Virginia Tech TE Luke Reynolds Named to Mackey Award Watch List
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Virginia Tech junior tight end Luke Reynolds was named to the Mackey Award Watch List, the program posted on its social media accounts earlier today. Reynolds, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound prospect from Westford, Mass., is entering his first year with Virginia Tech after two seasons at Penn State.
Luke Reynolds has been named to the Mackey Award Watch List 🏆
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) August 5, 2026
The Mackey Award honors the best tight end in the nation.
🔗: https://t.co/Rg7TDgWOaO#LetsGoHokies | @TheMackeyAward pic.twitter.com/bvNC9pAlb3
Reynolds was a five-star prospect by 247Sports and a four-star by ESPN and On3/Rivals coming out of high school; as a senior at Cheshire Academy (Conn.), he accumulated 754 receiving yards (15.7 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns on 48 catches. For his efforts, he was named MVP of the NEPSAC and received invites to the Adidas All-American Bowl and the Under Armour All-American Game. Reynolds came to Penn State under the tutelage of now-Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin, and he started four games during the Nittany Lions' run to the CFP semifinals in 2024. He played in all 16 games, recording 111 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine catches while learning behind NFL Draftee Tyler Warren. Warren won the 2024 Mackey Award.
In 2025, Reynolds' role increased; he totaled 257 receiving yards and hauled in 26 receptions. His strongest game came against Villanova on Sept. 13, where he logged 73 yards on a quintet of catches. Reynolds had two years of eligibility when he entered the transfer portal, but as a result of the NCAA's new five-in-five age-based eligibility clock, Reynolds presumably has a third year at his disposal.
In two years at Penn State, he logged 368 receiving yards and a touchdown off 35 catches.
The former five-star shined at Virginia Tech's spring game April 18, recording 69 receiving yards off five catches — both game-highs. Reynolds' efforts were part of a tight end room that combined to notch 205 of the game's 428 receiving yards, a 47.9% split.
The Mackey Award, presented annually to the nation's most oustanding tight end and in honor of Pro Football Hall of Famer John Mackey, has been around since 2000. Seven other ACC tight ends were named to the Watch List: California's Dorian Thomas, Duke's Jeremiah Hasley, Georgia Tech's Chris Corbo, Louisville's Brody Foley, Miami's Elijah Lofton, North Carolina's Jelani Thurman and SMU's Randy Pittman Jr.
Reynolds is the third Hokie to garner preseason media watch list notices; defensive lineman Kemari Copeland — Tech's lone member of the 2026 All-ACC Preseason Team — was named to the Nagurski and the Outland Trophy Watch Lists yesterday, while long snapper Christian Epling was tabbed to the Mannelly Award Watch List.
Virginia Tech's 2026 season starts on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: ACC Network) against VMI. The first media availability for Tech's fall camp is tomorrow.
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Hughes serves as Virginia Tech On SI's lead editor, a position he has held since July 2025. He is a sophomore at Virginia Tech, majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. Hughes is also the assistant editor-in-chief for 3304 Sports, as well as an on-air talent for 3304's SportsCenter-style studio show. He is also a staff writer for Steering Wheel Nation, having written pieces on several motorsport series, including Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series.
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