Three Questions Facing Virginia Tech Football After The Spring Game

Just under 20 weeks separate Virginia Tech from its season opener (VMI, Sept. 5).

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech football's spring game is now in the rearview mirror — a contest delayed for just over an hour due to a wayward skydiver crashing into the videoboard that ended with a 30-21 victory for the White team.

EXIT LIGHT….ENTER NIGHT.#VTSpringGame | #LetsGoHokies pic.twitter.com/ZekVvtg9Lq

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) April 18, 2026

No. 1: How much will the tight ends actually factor in come the Hokies' season opener?

The easy answer: More than they did before. Here's a look at the 2025 totals:

• Ja'Ricous Hairston: 112 receiving yards, 12 receptions, three touchdowns
• Benji Gosnell: 86 receiving yards, 12 receptions, no touchdowns
• Harrison Saint Germain: 28 receiving yards, four receptions, no touchdowns

Total: 226 receiving yards, 28 receptions, three touchdowns

During this year's spring game, Virginia Tech tight ends accounted for 205 of the game's 428 receiving yards, a 47.9% clip. Luke Reynolds paced all targets with 69 receiving yards on five catches, while Hairston tallied 58 yards on four receptions. Harrison Saint Germain and Brody Jones tacked on 29 and 15 yards, respectively.

Though the level at which the tight ends were involved may not be as much season-wide as it was in the spring game, anything approaching that level would easily surpass 2025's statistics.

The question is: By how much?

No. 2: How much of a battle actually is the quarterback battle?

It does seem like two tiers have been baked in for quite some time: Ethan Grunkemeyer and Bryce Baker combined for 44 of the game's 66 passing attempts. The other 22 were taken up by redshirt freshman Kelden Ryan (14 attempts, nine completions) and true freshman Troy Huhn (eight attempts, five completions).

Baker logged a game-high 140 passing yards (27 attempts), albeit on 10 more passing attempts than his Penn State transfer counterpart in Grunkemeyer (17). Baker was 15-of-27, while Grunkemeyer was 13-of-17. Grunkemeyer did produce the game's lone interception, tossing a pick to walk-on cornerback Josh Jones that wa s presumably intended for wide receiver Takye Heath.

Still, Grunkemeyer acquitted himself well as the presumptive Day 1 starter for Virginia Tech's season opener, which is on Saturday, Sept. 5, against VMI.

The starting job remains unsettled, but two names — Grunkemeyer and Baker — have clearly separated themselves as the top options. Without insight into the staff’s internal evaluation, I think Grunkemeyer appears to hold roughly a 75% chance of earning the Week 1 nod. That said, Baker has been steady and presents a viable alternative if needed in the case of injury or a fresh jolt.

No. 3: How does Virginia Tech's rushing balance play out?

Virginia Tech's running backs did not play much into Saturday's spring game. Jeffrey Overton logged the brunt of carries for the maroon team, finishing with 32 rushing yards on five carries. Walk-ons John Buetow and Darius Taylor each tallied a lone carry for five and two yards, apiece.

On the white team, walk-on Gray Peterson paced the tailbacks (Baker had 32 rushing yards) with 25 rushing yards on seven carries. 2025 returnee Tyler Mason finished with 20 rushing yards on five carries, while Bill Davis put up 10 rushing yards on a quartet of totes.

It's hard to tell exactly how the balance will work come the 2026 opener, since Overton logged limited action in the contest. Incumbent No. 1 Marcellous Hawkins was also absent for the spring game. While he was working through individual drills at points during spring camp, he was not cleared for full-go. True freshman Messiah Mickens was also out for the full spring slate. Mickens likely slots in as the No. 4 or No. 5 running back on the depth chart. Here's what I'd have it as right now:

• No. 1: Marcellous Hawkins
• No. 2: Jeffrey Overton Jr.
• Nos. 3-5: Bill Davis, Tyler Mason and Messiah Mickens (in any order)

I think all of that context leaves the picture somewhat incomplete, but not entirely unclear. There’s a general sense of how the room stacks up, even if the exact distribution of carries, or what the three-through-five spread looks like, remains unsettled heading into the opener.