Virginia Tech football: Hokies earn high marks in ESPN offseason rankings

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If you were to ask any Virginia Tech fan on Sept. 14 what they thought about the future of Hokie football, you probably wouldn’t have heard anything positive. On that night, the Hokies were embarrassed by Old Dominion, 45-26, in Blacksburg. At one point, Virginia Tech was down 31-0. The next day, Virginia Tech fired head coach Brent Pry after an 0-3. start.

Over the next six weeks, a series of moves would change the trajectory of Virginia Tech football. First, Penn State fired head coach James Franklin, only months after he had the Nittany Lions in the College Football Playoff. This came after Virginia Tech’s massive investment in the athletic department, specifically football. So, two months after firing Pry, the Hokies hired his good friend, Franklin, to replace him. And in an unprecedented move, Franklin rehired Pry as his defensive coordinator.

When the Hokies hired Franklin, the season was still in progress and he was running a one-man show, trying to close on a strong 2026 recruiting class, while prepping for the transfer portal.

What Franklin did in mid-November through early December on the recruiting trail will never be forgotten. He pulled the Hokies from having a recruiting class ranked in the 120s to a top-25 class. Pry hired most of his coaching staff in December and followed his recruiting class up with a terrific portal class.

In four months, the Hokies went from a doormat ACC program to a team that could contend in 2026, and it is set up for a bright future beyond the upcoming season. ESPN took notice, ranking the top 25 classes of newcomers for 2026. The Hokies finished 16th.

Coach James Franklin wasted no time earning a top-25 recruiting class after arriving in Blacksburg and brought in a lot of familiar faces. Brown is a multiple‑tool athlete who projects as a gadget slot/return weapon and special teams playmaker. Mickens fits the backfield rotation as a compact, one‑cut runner with contact balance and third‑down receiving chops. Huhn is not likely to start, but as a dual-threat QB, he can push the position and work into packages as a high‑ceiling option. With an O-line rebuild, Wilder gives Virginia Tech tackle depth with the size and movement to grow into a Power 4 starter. Polydor brings length and physicality at corner with immediate special‑teams upside and a path into the nickel/boundary mix.

Virginia Tech’s portal class is built for instant, scheme‑fit upgrades. Grunkemeyer is a rhythm/timing passer who finished strong at Penn State. He threw for 1,348 yards and had nine total touchdowns in 2025, and his arm strength, pocket instincts and competitiveness should immediately stabilize the Hokies’ quarterback room. Reynolds is a prototypical H/TE mismatch (35 catches, 368 yards at Penn State) who finds seams against zone defenses, wins jump balls and blocks enough to be trusted inline on play‑action and heavy personnel packages. Brown is a quick slot and return weapon who turns short throws into explosive gains with soft hands and elite body control (105 career catches, 1,291 yards, seven touchdowns). On defense, Hilson adds rotational edge power after transferring from Missouri, and Jennings brings versatile off‑ball linebacker play in coverage and the box.

This was the most exciting offseason for Virginia Tech fans in, well, forever. Recruiting was fun again. The Hokies landed a terrific class, with a heavy emphasis on the offensive line play. In the portal, Franklin opted for familiarity, and quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer should give Virginia Tech its best quarterback in a long time. And Franklin’s portal haul didn’t focus on one-year rentals in hopes of a quick fix. Instead, he focused on adding players with high upside and multiple years of eligibility remaining.

Additionally, VT kept its top returning players, such as running back Marcellous Hawkins, Jeffrey Overton Jr., wide receiver Ayden Greene, tight end Benji Gosnell, defensive tackle Kemari Copeland and safety Quentin Reddish, among others.

There’s no guarantee of what Virginia Tech’s record will be in 2026, but the Hokies will be better. That’s a guarantee and a huge step in the right direction.

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