Three Key Duos Virginia Tech Will Rely on in 2026

Virginia Tech won three games last year. That's the kind of season that gets a head coach fired in September and hands the keys to somebody new, and the somebody here is James Franklin. He tore the roster down to the studs, pulled more than two dozen players out of the transfer portal, brought back the coach he replaced to run his defense and opens his first season Sept. 5 against VMI with a win total set at 6.5.

A jump like that doesn't come from one signing or one savior. It comes from fits, from pairs who have to click before any of the bigger stuff gets real. Here are three that will tell you how fast this thing turns.

Receivers Ayden Greene and Que'Sean Brown

Virginia Tech's passing game was close to invisible last fall. No receiver caught more than three touchdowns. Senior Ayden Greene still led the team with 31 catches for 516 yards and three scores, all career highs, and he did it while defenses ignored everyone else.

The fix is the addition. Redshirt junior Que'Sean Brown, a 5-foot-8 slot receiver from Duke, arrived after a 64-catch, 846-yard, five-touchdown season, numbers that would have led the Hokies in every major receiving category. Two proven ACC pass-catchers in one room, now fed by Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer, who threw for 1,339 yards and eight touchdowns in seven starts last year. Virginia Tech hasn't been able to say that in a while.

Running backs Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton Jr.

If the passing game is a projection, the backfield is the sure thing.

Redshirt senior Marcellous Hawkins was the Hokies' best back by a wide margin, carrying 118 times for 749 yards at 6.3 yards per carry. He did it behind an offense that let defenses crowd the box and still gained 562 yards after contact.

Behind him is the spark. Redshirt freshman Jeffrey Overton Jr. missed the first eight games of 2025 with a torn ACL, then ran for 146 yards and a touchdown across the final four. The problem this fall isn't finding carries. It's dividing them.

Linebackers Noah Chambers and Keon Wylie

The linebacker room got gutted this offseason. Jaden Keller left for the NFL and Caleb Woodson transferred to Alabama, leaving Brent Pry to rebuild the position around a pair he clearly likes.

Chambers announced his return after a true freshman year that hinted at plenty. He put up 44 tackles in six starts, pressed into the lineup early when injuries hit around him, and now gets a full season in a scheme that fits. Wylie followed Franklin down from Penn State, where he logged 28 tackles with 2.5 for loss last fall and slots into a role built for a player his size. One is ascending, the other steady. Pry's defense runs through them.

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