James Franklin has named his starting quarterback for Year 1 at Virginia Tech.
It will be a familiar face for Franklin, as the Hokies tabbed Penn State transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer as their starter in 2026. Grunkemeyer, the presumed starter for much of the offseason, beat out North Carolina transfer Bryce Baker.
The third-year player appeared in 12 games during his time in State College. He redshirted in 2024 with just one appearance and two pass attempts, but he assumed the starting job last season after Drew Allar was lost for the year due to injury.
Grunkemeyer started the final seven games in 2025, throwing for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
Sources: Virginia Tech has named transfer Ethan Grunkemeyer the starting quarterback,
and he’ll debut for the Hokies against VMI. Grunkemeyer is a Penn State transfer who threw for 1,339 yards and eight touchdowns. Won his final four starts of the year at Penn State. pic.twitter.com/mHc3gJlinh
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 31, 2026
Franklin was fired amid a stunning 3-3 start, and Grunkemeyer finished the season 4-3 as a starter amid a 7-6 finish. After the season, he followed Franklin to Blacksburg.
The Hokies enter the Franklin era with some momentum off the field thanks to an offseason influx of cash. They're hoping their new coach's familiarity with Grunkemeyer will pay dividends in Year 1.
Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Virginia Tech names Penn State transfer as starting quarterback
