Saturday's Game vs VMI is Important for all of Virginia Tech's QBs, Not Just Ethan Grunkemeyer

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Saturday's contest will not be a barnburner. It will not be the kind of down-to-the-wire showdown that has fans gripped to their seats. Rather, the allure of Virginia Tech football's 2026 season opener against VMI comes in a first true glimpse at the unknowns — and nowhere is that more apparent than at quarterback.

Last year, Virginia Tech stumbled to a 3-9 (2-6 ACC) record despite having one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the conference under center. Kyron Drones started all 12 games for the Hokies, throwing for 1,919 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding another 644 yards and nine scores on the ground. He did not pass the 200-yard mark in any of his last eight games and was held to 125 or less in each of the final five contests of the season.

As for this year, head coach James Franklin officially named Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer the Hokies' starting quarterback Monday. Grunkemeyer beat out North Carolina transfer Bryce Baker for the job.

Grunkemeyer started Penn State's final seven games last season after Drew Allar went down with an injury, completing 69 percent of his passes for 1,339 yards and eight touchdowns. More importantly, he helped the Nittany Lions finish the season on a four-game winning streak, capped by a victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.

The expectation should be for Grunkemeyer to receive the overwhelming majority of Virginia Tech's first-half snaps against VMI, particularly while the game remains competitive. There is value in allowing him to establish a rhythm with a new collection of skill-position players and an offensive line that has undergone significant turnover. But if Virginia Tech handles its business against an FCS opponent, Grunkemeyer's night probably should not last particularly long.

Franklin declined to name a backup quarterback Monday, leaving the pecking order behind Grunkemeyer as one of the remaining questions entering the opener. Baker, who Franklin said "was probably in the lead" for the backup spot Wednesday, appears to have the inside track after being Grunkemeyer's primary competition throughout the offseason, but Kelden Ryan and true freshman Troy Huhn round out a four-man quarterback room that could receive an extended look Saturday. Three quarterbacks seeing the field feels like a realistic expectation. All four isn't out of the question. Franklin hasn't confirmed a QB2 yet, though.

If Grunkemeyer handles the first half and perhaps the opening possession or two after halftime, Virginia Tech could use much of the final two quarters to evaluate Baker and Ryan. There would be little reason not to give Huhn his first collegiate snaps, too.

How Franklin and offensive coordinator Ty Howle divide those opportunities may offer the first tangible indication of Virginia Tech's quarterback hierarchy beyond its starter. If Baker, Ryan or Huhn enters, Saturday presents a relatively low-risk opportunity to see what each can do while operating something resembling the Hokies' actual offense.

There will naturally be an incentive to establish the ground game, especially behind an offensive line that needs an encouraging performance after Virginia Tech's struggles up front last season. But the Hokies already know considerably more about what several pieces of their rushing attack can provide than they do about the quarterbacks behind Grunkemeyer.

Does Baker receive the freedom to push the ball downfield? Does Ryan operate the same offense as Grunkemeyer, or does Virginia Tech lean more heavily on his athleticism? And if Huhn gets onto the field, how much of the playbook is Howle willing to put on the freshman's plate? How many of them actuall play?

Those answers aren't going to determine whether Virginia Tech beats VMI. The Hokies enter Saturday with an overwhelming talent advantage, and anything resembling a close game deep into the fourth quarter would create an entirely different set of Virginia Tech knows who its starting quarterback is. Saturday night could reveal more about everyone behind him.

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