Virginia Tech football: Offensive line among highest-graded in college football

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Many questions surrounded Virginia Tech’s offensive line heading into this season. The two-deep was largely filled with players who’d been in the program for the past couple of seasons and were a part of a unit that wasn’t a team strength. Add in projected starting tackle Johnny Garrett’s injury, and questions multiply.

New head coach James Franklin had those concerns, too. Did you see how aggressive he was in the 2026 recruiting class, restocking the program along the offensive line? Franklin added more help in the transfer portal, namely Ohio State transfer Justin Terry and Oklahoma transfer Logan Howland.

Here we are, entering Week 4 of the 2026 season, and the Hokies are 3-0. Sure, the competition hasn’t been the stiffest, but you could say that across most of college football. VT did pick up a dominant win over Maryland, snapping a 15-game non-conference road losing streak against Power Four opponents. The Hokies are beating teams they should beat—by a lot. Even though they aren’t playing perfect games, they are dominating. When’s the last time you could say that?

One reason for Tech’s early success is its offensive line. While there are concerns about Tech’s run blocking, the Hokies looked great overall against a big, talented Maryland defensive line last week.

Through three weeks, Pro Football Network’s advanced metrics have Virginia Tech’s offensive line as the fifth highest-graded unit in college football.

That’s impressive. Yes, you could probably expect the group to slip some as the competition continues to stiffen, but they should also improve the more they play together. Offensive line play is about cohesion. One concern is the health of left tackle Justin Terry. The redshirt sophomore transfer has been impressive early in his Virginia Tech tenure, but was helped off the field with a lower-leg injury during Saturday’s win over Maryland.

Terry returned to the sideline in the second half, but he was on crutches. When Franklin met with the media on Monday, he wouldn’t elaborate on Terry’s status until he spoke with him. That doesn’t sound positive. Howland replaced Terry at left tackle and played well.

The Hokies are back in action Saturday at Boston College, where the weather could be a major factor. It sounds like a perfect day for the offensive line to dominate.

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