Who Are Some Of The Top Newcomers Virginia Tech Will Play Against In 2026?

Miami represents the clearest hurdle for the Hokies.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC; Duke quarterback Darian Mensah (10) looks to throw in the second quarter against Virginia. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech football is just over three months away from kicking off its 2026 season. The Hokies, coming off a 3-9 season in which they fired then-head coach Brent Pry after a 0-3 start, are undergoing a plethora of changes, seeing new faces across every position group. Other programs are experiencing similar changes, as well. ESPN's Billy Tucker compiled a list of his top 100 newcomers for the 2026 college football season. Here's a look at the top five that the Hokies will match up against in 2026:

Darian Mensah, QB, Miami

Miami's gone with two previous transfer quarterbacks in the last two years, rotating from Cam Ward to Carson Beck and now, to Mensah. Mensah threw for 3,973 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025 for a duke unit that won the ACC title.

Damon Wilson II, EDGE, Miami

On the other side of the ball for the Hurricanes, Wilson II steps in as the second-strongest edge in the class. The senior totaled nine sacks last year for Missouri in the SEC, and he possesses impressive agility for a 250-pound edge rusher. Wilson posted at least half a sack in all but four games last season, totaling two sacks in a 27-24 loss to then-No. 8 Alabama.

Jackson Cantwell, OL, Miami

Notice a pattern? It's a lot of Hurricanes in here. Cantwell, a 6-foot-8, 315-pound lineman from Nixa, Missouri, was ranked No. 3 in SC's Nex 300. He was ranked as the No. 1 player in his position, the No. 1 player in his region and the top player in Missouri. He slots in as the second-highest freshman in Tucker's rankings, only behind Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis (No. 15). 247Sports ranked him as the No. 6 player and the No. 2 tackle, describing him as an "enormous, athletic presence who could play all over the offensive front." He was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year after recording 173 pancake blocks in his first 13 games.

Cooper Barkate, WR, Miami

Shocking. Barkate clocks in one spot below Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, and he enjoys a level of continuity with Darian Mensah that few else have. Barkate rolled up 1,106 receiving yards — ninth-most in D-1 — with the Blue Devils last year, housing seven passes. Barkate totaled 172 yards against then-No. 12 Georgia Tech in a 27-18 loss, and a game later, he amassed 127 receiving yards on six catches — including a 77-yarder — in a 46-45 win over Clemson.

Justice Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech

Haynes, clocking in at No. 53 on the list, is the first non-Hurricane or non-Hokie on the ranking. Last season, Haynes was one of the top backs in the nation before foot surgery cut his season short. In seven games, Haynes racked up 857 rushing yards on 121 carries, scoring 10 touchdowns. His 7.1 yards/carry ranked sixth in the nation.