Three Big Tests Ty Howle Faces with Virginia Tech's Offense

Ty Howle is the third offensive play caller in as many years for Virginia Tech. That leads to a relatively low bar set for expectations, especially given the production from 2025.

His experience as a tight end's coach may leave some heads scratching in terms of offensive ideology. He's had the opportunity to call some games, but not to install an entire system as he will in Blacksburg. Most assistant coaches who make the transfer to play caller have experience working with the focal points of their system. With Howle, he brings a blend of both pass and run game expertise, with the product he was a part of putting out with Penn State.

The Nittany Lions have become an NFL machine for tight ends under Howle. Tyler Warren, Brenton Strange, and Pat Freiermuth are just a couple of the names that have gone on to become some of the top talents at their position. All are dynamic pass-catching options who could hold their own in the trenches. He's proven he can develop players, but how will Howle command a whole unit?

"The most explosive thing you can do is push the ball vertically down the field, but you've got to earn the right to do that through the run game," Howle stated during his opening presser. "The vision is to be explosive, tough, to limit our turnovers and do what our players do best."

The symbiosis between the run and pass threat within Howle's system is at the heart of the operation. But with no visual proof, what will test his ability to install this new offense effectively?

Two Headed Monster

Retaining both Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton was arguably the biggest win of the offseason for the Hokies. Hawkins led the team with 749 yards on an efficient 6.3 yards per carry. The problem with how he was used was when those carries were given. Virginia Tech struggled to drive down to the red zone, and when they did, Hawkins was typically left out. He finished the year with just one rushing touchdown.

Overton spent the better portion of his freshman season rehabbing a major knee injury. Once he made his debut, it was triumphant. The Hayfield graduate was poised for a big play every time he touched the ball. Despite limited play, he managed to sell fans on his upside in just 26 touches. He was the most exciting part of a relatively stale end to the season against Miami and Virginia. If Howle stands by his vision, getting these two on the same page will be essential for the 2026 season.

Hawkins has to be the early down back. He proved he could fit in with multiple run schemes and make plays as a pass catcher. He's a bowling ball back that grinds out extra yardage, something that should lead to a massive spike in red zone usage. Overton is the perfect pace back early in the game, with more opportunities opened up in late-game situations. His explosiveness out of the backfield is perfect for the play-action heavy schemes seen at Penn State last season. Their presence alone should be able to boost the offensive production from last season. With the standard James Franklin has set already, however, the Hokies are aiming to go above and beyond their 2025 output.

Late Game Management

One of the bigger concerns during the Brent Pry-era was the Hokies' ability to close games out. Howle won't be in charge of managing the clock, but his play-calling will heavily affect how the Hokies close out games.

Virginia Tech would often find itself in possession of the ball with the ability to grind the clock out. More often than not, they wouldn't last many plays and give the opponent the ball back, and eventually fall. Howle plays a big part in letting that trend live in the past. It's more than a successful two-minute drill. Effective management, going all the way back to the start of the fourth quarter, can go a long way. This means mixing up the run packages and setting up high percentage play action, or RPO plays on late downs. Most of that sounds obvious and easier said than done. Those factors were a rarity in past years for the Hokies. Sometimes fixing the biggest problems starts with hammering down the simplest concepts.

Deep Threat

The potential of Ayden Greene was always flashed, but never capitalized upon. It seemed like he was due for a big contested catch or breakaway play every week. The problem preventing that was the lack of threat in the air. This wasn't just a Greene problem; it spread down the whole depth chart. The connection between Drones and his receivers didn't seem complete. In fact, the pass game overall seemed to deteriorate as the years went on.

Howle has a clean slate. Nobody has a film on what his offense is going to be. That alone is enough for the Hokies to take off running to start the season. He stated that he has to earn the right to pass through the run game. How he exercises that right will determine if the defense actually takes that bait.

Ethan Grunkemeyer looked better and better as he got more reps. A full offseason with the playbook, plus the addition of Que'Sean Brown and Luke Reynolds, should give Grunkemeyer everything to build a strong pass threat. He has to capitalize on the kind of big plays the Hokies could never cash in on. That goes beyond the deep balls down the sideline, but that was definitely the most absent threat from 2025. Greene has the size, speed, and hands to flip field position with one play. Brown finds his way open up the seam or outrun defenses after the catch. The rest of the room brings their own blends of playmaking that provide this offense with good bones. The work is Howle's to piece together that puzzle and bring new life to the Hokies' offense.