Inside the Tunnel: A Virginia Tech Sports Podcast · 247Sports, Virginia Tech Hokies, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech football, College Football

Post Portal Offensive Depth Chart Projections

·1 hr 5 min·5 clips

Why Ethan Gronkmeier is the heavy favorite to start at quarterback for Virginia Tech in 2026.

This episode of Inside the Tunnel features hosts Andrew Alex, Matej Sis, and Colby Crawford analyzing Virginia Tech's offensive roster after the transfer portal window. They are joined by Doug Bowman, who provides insights from his depth chart projection article for VT Scoop. The discussion begins with the quarterback room, focusing on transfers Ethan Grunkmeyer from Penn State and Bryce Baker from North Carolina. Grunkmeyer, who started seven games, is considered the heavy favorite to start over Baker, a former four-star recruit who redshirted. The hosts rate the quarterback additions as a 10 out of 10 for addressing the team's biggest need. At running back, they project a three-man rotation led by returnee Marcellus Hawkins, with Jeff Overton as a potential breakout candidate and transfer Bill Davis from Louisiana adding a physical between-the-tackles presence. The wide receiver room is highlighted by returnee Aiden Green and Duke transfer Keyshawn Brown, but the third spot is seen as an open competition among younger players like Keelan Adams and Tyser Denmark. The tight end room is praised as a major upgrade, featuring Benji Gosnell and Penn State transfer Luke Reynolds, with the group expected to be a cornerstone of the offense under coordinator Ty Howell. An interesting insight is that Aiden Green actually had more catches and yards in 2025 than Steven Gosnell did in 2024, despite Virginia Tech's poor passing attack last season. The hosts speculate that James Franklin's decision not to aggressively pursue a proven portal wide receiver signals high internal confidence in the young talent already on the roster. They note the tight end usage will increase dramatically, as Penn State's third tight end often played more snaps than Tech's second tight end did last year. A surprising claim is that freshman running back Messiah Mickens is expected to redshirt, with his path to carries clearer in 2027. The conversation reveals that Grunkmeyer's delayed signing was due to an agent change and contract negotiations, not late competition from other schools. The hosts debate whether Peter Kim's decision to play basketball this winter could hinder his chance to earn a starting receiver role. They also examine the strategic fit of adding receiver Marlin Jackson from Louisiana Tech as a high-floor insurance policy rather than a star. The tone is analytical and conversational, with hosts and guest exchanging informed opinions based on roster construction, past performance, and scheme fit. The style is deeply insider-focused, geared toward dedicated fans who follow recruiting and roster mechanics. Virginia Tech football fans eager for a detailed, position-by-position breakdown of the 2026 offensive outlook will love this episode. Listeners seeking big-picture narrative or entertainment might find the granular roster analysis too specialized.

As heard by us

A clear-eyed Virginia Tech roster check that turns portal chaos into plausible fall depth-chart guesses.

Inside the Tunnel spends its time on the offseason football stuff that actually matters: sorting transfer-portal chatter into something that looks like a real Virginia Tech depth chart. The show has the right beat for that job.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Hokies' receiver-room math after the portal closes.

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