The Underrated Virginia Tech Player With The Most to Prove This Season

Which VT player is going under the radar but has a lot to prove this season?

Aug 31, 2025; Atlanta, Ga.; South Carolina linebacker Fred Johnson (0) tackles Virginia Tech tight end Benji Gosnell (82) | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Every season, there's usually a group of players going under the radar. For Virginia Tech, one sticks out to me in particular: senior tight end Benji Gosnell.

Gosnell will likely not start, despite the fact that he's started in every game for Virginia Tech for the last two seasons. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end, however, caught 12 passes for 86 receiving yards, and he did not reach the end zone last season.

That's the part that gives Gosnell something to prove.

Luke Reynolds will be the presumptive starter after totaling 368 yards over two seasons at Penn State. Reynolds hauled in all five of his targets for 69 yards during the spring game on April 18. Gosnell caught five of his seven targets for 34 yards, while last year's backup tight end Ja'Ricous Hairston totaled 58 yards on four catches. In total, Virginia Tech's tight ends reeled in 17 catches for 205 receiving yards at the spring game.

While Gosnell likely will be the second-string tight end in favor of Hairston, it's important to note that Hairston flashed more in the receiving game last year. The 6-foot-2, 251-pound tight end rolled up 112 receiving yards (room-high) and three receiving touchdowns (tied-team-high with wide receiver Ayden Greene) on 12 catches last year.

The road to a starting spot is difficult, if not untenable, for Gosnell; however, it is the nature of how Virginia Tech's offensive philosophy is shifting that warrants hope for Gosnell. Last year, the Hokies went 3-9 and the offensive attack under quarterback Kyron Drones was often stilted. The problem got worse with a leaky offensive line; under pressure, Drones logged just a 28.9 overall offensive grade (31.9 pass) and just under 40% of his dropbacks came under pressure.

Now, however, Virginia Tech has a new signal-caller at the helm: Ethan Grunkemeyer. The redshirt sophomore steps into Virginia Tech with much less starting experience, having started only seven games. However, he's been OK enough when dealing with pressure. When forced to throw under duress, Grunkemeyer has a 44.7 grade (41.8 pass), and 36.6% of his dropbacks were under pressure.

But when kept clean, Grunkemeyer's grade skyrockets all the way up to 76.2. Moreover, when dealing with passing direction, Grunkemeyer is stellar when it comes to short-yard throws. When operating with throws between zero and 10 yards, Grunkemeyer was 27-for-33 for 149 yards. Virginia Tech has a stronger quarterback under the helm, and that, in turn, should aid Gosnell.

Beyond Virginia Tech having what projects out as a better quarterback, the Hokies also have more of an emphasis on tight ends, as evidenced by the spring game.

Virginia Tech's 2026 season starts against VMI on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Coverage for the event will be available on the ACC Network.