Ranking Virginia Tech's Top Five Transfer Portal Acquisitions

An all-time transfer class for James Franklin and the Hokies has talent ready to contribute in the present and future.

Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Luke Reynolds (85) celebrates after converting a fake punt against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The praise has been sung for months now surrounding the impact James Franklin has already made on Virginia Tech. The Hokies have gone from one of the ACC's weakest teams to a dark horse to take the conference title. Their 2026 schedule has a good blend of challenges to truly test if that precedent will hold. What can't be denied is the ceiling that's been built.

The two-week race to build the high school recruiting class showed the grit the Hokies' staff has. It was said over and over that they were going to waste no time getting players to buy into Blacksburg. Bringing together the school's best class of the decade in that span became a major selling point heading into the transfer portal. People were rallying behind the Franklin comeback tour faster than ever, and it set up a home run transfer portal.

Virginia Tech finished with one of the top portal classes in both the conference and the country. It was more than from Penn State commits. Franklin was tapping into talent pools from the Power Four and Group of Six. He valued building a roster that was competitive in every facet, including internal competition. Many of the names brought in are expected to make an impact sooner rather than later. Here are the five players who stand out the most among a stacked transfer class.

1. TE Luke Reynolds

He has everything a scout looks for in a dominant tight end. His strong, lengthy frame allows him to be an every-down tight end. He can hold his own in the trenches and extend plays in the open field with ease. He'll instantly come in as the top target beside Benji Gosnell. The heavy personnel sets that the Hokies will be able to run could become a headache for the defense to stop. The possibilities in the run game, play-action passes, and RPO concepts are endless. Reynolds could be the key to unlocking Howle's success as a play caller. After losing out on Virginia product Tyler Warren when Howle was at Penn State, this feels like the Hokies' next best chance at producing a product of that caliber.

2. WR Que'Sean Brown

He was the second-hand man to Cooper Barkate, who finished second in the ACC in receiving with 1,106. He was the perfect complement to one of the nation's best wideouts and built a strong connection with Darrian Mensah as the year progressed. Brown totalled 846 yards and five touchdowns on 64 catches. He ranked eighth in the ACC in receiving yardage and is entering a situation similar to last year. The Hokies have their downfield threat in Ayden Greene and intriguing receivers to line up opposite of him in Keylen Adams and Marlion Jackson. Brown can open up a wealth of opportunities for those players and, in turn, see the same openings he had at Duke last season. The x-factor in all of that is the quarterback facilitating those plays.

3. QB Ethan Grunkemeyer

His first taste as a starting quarterback was against some of the country's elite programs. Ohio State and Iowa had their way with the Nittany Lions, while Indiana was on upset watch the entirety of the game. The fight Gurnke showed was enough to get fans bought in on his potential. As he got settled, the level of play continuously rose. He went undefeated after their loss to the Hoosiers, throwing for 777 yards, six touchdowns, zero interceptions, and an average passer rating of 192.9 over that span. 2026 will be the perfect opportunity for Grunkemeyer to prove that the run wasn't magic.

4. DE Javion Hilson

The Cocoa alum was one of the top edge prospects in the 2025 class. He won two state championships in four years and was an absolute wrecking ball. He has an ideal frame to be an every-down edge. He was an inevitable force in the backfield, finishing with 202 tackles, 61.0 tackles for loss, and 38.5 sacks in his final three years at Cocoa.

It'll take some time before he returns to the usage he had in high school. The front seven is highly valued by Brent Pry and has some opening off the edge. Hilson could capitalize on his potential as soon as next year and make the same impact plays he became accustomed to in Florida.

5. DB Jaquez White

Jaquez White is an answer to multiple problems. The All-Sun Belt Second Team corner tallies 67 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions in 2025. He'll fit into the same role Lovett had to start the year. White will also serve as a much-needed veteran for young corners like Joshua Clark and Jojo Crim, who saw increased reps as the season carried on. The secondary was arguably the weakest unit on the team last season. White could be a step towards reshaping the group's outlook in 2026.