter 2026 as the starter. Jeffrey Overton Jr. also showed plenty of promise, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 25 attempts last season.

Bill Davis is another legitimate candidate after rushing for 763 yards and six touchdowns at Louisiana in 2025, but fall camp has reinforced that Hawkins and Overton are currently ahead of him. That makes Hawkins the logical choice — even if the gap between him and Overton should be smaller than last season. If talking touchdowns, I also believe Hawkins in the logical choice there given that more red-zone carries will be available with the graduation of Virginia Tech's previous signal-caller Kyron Drones.

Receiving: Que'Sean Brown

This might be the most interesting offensive race.

Brown arrives from Duke after going for 846 yards and five touchdowns last season. He was one of the more productive wide receivers available in the transfer portal and immediately gives Grunkemeyer a proven target.

Greene, meanwhile, is coming off a 516-yard, three-touchdown season and has been competing with Brown for the top spot in the receiver room. I think Brown's combination of production, versatility and established chemistry as a high-volume target gives him the slight edge. For receiving touchdowns, however, I think it could come down to a mix of either Green, Brown or tight end Luke Reynolds, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a tie like there was last year between Greene and tight end Ja'Ricous Hairston (both three)

Tackles: Kaleb Spencer

There is a strong case to be made for several Virginia Tech defenders, but Spencer is my pick to lead the team in tackles given that he did so last year.

Last year, Spencer recorded 67 tackles, including 31 solo stops. He also led the team with nine tackles for loss. Virginia Tech's defense is undergoing significant personnel changes, but Spencer remains one of its most experienced pieces. With Brent Pry returning as defensive coordinator and a revamped front seven around him, Spencer should once again find himself around the football frequently.

With Brent Pry returning as defensive coordinator and a revamped front seven around him, Spencer should once again find himself around the football frequently.

Sacks: Kemari Copeland

Copeland feels like the most reliable bet to lead Virginia Tech in sacks.

The senior defensive tackle has already established himself as one of the Hokies' most disruptive defenders, and his ability to generate pressure from the interior gives him a particularly valuable role in Brent Pry's defense. While I think his numbers may not be a huge jump from 2025, Virginia Tech's edge rushers appear to be raw as of right now, potentially opening the door for Copeland.

Interceptions: Kenny Woseley Jr., Quentin Reddish

I think this feels like one of the more difficult statistical categories to predict entering the season given the uncertainty surrounding Virginia Tech's secondary as a whole entering this season.

Both Reddish and Woseley have the opportunity to become major pieces in Virginia Tech's secondary, and both have the ball skills to capitalize when opposing quarterbacks make mistakes. Woseley's experience gives him a slight edge in terms of predictability, but Reddish has the potential to emerge as one of the Hokies' biggest playmakers on the back end after producing solid numbers in the first three games of the 2025 season.