Simulating Virginia Tech's 2026 Season On EA Sports' 'College Football 27'

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

EA Sports' "College Football 27" game has now dropped for early access. The Hokies, who come into the game with an 81 overall rating, sport a newcomer at the quarterback position in Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer. How do Grunkemeyer and the rest of the Hokies fare in my CFB27 simulation of the 2026 season.

[Editor's note: This 2026 season simulation is also included in a five-year simulation that extends out to the 2030 season. That article will be releasing later today (July 7). The article is also conducted via simulation and uses no user-based inputs throughout the entirety of the simulation.]

Week 1 – vs. FCS East

CFB 27 doesn't recognize FCS teams since the game only includes the 168 teams in the FBS. Virginia Tech has little issue, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on its opening drive and riding a 17-point second quarter to a 24-0 lead at halftime. Though FCS East puts a seven-spot on the board in the third quarter, Virginia Tech ultimately claims a 31-7 victory. In the win, Ethan Grunkemeyer goes 15-for-21 for 241 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Jeffrey Overton Jr. ends up as the Hokies' leading rusher with a 62-yard, six-carry output, and Takye Heath shows out with a 115-yard game on five catches.

Record: 1-0

Week 2 – vs. Old Dominion

Virginia Tech's 29-10 victory over the Monarchs comes as a welcome boost, but the margin isn't as big as the final score indicates. The Hokies enter the fourth quarter with a narrow 13-10 lead, but by holding ODU quarterback Jaxon Potter (transfer from Washington State) to a 9-of-24, 130-yard, one-touchdown, one-INT game, they do enough and ride the fourth-quarter surge to their second straight victory. In the second win of the season, Grunkemeyer throws for 332 yards one touchdown, while Marcellous Hawkins totals 112 yards and a touchdown on 14 totes – including three runs of 20 yards or more. Duke transfer Que'Sean Brown paces the receiving corps with a 102-yard day.

Record: 2-0

Week 3 – @ Maryland

For the first time since 2017, Virginia Tech wins a non-conference Power Four matchup, rallying back from an 11-point deficit with a 12-point fourth quarter to narrowly snatch a 25-24 victory. Virginia Tech forces two interceptions from Maryland signal-caller Malik Washington, and Grunkemeyer throws for 289 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. The Hokies are restrained on the ground – no Virginia Tech player rushes for more than 50 yards, with Hawkins leading the way with 44 on 12 carries – but Luke Reynolds (eight receptions, 103 receiving yards) and Heath (three receptions, 80 yards) pick up the slack. Maryland's 2-for-11 mark on third-down plays proves to be its undoing, as Virginia Tech wins its first three games of the season for the first time since the 2017 season.

Record: 3-0

Week 4 – vs. Boston College

Virginia Tech emerges unchallenged from Boston College in a pedestrian contest that's a 14-0 game at the half. Grunkemeyer posts 164 yards and two touchdowns, while Hawkins rushes for 79 yards on the ground, and Reynolds posts 80 receiving yards on seven catches. Boston College trails 24-3 entering the final quarter, but posts a fourth-quarter touchdown with under a minute remaining after a successful onside kick. As a result of the victory, the Hokies enter Week 5 at No. 21 in the top-25 – in this simulation, that stands as their first time in the rankings since Week 3 of the 2021 campaign.

Record: 4-0 (1-0 ACC)

Week 5 (No. 21) – vs. Pitt

A now-ranked Virginia Tech scores a field goal on its first drive against the Panthers, but Mason Heintschel counters with a four-yard touchdown to Censere Lee to take a 7-3 lead. The Hokies commit a costly mistake when Tyreek Robinson logs a 54-yard fumble recovery. The Hokies force a third-down, however, and get the ball back, scoring on a three-yard Marcellous Hawkins rush to take a 10-7 lead for the Hokies entering the break. Pitt mounts a charge entering the fourth quarter, though, tying the game with a field goal and forcing Virginia Tech into a fourth-and-5 situation.

Pittsburgh's run peters out, giving Virginia Tech the ball back with three and a half minutes to spare, and though Grunkemeyer's forced to toss three passes away, Quentin Reddish snags the first delivery on Pitt's drive with 2:52 to go, offering the Hokies a lifeline. On the ensuing play, Overton scampers for a 24-yard rush, and Virginia Tech logs a John Love field goal to take a 13-10 lead with 1:36 left. Pitt goes for it on a fourth-and-inches and converts, and thanks to two big plays – including a 15-yard touchdown rush from Heintschel – Pitt takes a 17-13 lead with just nine seconds left. Virginia Tech can't convert on the subsequent last-gasp opportunity, and it ultimately drops its first game of the 2026 season.

