Altuner's full year of experience has earned him the right to call the shots up front. Those live reps will be invaluable, especially given the sheer amount of turnover in the trenches this offseason. Since James Franklin arrived in Blacksburg last fall, the Hokies have added four Power 4 offensive line transfers and seven high school prospects, shoring up an undermanned group that returns four starters from last year's squad.
In addition to the newcomers, Altuner said the return of older players like graduate student Montavious Cunningham and redshirt senior Brody Meadows from long-term injuries added an edge that made the group that much better. Another returner from last season, Johnny Garrett, is sidelined with an unknown injury and is expected to miss the foreseeable future. Despite his loss of production—Garrett started 10 games and totaled 679 snaps in 2025—Altuner said it was just next man up.
