Three Early Standouts From Virginia Tech Fall Camp — And Will They Start?

Who have been the early standouts from Virginia Tech's fall camp?

Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin at the Hokies fall camp practice | Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech has a new coaching staff, a roster with plenty of new faces, and several position battles that may not be settled for weeks. Some players entered camp with obvious expectations. Others entered it needing to prove they belonged in the conversation.

Three players seem to have put serious work into validating that last part. The question now is whether any of them have done enough to force their way into the starting lineup.

No. 1: Luke Stuewe

Stuewe feels like biggest surprise of the three.

The redshirt freshman did not play a single snap in 2025, so there wasn’t a collegiate resume coming into camp. His total stock consisted largely of what Virginia Tech saw from him at Avon Lake High School, where he played both sides of the ball and showed enough athleticism to earn three-star ratings.

But now, Stuewe has vaulted himself into the fray.

That’s notable in a wide receiver room that has plenty of experienced competition. Ayden Greene and Que’Sean Brown appear to have the strongest cases for starting roles, while Takye Heath, Marlion Jackson, Keylen “Brodie” Adams, Chanz Wiggins and Tyseer Denmark are all fighting for opportunities.

Stuewe wasn’t necessarily expected to be part of that conversation this early, at least in my eyes.

If Stuewe continues to make plays, it would be difficult to keep him completely buried. His combination of size, athleticism and youth makes him one of the more intriguing developmental pieces on the roster.

No. 2: Tyseer Denmark

The Penn State transfer played eight games last season but recorded only two receptions for 17 yards. He also had one rushing attempt for 12 yards. In 2024, he caught two passes for 28 yards and a touchdown while appearing in four games.

But there is a reason James Franklin wanted him in Blacksburg.

Denmark was a highly regarded recruit out of Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia and was a four-star prospect according to ESPN and Rivals. As a high school junior, he caught 35 passes for 665 yards and seven touchdowns while helping Imhotep win a state championship.

Virginia Tech doesn’t need him to suddenly become a star. What benefits the Hokies is if Denmark can become a reliable piece — both as a pass-catcher and potentially in the return game.

I would not put him ahead of Greene or Brown, and there are enough other options in the receiver room that starting would be a stretch. But it appears reasonable to place Denmark in the two-deep — and at least a fighter’s chance to start.

[Editor’s note: I’ll also list Davion “FatRat” Brown as a de-facto honorable mention since I felt it would be repetitive to list three wide receivers. The true freshman, who was a three-star in-state recruit, drew a compliment from offensive coordinator Ty Howle at Media Day on Sunday; Howle spotlighted Brown’s speed, saying he is “electrically fast.”]

No. 3: Justin Terry

Terry was already getting first-team reps during the second day of fall camp, lining up at offensive tackle alongside Layth Ghannam, Kyle Altuner, Brody Meadows and Montavious Cunningham during Tech’s second fall practice.

The 6-foot-5, 358-pound redshirt sophomore spent last season at Ohio State, appearing in six games and playing 129 total snaps, including 57 on offense. Before that, he spent the 2024 season at West Virginia under Virginia Tech’s current offensive line coach Matt Moore.

Now he’s competing with Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland for a starting tackle job.

Howland brings more experience, having played in 13 games at Oklahoma in 2024 and started six times at left tackle. He also played the first five games of 2025 before an injury ended his season.

If the Ohio State transfer can hold onto that first-team spot throughout camp, I think there is a legitimate path to him opening the season as a starter.

If I had to project it right now, I’d slot in Stuewe and Denmark as candidates for the two-deep while I think Terry has the best chance of the three to earn a starting slot come the season opener against VMI (Saturday, Sept. 5; 7:30 p.m. ET; ACC Network).