What Will Virginia Tech's 2026 Season Be Defined By?

Quarterback play. It's that simple.

Virginia Tech football hasn't finished more than a game above .500 since the 2019 campaign, and it hasn't eclipsed the eight-win mark in any of the last eight seasons.

The Hokies, though, have the benefit of a quarterback who, at his best, can compete with the best of the best. Ethan Grunkemeyer posted 1,339 passing yards last year at Penn State, logging eight touchdowns and four interceptions.

Against then-No. 2 Indiana — the eventual national champions — Grunkemeyer (81.0 QBR) went 22-for-31 for 219 yards, a touchdown and a pick. The Hoosiers' Fernando Mendoza, who was the first pick in April's NFL Draft, went 19-for-30 for 218 yards, a touchdown and a pick. Mendoza's quarterback rating for the game came in at 79.9.

While one game is a low sample size, Grunkemeyer was stellar as the rest of the season went on. He went 11-for-12 against Nebraska for 181 yards, 17-for-21 against Rutgers for 209 yards and 23-for-34 for 260 yards against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Behind Grunkemeyer, however, depth starts to get more suspect — none of the other three quarterbacks have logged any snaps in regular-season games. UNC transfer Bryce Baker slots in as the presumed backup; Baker was ranked as the No. 155 national recruit by 247Sports in the Class of 2025, rated as the No. 12 quarterback in the class and the No. 5 recruit in North Carolina.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins described Baker as a "mobile signal caller with a muscled-up build that will throw his wide receivers open", saying that Baker "should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Four level. Baker did not see game action for the Tar Heels last year, and though he's unlikely to start, Baker could prove adept if Grunkemeyer goes down due to injury or Virginia Tech sees fit to make a change at the position.

Further down on the depth chart, there's returnee Kelden Ryan, who came to Tech as the No. 55 quarterback in the 2025 class. Ryan, the No. 167 recruit in the state of Texas, threw for 2,353 passing yards (193-of-266) and 25 passing touchdowns, also racking up 924 rushing yards and 14 scores on the ground.

True freshman Troy Huhn is unlikely to see any game action; the Class of 2026 signal-caller was the No. 28 quarterback in his recruiting class, and Ivins described him as a "West Coast passer with a prototypical frame that has proven to be clinical working off of play-action with his smooth mechanics and field vision."

Grunkemeyer should be the starter, and though his first two starts were rocky — he threw for 93 and 145 yards against Iowa and then-No. 1 Ohio State, logging no TDs and three picks — he got stronger as the season went on. If Grunkemeyer can replicate a similar output to his last four games (777 passing yards, seven touchdowns, no interceptions), Virginia Tech should be in good position to enjoy a bounce-back 2026.

Virginia Tech kicks off its 2026 season against VMI on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be available for viewing on the ACC Network.

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