Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Top Ten Player Ratings Revealed In EA College Football 26

The anticipation for EA Sports College Football 26 is rapidly growing. Last season saw the first edition since 2014 be released, and while the hype isn't as big as it was last year, there is still growing excitement for this year's game.

The initial ratings for the Hokies squad were dropped.

Lets quickly dive into these ratings.

1. Tomas Rimac (91) OL

Rimac is debatably the biggest transfer of this large class the Hokies are ringing in. Rimac hails from West Virginia, where he followed offensive line coach Matt Moore to the Hokies and brings a wealth of experience with him.

Rimac earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mentions last year, where he started all 13 games for the Mountaineers and earned a 78.6 PFF grade. The redshirt senior is bound to be rated the highest on the Hokies' offense thanks to his seniority and his stellar PFF grade last Fall.

2. Terion Stewart (88) RB

Stewart (5'9 220 LBS) was a four-year player at Bowling Green and an All-Mac selection this past season. In four years with the Falcons, he ran for 2,359 yards and 23 touchdowns, while averaging six yards per carry. He is a tough physical running back who will fit in the Hokies' system well. At Pro Football Focus, Stewart finished the 2024 season with a 78.9 offensive grade in 244 snaps, third highest on the Bowling Green offense. In 2023, PFF gave him an elite 95.3 grade on offense, including a 94.0 grade when it came to running the football. Stewart could be the bell cow running back for the Hokies next year, fitting right in next to quarterback Kyron Drones.

Stewart's defining performance of his career helped Bowling Green earn one of the biggest wins in school history. Stewart ran for 138 yards and one touchdown, while also catching a 27-yard touchdown, in the Falcons' massive upset win over Georgia Tech. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and was a force all day long.

3. Braydon Bennett (86) RB

During his five seasons with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Bennett rushed for 1,954 yards and 24 touchdowns. Last season, he posted 11 touchdowns and a career-high 781 rushing yards, averaging 71 yards per game.

Hokies fans got their first look at Bennett during Virginia Tech’s annual spring game. On a gloomy April afternoon, Bennett logged 11 carries for 74 yards, including a long run of 17 yards. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bennett finished the 2024 season with a 79.1 grade over 417 snaps — the second-highest offensive grade on Coastal Carolina’s roster. In 2023, he earned a 68.9 grade in 291 snaps. His highest mark came in 2021, when he recorded a 79.5 grade in 313 snaps.

4. Christian Ellis (85) SS

Ellis hailed from New Mexico for three seasons and in 2024, was their highest-graded defensive player on Pro Football Focus, finishing with a 70.6 defensive grade in 900 snaps.

In 2023, Ellis started 12 games with 11 at the safety. That season, Ellis marked 59 tackles with four pass breakups and a tackle for loss, with a career high 10 tackles against UMass.

During Ellis' freshman year as a Lobo, the safety suffered a preseason injury to his shoulder, which eventually saw Ellis play seven games primarily as a special-teams player.

While at Edward H. White High School, Ellis spent his senior year, where he recorded 50 tackles as a defensive back with 3.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

5. Ben Bell (84) LE

Bell hails from Cedar Park, Texas, where the fifth-year edge rusher starred in the high school ranks. Bell then committed to Louisiana Tech. As a Bulldog, Bell marked 13 games over two years where Bell tallied 30 tackles and 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Bell then moved to Texas State, where he continued his emergence as a quality defensive front man. With Texas State, Bell muscled 25 tackles at outside linebacker in his 13 games, with zero coming from starts. The following season was when the Bobcat broke into stardom.

Bell added 57 tackles with 16 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 13 games, seven of those being starts. Bell earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors, Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Third Team honors, and an All-Texas First Team by Dave Campbell's Texas Football nomination.

Bell took the field just four times last season, closing in on an additional 13 tackles, which included 3.5 sacks, before preserving his redshirt for a transfer to the Hokies.

