Three Virginia Tech Transfers Who Will Play A Big Role In 2026

Which transfers are slated to make the biggest impact for Virginia Tech in year one under James Franklin?

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech football's 2026 season is still a ways off in the distance. Still, the offseason rages on. Here are three Virginia Tech transfers I expect to play the biggest role in how this season goes.

QB Ethan Grunkemeyer

This goes without saying, but Grunkemeyer serves as Virginia Tech's offensive engine. The redshirt sophomore offers the Hokies a higher level under center as a pure passer, as opposed to Kyron Drones' more run-heavy approach. As a redshirt freshman at Penn State last season, Grunkemeyer threw for 1,339 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns and four interceptions. In his final four games, he posted six touchdowns and no picks.

Grunkemeyer offers Virginia Tech a presumably more stable option under center, and if his efficiency numbers from the 2025 season hold, the Hokies could be in good position to snag their first season over .500 in the regular season since 2019.

TE Luke Reynolds

Reynolds was en fuego at the spring game, catching five passes for a game-high 69 yards. The Hokies relied more on their tight ends in April 18's spring game, with the room combining for 205 yards on 17 catches, more than the wide receivers.

In his two years at Penn State, Reynolds amassed 368 receiving yards and a touchdown on 35 catches.

On Pro Football Focus, Reynolds earned an overall offensive grade of 62.8, which ranked No. 164 out of 512 eligible tight ends. Reynolds was particularly effective against the run, logging a 68.1 grade, which sat 45th out of 432 eligible tight ends.

Reynolds can do his damage from a variety of spots. Here's how his snaps lined up by position on offense, per PFF:

• QB: 1 snap
• Backfield: 13 snaps
• Inline: 194 snaps
• Slot: 147 snaps
• Wide: 68 snaps
• O-Line: 26 snaps

Reynolds should be at the forefront of the tight end room this year, and if the usage split is even half of what it was at the spring game, Virginia Tech should see a stellar season from the junior tight end.

CB Jaquez White

White was a top-tier corner for Troy last season, logging 67 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and a sack. White, who is currently listed as a junior though he played two years at Division II Washburn and one year at Troy, logged an overall defensive grade of 87.4 on PFF, which ranked 14th among 908 eligible cornerbacks. White, who was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team, took nearly all his snaps as the wide cornerback and should do so again for Virginia Tech.

White is strong both in coverage (86.8 grade, No. 22 out of 879 CBs) and in run defense (88.3, No. 21 out of 877 CBs). He's also proven to be durable. White's 879 snaps logged last year were the fourth out of any cornerback, offering Virginia Tech a healthy option at wide corner. Though White sustainexd a fall at the spring game, he posted on his X (formerly) Twitter account after the game that he was "all good".