We have finally made it to the first game week of the 2026 Virginia Tech Football season, with James Franklin set to make his VT head coaching debut as 50.5-point favorites against VMI. With the season just about here, it's time to rank who Virginia Tech's top breakout candidates are for the 2026 season.
Now this list has a variety of players including some who have held decent-sized roles but haven't had big seasons yet to others who have barely played but are on track for a bigger opportunity.
One player that could fall into this candidacy but will not be included on this list is QB Ethan Grunkemeyer. Given the fact that he started the second half of the season for Penn State with a completion rate that would have broken Virginia Tech's school record for those who attempted at least 150 passes in a season, he doesn't exactly fit the mold of what you're looking for on this list.
So with that said, let's dive into this list starting with a different Penn State transfer.
1. TE Luke Reynolds
This feels like an easy one but Luke Reynolds is on track to become a star and has the type of talent where he could be gone after one year as a potential day 2 or even day 1 NFL Draft pick depending on how well he does this season.
The praise surrounding Reynolds has been immense throughout the offseason including from WRs coach Fontel Mines, a former NFL tight end in his own right.
"Luke is special. He knows how to practice. There's no job that's not too big or too small for him. He's going to get in and get his face dirty and do the dirty work. He's going to split out wide and block a backside safety on a runaway. And he's going to go up and make a contested catch on a fade or a slant. He's the tone setter, one of the tone setters for us offensively. He's got the right attitude and mindset. He's special," Mines said on Media Day.
The former five-star recruit and high-end four-star transfer looks the part of a special talent from putting on an impressive display in the Spring Game to dominating practice reps consistently from the parts of practice we've gotten to see. He is a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive backs who can stretch the field and can turn underneath checkdown routes into big gains. The receiving talent he offers is undeniable while his abilities as a blocker continue to improve.
One of the most impressive things about Reynolds is the fact that he was able to come into a TE room with a proven, veteran starter in Benji Gosnell and easily take the starting job from him. Gosnell has a skill set that could see him be a late round draft pick or at least get a lot of UDFA interest and yet Reynolds blew past him on the depth chart pretty easily from all accounts.
Luke Reynolds is a special talent and though I didn't take him as my Preseason All-ACC tight end, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a First Team All-ACC contender and could end up being in the Mackey Award hunt this season. Instead of being the latest Penn State TE to be drafted, he could be the beginning of a new run of Virginia Tech tight ends being highly-touted NFL Draft picks.
