Three Biggest Questions Virginia Tech Must Answer This Spring

Virginia Tech enters spring football with plenty of intrigue. After an offseason filled with coaching changes, transfer portal movement and a highly ranked recruiting class, the Hokies have a roster that looks significantly different from the one that ended last season.

Spring practice will give fans their first real look at how the pieces fit together before the spring game at Lane Stadium on April 18.

Here are three of the biggest questions facing Virginia Tech heading into spring ball.

1. Can Ethan Grunkemeyer stabilize the quarterback position?

Perhaps the biggest storyline revolves around quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer.

The Penn State transfer arrives in Blacksburg with plenty of expectations. During the 2025 season with the Nittany Lions, Grunkemeyer threw for 1,339 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.

Virginia Tech has struggled to find consistent quarterback play in recent years, and the coaching staff is hoping Grunkemeyer can change that. In his brief time as a starting quarterback, Grunkemeyer has shown real promise. In his final game at Penn State, Grunkemeyer completed 23/34 of his passes for 260 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and zero interceptions to lead the Nittany Lions to a Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson.

Spring practices will be the first opportunity to see how comfortable he looks in the offense and whether he can quickly build chemistry with the Hokies' receivers.

2. How disruptive can the defense become under now defensive coordinator Brent Pry?

Virginia Tech's defense will look familiar in one key way this spring: Brent Pry is back running it, this time as defensive coordinator. Pry previously built a reputation as one of the top defensive minds in college football during his time at Penn State, where his defenses consistently generated pressure and negative plays. Over a five year span, Penn State ranked near the top nationally in quarterback hurries, total pressures, sacks and tackles for loss under Pry.

That aggressive approach is central to Pry's philosophy. His defenses are designed toattack offenses, create chaos in the backfield and force mistakes by the quarterback. At Penn State, that style helped produce several elite units, including a 2019 defense that ranked eighth in scoring defense (16.0 ppg).

For the Hokies, the focus this spring will be whether that disruptive identity can translate to the current roster. Generating more sacks, tackles for loss and turnovers would take pressure off the secondary and help Virginia Tech control games defensively. If Pry can get the front seven consistently winning at the line of scrimmage, the Hokies' defense could become one of the team's biggest strengths in 2026.

3. Which receivers will become reliable targets?

Another key question for Virginia Tech this spring is which receivers will emerge as consistent options in the passing game. The Hokies return several experienced players at the position, but the group is still searching for a clear group of dependable targets.

Wide receiver Ayden Greene is the most established returning option heading into spring practice. In 2025, Greene caught 31 passes for 516 yards and three touchdowns. His ability to stretch the field and make contested catches gives the Hokies a reliable outside threat.

The Hokies also added transfer receiver Que'Sean Brown, who is expected to make an immediate impact, likely working out of the slot. Brown had a strong sophomore season at Duke, recording 64 catches for 846 yards and five touchdowns. His quickness andplaymaking ability could provide a new dynamic to Virginia Tech's offense.

Beyond those two, players such as Takye Heath, Marlion Jackson and several younger receivers will compete for snaps as the Hokies search for more reliable options.

Spring practice will be crucial for building chemistry with the quarterbacks and determining which receivers can consistently get open and make plays. With improved quarterback play and added depth at wide receiver, Virginia Tech’s passing attack has the potential to take a significant step forward in 2026.