Three First-Year Players (and some longshots) Who Could Earn Playing Time For Virginia Tech After the Bye

Last fall, Benjamin Eziuka was winning a state championship at Detroit Catholic Central. On Saturday night, the true freshman started at right guard in Death Valley.

Nobody drew it up that way. Virginia Tech ruled out four offensive linemen before kickoff at Clemson. Eziuka had played 46 snaps against Georgia Tech a week earlier, so he was next in line.

That’s how freshmen are going to earn time the rest of this season. The Hokies are 6–2, 3–2 in the ACC, and bowl-eligible after the 20–16 win at Clemson. They’re off this week and play at SMU on Friday, Nov. 6. Until this season, a bye week this late was when coaches checked how many games each freshman had played, because a fifth appearance cost him his redshirt year. This year there’s nothing to count.

Why the bye week isn’t about redshirts anymore

From 2018 through last season, a freshman could play in up to four games and still keep his redshirt year. Hokies coach James Franklin managed that rule deliberately at Penn State. In 2019, he described his plan as getting freshmen into two first-half games and saving “two for late.”

That math ended June 23. On that day, the NCAA Division I Cabinet adopted an age-based model that gives athletes five years to play five seasons and eliminates redshirt rules. Freshmen who enrolled this year get whichever model treats them better. For a player who enrolled on time, that means five full seasons, no matter how many games he plays in 2026.

So Franklin’s staff isn’t asking who it can afford to play this week. It’s asking who has earned it. Ten Hokies were listed as out at Clemson, so the answer should include more freshmen in November, not fewer.

Here's which freshmen are most likely to see their number called.

Benjamin Eziuka, offensive line

The 6'2", 317-pound guard is the clearest case on the roster.

Against Georgia Tech, Eziuka opened in a rotation with sophomore Gavin Crawford and finished with 46 snaps to Crawford’s 17. He also posted the team’s best PFF pass-blocking grade, an 84.3. Franklin called him a “pleasant surprise.” At his midweek availability, he went further.

“He’s dense; he’s powerful in the weight room, and he’s super trustworthy,” Franklin said.

Now the honest part. Clemson sacked Ethan Grunkemeyer six times, the third straight game the Hokies allowed at least three. That’s a problem with a patchwork line, not with Eziuka. Left tackle Justin Terry suffered a long-term injury against Maryland. Terry, Montavious Cunningham, Nathaniel Wright and Lucas Austin all sat Saturday.

When those veterans return, Eziuka may lose the starting job. He shouldn’t lose his place in the rotation.

Davion Brown, wide receiver

Brown doesn’t need to earn playing time. He already has it.

The ESPN four-star from Richmond’s Trinity Episcopal has been one of Tech’s three starting receivers, alongside seniors Ayden Greene and Que’Sean Brown. He had 184 receiving yards and a touchdown through seven games. That touchdown, the first of his career, was a 28-yarder that pulled Tech within two in the 35–33 loss to Pitt.

After the bye, what changes is the room around him. Shamarius Peterkin, L.J. Booker and Luke Stuewe were all out at Clemson. If that list doesn’t shrink, Brown’s targets will continue to climb.

Terry Wiggins, linebacker

On recruiting grade alone, Wiggins is the best player in the class. He was a consensus four-star and the No. 8 linebacker nationally by 247Sports.

His college résumé is still thin, recording just three tackles this season. However, injuries to players like George Ballance, who missed the Clemson game, could open the door for Wiggins to earn a more prominent role.

The longer shots

Cornerback Amauri Polydor made his name in the spring. He enrolled early and drew freshman-to-watch nods from ESPN and CBS Sports. He also tied for the most tackles in the spring game. The fall hasn’t matched it. He played six snaps in the opener against VMI. Starting cornerback Thomas Williams missed Clemson after getting hurt against Georgia Tech, but UConn transfer Cam Chadwick Jr. is the backup on the official depth chart.

Running back Messiah Mickens was the first commitment of the Franklin era, and he’s had to wait. Jeffrey Overton Jr. is fourth in the ACC with 639 rushing yards, and veteran Marcellous Hawkins Jr. gives Tech a power option. Mickens, who missed the spring with an injury, has recorded just eight carries this season, all of which came in the first two games. A bigger November role would probably take an injury ahead of him.

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