Ten Things to Know Before Virginia Tech's Season Opener vs. VMI

The highly anticipated James Franklin era begins Saturday. Here's what you need to know.

Blacksburg, VA — James Franklin standing at the exit of the tunnel during Enter Sandman. Spring game, 2026. | Virginia Tech Athletic

The last time Virginia Tech played VMI, Bruce Smith was a senior, and the two schools met in the Oyster Bowl in Norfolk. Saturday night closes a 42-year gap and opens the James Franklin era. Ten things to know before kickoff.

1. Franklin's Head Coaching Debut

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET at a sold-out Lane Stadium on ACC Network. Franklin was hired Nov. 17, 2025, and hasn't coached a game since Penn State fired him last October. He brings a 128-60 career record and a habit of burying people in Week 1. His last three season openers were won by 35, 22 and 23 points.

2. Ethan Grunkemeyer Makes His First Start at Virginia Tech

Franklin named Ethan Grunkemeyer his starter Monday and made him a team captain. The redshirt sophomore followed him from Penn State, where he started the final seven games after Drew Allar's injury and won the last four, completing 69.1 percent of his throws for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.

"He's been the leader in the clubhouse for a number of practices, and maybe weeks," Franklin said.

The backup job remains open among Bryce Baker, Kelden Ryan and Troy Huhn.

3. Brent Pry Returns

Virginia Tech fired Pry on Sept. 14, 2025, the morning after a 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion dropped the Hokies to 0-3. He is back as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at $1.5 million a year. Pry ran Franklin's defense at Penn State for six seasons before taking the Tech job.

4. VMI Will Utilize the Triple Option

VMI announced Ingram as its 34th head coach on Dec. 30, 2025. He spent 16 years at Navy and went 16-6 in two seasons running the triple option at Division II Carson-Newman. That offense came with him. Nobody else on Virginia Tech's schedule runs it, which makes Saturday a test of eye discipline more than scheme.

5. The Keydets' Week Zero Result

VMI opened Aug. 29 at Idaho State and lost, 38-10. The Keydets ran 52 times for 229 yards, and three quarterbacks combined to go 5-for-9 for 11 yards through the air. They finished with 240 total yards, 92 of them in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Chandler Wilson led the way with 62 rushing yards on seven carries.

6. The Betting Line and Projections

FanDuel opened Virginia Tech as a 51.5-point favorite, with the number settling near 50.5 and a total of 57.5. Bill Connelly's SP+ projects a 68-0 final and a 100 percent win probability. The Hokies rank No. 36 in the final preseason SP+ after gaining 18.7 points on their 2025 rating, the second-largest jump in the country. VMI ranks No. 376 across all divisions.

7. The 80th Meeting

The series began in 1894 and ran almost annually through 1984, mostly on Thanksgiving Day at Victory Stadium in Roanoke. The schools sit 84 miles apart and shared the Southern Conference from 1924 to 1964. Virginia Tech leads 49-25-5 and has won nine of the last 10, the exception being a 6-0 VMI shutout in 1981. The last meeting came Oct. 6, 1984, at Foreman Field, with Virginia Tech winning 54-7.

8. The Orange Effect and Lane Stadium's New Lighting

Saturday is the annual Orange Effect, and it doubles as the debut of the Virginia Tech Gameday Experience. Lane Stadium spent the offseason installing a new LED lighting system and a higher-resolution video board, along with new speakers and rerouted concourse audio. The lights are designed to react to the in-venue production, which means Enter Sandman under the lights should look different than it did a year ago.

9. Danny Rocco Faces His Old Team

The man who recruited and coached most of VMI's roster now works for the Hokies. Rocco stepped down after three seasons in Lexington, going 5-6 in 2023 and 1-11 in each of the next two, to join Franklin as a senior analyst. His son, David, coaches tight ends on the same staff.

10. Players to Watch

Kemari Copeland started all 12 games in 2025 with 48 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and an interception, earning third-team All-ACC. He broke the program bench press record at 510 pounds this offseason, and VMI allowed 33 sacks a year ago. Duke transfer Que'Sean Brown arrives with 64 catches for 846 yards, Marcellous Hawkins returns after 749 rushing yards, and Ayden Greene led the team with 516 receiving yards.