Grunkemeyer throws for a drab 73 yards, and the Hokies accomplish little on the ground with 66 rushing yards (Hawkins 43, Overton 23). Despite only compiling 139 total yards of offense to Pitt's 250, Virginia Tech stays in the game, only to be undone by its 1-for-9 mark on third-down plays. The defeat predictably knocks VIrginia Tech out of the top 25.

[Editor's note: Elsewhere in the FBS, No. 24 Rutgers surprises No. 12 Indiana 9-7 in a slugfest.]

Record: 4-1 (1-1 ACC)

Week 6: @ California

Neither team scores in the first quarter, though California converts on a fourth-and-inches goal-line drive with Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele passing to Kyion Grayes for the score. Virginia Tech counters in kind, however, with Hawkins scoring on the subsequent drive.

With under a minute to go in the first half, Grunkemeyer finds Hawkins open for a six-yard receiving touchdown that enables Virginia tech to eventually take 17-7 lead heading into halftime. California stays within reach, however, and it ties the game with a 42-yard field goal from Towns McGough right before the end of the third quarter.

Virginia Tech opts for a 22-yard Love field goal, and after the Hokies hold California scoreless on the next drive, Grunkemeyer finds Que'Sean Brown down the seam for a 22-yard touchdown to ice the game, giving the Hokies their fifth win of the 2026 season. California mounts a late push, but its late rally is unsuccessful. In the 27-24 win, Hawkins rushes for 110 yards and two scores, while Grunkemeyer goes 18-of-24 for 195 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Record: 5-1 (2-1 ACC)

Week 7 (#22): vs. Georgia Tech

Drawing a struggling Georgia Tech (1-4, 0-2 ACC) unit, Virginia Tech is back in the rankings, sitting at No. 22 entering the affray.

Neither team scores in the first quarter, and Virginia Tech squanders its first true opportunity of the second with Love missing a 57-yarder. A three-yard Hawkins rush with just over a minute, though, vaults Virginia Tech into a 10-0 lead at half that added three points with a Love field goal. Love adds another field goal – this one being a 48-yarder – to give Virginia Tech a 13-0 lead, and it's not until the 3:56 mark in the fourth quarter that Georgia Tech gets on the board with a Gavin Harris touchdown.

Grunkemeyer, however, ices the game with a seven-yard toss to Reynolds, and Virginia Tech ultimately rides it out to a 23-13 lead only sliced by a late Georgia Tech touchdown. Virginia Tech rises five spots on the top-25 as a result of its sixth win – one that qualifies it for its first bowl in the James Franklin era.

Record: 6-1 (3-1 ACC)

Week 8 (#17): @ Clemson

Armed with its highest top-25 ranking of the season, No. 17 Virginia Tech falls behind Clemson quickly. The Hokies trail to the Tigers 3-0 after one quarter, and Clemson wideout Bryant Wesco Jr. catches an 11-yarder to leave the Hokies in a 13-0 hole entering the second half.

The Hokies, however, rally back to thin the deficit to a score when Chris Denson's pass is intercepted by Isaia Brown-Murray, who takes iot to the house. Virginia Tech then takes the lead when Grunkemeyer takes advantage, delivering completions of 22 and 21 yards to Heath and Greene to snatch a 14-13 lead. Clemson counters with a 29-yard touchdown to Tyler Brown and a two-point conversion, though.

Standing with a fourth-and-10 and a 21-17 deficit with 2:11 to go, Grunkemeyer finds Brown down the left sideline for a 28-yard gain, putting the Hokies in business at the 19-yard line. A 15-yard reception to Reynolds places them at the goal line, but Grunkemeyer gets stopped on a fourth-down QB keeper.

Virginia Tech forces Clemson into a three-and-out, and again on a fourth-and-10 play, Grunkemeyer finds one of his targets, this one being Greene for a 15-yarder. With 15 seconds left, Grunkemeyer fires it over to Reynolds, and shockingly, Virginia Tech emerges with its first victory over Clemson in 19 years.

iEditor's note: Elsewhere in the ACC, an unranked Duke squad upsets No. 6 Virginia, 20-19.]

Record: 7-1 (4-1 ACC)

Week 10 (#16): @ SMU

Now sitting at No. 16, Virginia Tech aims to take down SMU (5-3, 3-3 ACC) to vault itself into potential College Football Playoff consideration. The Hokies enter the week ranked fourth in the ACC standings behind No. 2 Miami (6-0 in ACC), No. 18 Louisville (5-1), and No. 11 Virginia (5-1).

SMU gets on the board first and scores a touchdown, too, to take a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. Halfback Dramekco Green then punches in a two-yard score to advance SMU's lead to 17-0, and though the Hokies log 10 straight points, it isn't enough in a 34-10 loss where the Hokies are outscored 17-0 in the second half. In the loss, Grunkemeyer goes just 10-of-29 for 113 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Record: 7-2 (4-2 ACC)

Week 11 (#16): vs. Stanford

Despite the loss, No. 16 Virginia Tech enters its Week 11 clash in the same ranking it did a week prior.

