Biggest Questions Virginia Tech Must Answer In Week 1
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Virginia Tech's 2026 season starts on Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Hokies play VMI at 7:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network. The matchup will be the first between the two schools since the 1984 season – and though the game itself should be a relatively facile affair that's over by the second quarter, it remains as the first game on the docket for new Hokies head coach James Franklin.
The Hokies haven't won more than seven games in a season since the 2019 campaign, and VMI represents the first glimpse of what Virginia Tech will look like in ue game conditions. The early goings will offer a look at how new quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (1,339 yards, eight touchdowns, four interceptions in 2025 at Penn State) meshes with the new pass-catching corps, which has new playmakers like wide receiver Que'Sean Brown (Duke) and Luke Reynolds (Penn State).
How Reynolds meshes with Grunkemeyer is also a point of emphasis. The former five-star recruit flashed at times over his two seasons with Penn State, but his 368 yards seem to indicate that there's more potential than production going into 2026. Reynolds logged a team-high 69 yards at the Hokies' spring game April 18, and while spring games typically offer little of what a team's offense will deploy come the fall, it appears as if the Hokies will utilize more of their tight ends than in years past. How much they do and the split between the wide receivers and the tight ends is one of the main questions that will begin to be answered in the season opener.
Grunkemeyer's rapport with Reynolds and the room as a whole is also a point of emphasis. Grunkemeyer isn't a runner – he rushed for a net-minus-46 rushing yards on 35 carries in 2025 – but he is an adept pocket passer that should elevate the Hokies' passing attack. Again, the level to which he can do so is one of the main sticking points of the 2026 season. Virginia Tech's passing attack will likely be better in 2026. The question is how much and whether it's enough of an impact to shake up the ACC and vault Virginia Tech up to the upper echelon of teams in the league.
Who steps up as the top receiver may also be a point to watch. Brown totaled 846 yards and five touchdowns at Duke last season, while Greene comes back as Virginia Tech's top returning receiver after leading the team in receiving yards (516), receptions (31) and receiving touchdowns. On both lines, the question is whether the offensive line can improve despite returning many of its starters from last year's 3-9 output, while the defensive line must answer the question of who can step up alongside defensive tackle Kemari Copeland (7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks in 2025).
These answers won't be fully realized at the conclusion of the season opener, but for the first time, any answers will be baked more in real-game evidence in this current season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as Biggest Questions Virginia Tech Must Answer In Week 1.
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