What We Learned From Day 2 of Virginia Tech's Fall Camp

Virginia Tech's 2026 fall camp kicked off on Wednesday, Aug. 5, with the first media-open practice coming the day after. The Hokies welcome 50-plus players and are entering their first season under former Penn State head whistle James Franklin. Franklin compiled a 104-45 record in 11-plus years with the Nittany Lions before being fired following a 3-3 start to 2025.

Note 1: We do not have an answer for who will be starting Week 1.

It's the answer that has felt like it was scribbled in pencil, and not officially in ink: Ethan Grunkemeyer will, in all likelihood, be the Hokies' starter in 2026. Grunkemeyer started seven games last season for Penn State, throwing for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He got stronger as the season went on; in the final four games of the season, he threw for 777 passing yards, six touchdowns and no picks.

Grunkemeyer is the lone signal-caller of the Hokies' four-quarterback bunch that has logged a snap in a true college football game (April 18's spring game doesn't count). While Franklin has not committed to Grunkemeyer as the No. 1 option in pressers, the head coach did say the answer to who starts will come before Sept. 5's opener against VMI.

The first-teamers Grunkemeyer was backed up by on the offensive line, from left to right, were Justin Terry, Layth Ghannam, Kyle Altuner, Brody Meadows and Montavious Cunningham. Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland, who missed the spring due to injury, manned the left tackle for the second-teamers, working along with Lucas Austin, Tommy Ricard, true freshman Benjamin Eziuka and Aidan Lynch.

Note 2: Several receivers flashed.

Luke Stuewe looked particularly potent, slashing by corner Josh Jones to snag a long go ball, then beating potential starter Josh Clarke on an in-cut. The redshirt freshman didn't see game action in 2025, though his slender and lithe frame (6-foot-2, 199 pounds) can offer Virginia Tech a different cut of cloth from its other receivers.

“You can tell he’s gaining confidence each and every day,” said cornerback Isaiah Brown-Murray. “He’s a very quiet guy, but he keeps his head on, he’s working every play. He’s going to give you 110 percent each and every play, and you know when you line up, whether he’s blocking or running a route, it’s going to be the same him.”

Chanz Wiggins, who missed the 2025 season due to injury, looked solid in limited reps, while Davion "FatRat" Brown and Que'Sean Brown — the former is a true freshman that wasn't an early enrollee, while the latter is expected to start alongside Ayden Greene — hauled in impressive catches for touchdowns.

Tyseer Denmark was another name mentioned by Brown-Murray when I broached the topic of which wideouts had stood out to him.

"He's very good at the top of the route, and he has very good strong hands — you can tell he really understands route-running," Brown-Murray said of Denmark.

Other players Brown-Murray spotlighted were Louisiana Tech transfer Marlion Jackson and quarterback-turned-wideout A.J. Brand.

When bringing other pass-catchers into the fray that aren't just the wideouts, tight end Luke Reynolds has again been a name that's stood out. The true junior got both feet in on a sideline catch against safety Tyson Flowers, stretching out to make the grab and barking out, "And that's two f——ing feet!"

"There's a fine line to [the trash-talk]," Franklin said. "I want it to be extremely competitive. I don't mind them talking a little trash back-and-forth, but then when it's done, we're Virginia Tech. Some guys can't do that... [but] I think we need more of that."

Brown-Murray remarks that the team has a chip on its shoulder, a product that drives its competitive spirit.

"We want to win," he said. "We're going to reinstate Virginia Tech, and we're going to find a way to win games — and there's no other option."

Note 3: There's several injuries to take stock of.

While Virginia Tech hasn't elaborated on the status of defensive tackle Emmett Laws — he didn't dress out, though he was at practice as an observer — since the summer, when defensive coordinator Brent Pry labelled it a "challenging situation", there are new injuries, and recoveries from old ones to note.

Running back Marcellous Hawkins appeared to be full-go at Thursday's practice, though it was redshirt freshman Jeffrey Overton Jr. that seized a good portion of the first-team reps. Redshirt senior offensive lineman Johnny Garrett — he allowed just two sacks in 619 snaps last year and started 10 games for Tech — is out with a "long-term" injury per Virginia Tech. Under the new five-in-five age-based NCAA eligibility rules, Garrett is out of eligibility following this season even if he is injured. Meanwhile, cornerback Jaquez White was full-go with a sleeve on his left leg.

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