6. Donavon Greene (84) WR

Greene transferred from fellow ACC school Wake Forest, where he starred since 2019. Thus far, the North Carolina native has marked 102 receptions and over 1,800 yards, and over 13 touchdowns. averaging 56 yards per game.

The biggest concern with Greene is his injury history. Greene has missed two full seasons due to injury, which has hindered his status as one of the premier wideouts the ACC has to offer.

Greene spoke to the media in early April about what the Tech staff wants from Greene. "Obviously just staying healthy for a full 12 months. I mean, that's one big goal for me and a big goal for him [wide receiver coach Fontel Mines] as I was coming in, and to just be a leader, be a more of a vocal guy, in that room."

Greene will join a room filled with fellow transfers Isaiah Spencer and running back turned wideout Cameron Seldon, but Greene will by far be the most experienced member of the Hokies offense.

If Greene can keep healthy, he will be a pivotal piece of the Hokies; his consistent route-running and strong hands will propel him to the top of the Virginia Tech charts.

7. Kyron Drones (83) QB

The former Baylor quarterback is set to have a bounce-back season following last season's 10 touchdowns and six interceptions and 1,562 yards, and six rushing touchdowns.

In Drones' first season at Virginia Tech, the Tech quarterback tallied over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Drones will likely be given a decreased rating simply due to his down season last year, combined with the fact Drones missed the end of spring practice thanks to what was deemed a "minor medical procedue" but hopefully with a revamped offensive line in front of him, Drones' rating could be improved as the season goes on.

8. John Love (83) K

The redshirt junior established himself a consistent utility for an at times, a struggling Virginia Tech offense. Love has twice finished inside the All-ACC Honorable Mention team. Love marked 16-18 from his field goal attempts last season, and finished the year with a perfect 42-42 from PATs.

Love tallied a 57-yard field goal against the Miami Hurricanes last season, exhibiting his ability to tick the desire boxes of a high-level kicker in collegiate football.

9. Kelvin Gilliam Jr. (83) DT

Last season, Gilliam totaled 35 tackles (11) solo, including 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble.

Gilliam brings nearly 300-pounds of muscle in his second year after transferring out of Oklahoma.

10. Benji Gosnell (82) TE

Heading into next season, like last, Benji Gosnell's at the forefront of this Hokie attack. In an excerpt posted by Virginia Tech Athletics, they explained Gosnell's impact, just before the Hokies took on the Boston College Eagles on a 42-21 Tech win in mid-October.

"Standing at 6-foot-5, 240 lbs., Gosnell finds success in various concepts across the offense. In passes of 10 yards or less, the tight end has earned a strong 91.2 receiving rating from Pro Football Focus (PFF), and in passes of 20 yards or more, Gosnell has earned an 89.1 receiving rating. Gosnell also puts up strong numbers in the middle of the field, earning an 86.6 rating in passes of 10 to 19 yards from PFF. Over six games this season, Gosnell’s PFF receiving grades exemplify how his size and strength are valuable assets for the Hokies."

Another change to the Hokies is in their coaching ranks. Gosnell's new tight end coach, Brent Davis, will play an increased role with Gosnell.

The tight end position is of much interest for Virginia Tech. Benji Gosnell is the clear candidate for the number one slot as a Hokie. Gosnell established himself as one of the few consistently good fixtures in this Virginia Tech squad.

Last year, Gosnell racked in 32 receptions for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Earlier this offseason, Davis spoke with the media about what Gosnell has improved on and where he still needs fixing up.

"I think just fundamentally in the run game, he continues to challenge himself to get better. um and that's one thing we made a goal as a group is to just become more physical, and more dominant in the run game, and to do that, you gotta play with good fundamentals. So we work really hard on that, and I think, you know, he's taking that upon himself, but really checks himself on that daily. Then another thing I would say is just continue to work on his conditioning, where he can you know, we can leave him in the game and he can get into a groove and...That's something he can do as we get into the offseason and the summer."