Virginia Tech Football 2026 Position Preview: Quarterbacks

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Since Virginia Tech's portion of the 2026 ACC Kickoff has concluded, it's time to take a stab at the quarterback position

Returners:

Kelden Ryan (r-Fr.) – The lone returnee from Virginia Tech's 2025 signal-calling corps, Ryan did not see game action in the 2025 season and redshirted. He logged 39 total touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing) as a senior at DeSoto High School in Texas, logging 2,353 passing yards and 924 rushing yards.

Newcomers:

Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer helps out with Penn State's Pro Day in Holuba Hall on March 28, 2025, in State College. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ethan Grunkemeyer(r-So.) – Grunkemeyer, the odds-on favorite to win the starting job, followed James Franklin from Penn State after a season-ending injury to starter Drew Allar forced Grunkemeyer to take the reins under center for the final four games of the season. In 2025, Grunkemeyer threw for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions, and his quarterback rating of 75.0 would have ranked No. 25 in the nation if extrapolated out to a full season. Under Grunkemeyer, Penn State won its final four games, including a 22-10 victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Bryce Baker (r-Fr.) – Baker did not play in his freshman year at North Carolina; the four-star prospect (derived from On3) from East Forsyth High Scohol logged 6,605 passing yards and 79 touchdowns over his final two years of high school ball, amassing 3,523 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior. The 6-foot-2, 212-pound redshirt freshman projects as the likely backup to Grunkemeyer.
Troy Huhn (Fr.) – Huhn, a three-star early enrollee started for two seasons at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif. Last season, he led the Grizzlies to a 9-2 record and a state playoff berth, finishing the year with 2,438 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air and adding 228 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground. ESPN rated him as a four-star quarterback, while both 247Sports and Rivals/On3 rated him as a three-star recruit. Huhn likely projects out as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart behind Grunkemeyer, Baker and Ryan.

Who is favored to win the starting QB job?

At the present moment, though there's no concrete confirmation, it feels as if it's Grunkemeyer's job to lose. The Penn State transfer is the long signal-caller of the four-QB group that has recorded a collegiate snap in a non-spring game.

Baker likely stacks up as the backup due to his pedigree from North Carolina, while Ryan and Huhn likely stack up as QB3 and QB4 on the depth chart.

Biggest question mark:

The biggest question is this: If Grunkemeyer goes down, or for whatever reason, Virginia Tech sees fit to make a quarterback change, is there enough depth behind the Penn State transfer? Beyond Grunkemeyer, none of the other three quarterbacks have ever taken to the field for collegiate ball beyond spring games. While it's a potential issue that may never come to fruition, it's still something to note if things go sideways.

Bottom line:

Virginia Tech's quarterback room is well set for the future, with all but one signal-caller – Grunkemeyer – being a freshman with four years of eligibility remaining. Grunkemeyer himself has three years at his disposal.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as Virginia Tech Football 2026 Position Preview: Quarterbacks.

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