The Hokies tack on a pair of John Love field goals, though Stanford snatches a 7-6 lead late thanks to a 13-yard rush up the middle by tailback Micah Ford. Virginia Tech enters the final frame with a 13-10 lead, though, after Grunkemeyer scampers free for a 32-yard house call as time expires. The Hokies ultimately claim a 20-13 victory behind Grunkemeyer throwing for 132 yards and Hawkins rushing for 44 yards in a pedestrian day for the offense.

Record: 8-2 (5-2 ACC)

Week 12 (#12): @ Miami

Now ranked No. 12, Virginia Tech currently slots in as the second team out of the College Football Playoff, looking to supplant top-ranked Miami.

Virginia Tech stays in the game in the second quarter, but misses a crucial opportunity to cut the deficit to 7-3 when a Love field goal is blocked. Miami ultimately converts on a long and arduous drive that culminates in a fourth-and-goal touchdown run from running back Mark Fletcher Jr. The Hurricanes' pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns proves too much for the Hokies, who go down quietly in an insipid 28-3 loss. Fletcher tallies two rushing touchdowns despite only 44 yards on the ground; Miami also holds Grunkemeyer to a 172-yard, no-touchdown, two-interception day, handing Virginia Tech their third loss of the season ahead of the regular-season finale.

Record: 8-3 (5-3 ACC)

Week 13 (#17): vs. Virginia

Like the 2025 campaign, Virginia Tech enters the campaign looking to spoil Virginia's College Football Playoff aspirations – the Cavaliers (9-2, 6-2 ACC) enter this CFB27 matchup with a No. 12 slot, while Virginia Tech sits five spots lower. This time, the Hokies have their own aspirations, albeit remote.

Virginia, starting Eli Holstein at quarterback, gets on the board with a Peyton Lewis touchdown, and Will Bettridge tacks on a field goal to extend the 'Hoos lead to 10. A Holstein pass to Rico Flores extends the margin to 17-0, and though Virginia Tech eventually cuts it to 10 off a 59-yard house call from Overton, the Hokies come up short in a 20-13 loss that enables UVa. to advance to the 2026 College Football Playoff. The Cavaliers lose the ACC title game to Miami, though they draw Oregon in the first round of the CFP, a game they lose 41-34.

Record: 8-4 (5-4 ACC)

Bowl Game: vs. Oregon State (Holiday Bowl)

In the Holiday Bowl, Virginia Tech falls behind 14-0 and can't recover. The Hokies eventually trail by as many as 20, settling into a 26-7 deficit in the fourth quarter. Greene catches a four-yard touchdown in his final game as a Hokie as Virginia Tech loses, 26-14.

In the loss, the Hokies go scoreless until the fourth quarter, falling into a 20-0 hole. Grunkemeyer completes 15 of his 28 passes for 152 yards, one touchdown and no picks in his final game of the season. Brown has a productive day with 79 yards off six hauls.

Final 2026 Record: 8-5 (5-4 ACC)

Major Season Stats

QB

Ethan Grunkemeyer: 191-for-356 (53%), 2,374 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, seven interceptions

Rushing Yards

Marcellous Hawkins: 99 carries, 573 yards, seven touchdowns
Jeffrey Overton Jr.: 69 carries, 378 yards, three touchdowns

Receiving Yards

Luke Reynolds: 60 receptions, 688 yards, three touchdowns
Que'Sean Brown: 37 receptions, 530 yards, five touchdowns
Takye Heath: 28 receptions, 509 yards, two touchdowns
Ayden Greene: 40 receptions, 446 yards, three touchdowns

Sacks

Kemari Copeland (7.5 sacks, 14 TFLs)
Elhadj Fall (3.5 sacks, nine TFLs)
Curtis Jones Jr. (3.0 sacks, five TFLs)

Tackles

Kaleb Spencer (60 tackles, 55 solo)
Gabe Williams (54 tackles, 45 solo)
Quentin Reddish (48 tackles, 43 solo)
Jaquez White (38 tackles, 26 solo)
Isaiah Brown-Murray (36 tackles, 28 solo)*

* – [Editor's note: Brown-Murray also finished with a team-high four picks.]

Other Notes:

Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss wins the 2026 Heisman after a 3,614-yard, 24-touchdown season for Ole Miss.
Virginia makes the 2026 College Football Playoff as the No. 9 seed and loses in the first round to eight-seed Oregon, 41-34. The Ducks make it to the CFP Final, where they lose 38-21 to national champions South Carolina.

Today's best reads

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as Simulating Virginia Tech's 2026 Season On EA Sports' 'College Football 27'.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos