CBS game-by-game view of Virginia Tech’s 2026 season highlights a tougher road swing and an offense-led optimism

Virginia Tech enters the 2026 season under a newly installed head coach, James Franklin, and the program’s early conversation has centered on two rebuilding arcs: Franklin’s quick roster reshaping and the defense’s return to the Brent Pry model. In its game-by-game look at the Hokies’ year, CBS frames the key question as whether the new coaching staff can translate offseason momentum into consistent execution once the schedule turns demanding.

On the offensive side, CBS’s projection places quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer as the leading option for 2026. CBS identifies him as a redshirt sophomore and pairs that expectation with a group of skill-position and tight end depth meant to create different looks each week. The names CBS ties to Virginia Tech’s passing attack include tight ends Benji Gosnell and Luke Reynolds, wide receivers Que’Sean Brown and Ayden Greene, and running backs Marcellous Hawkins and Jeffrey Overton Jr., among others competing for roles.

Defensively, the storyline is about continuity and familiarity. Pry, the former Virginia Tech head coach, is identified in the CBS preview as returning as the defensive coordinator, which matters because schemes and player development priorities typically move faster when the staff has shared language. CBS also points to returning contributors such as senior defensive tackle Kemari Copeland and sophomore linebacker Noah Chambers as part of the group expected to anchor improvement in 2026.

CBS’s 2026 path for Virginia Tech, however, is not built for comfort. In its projected slate, the Hokies open a major road test on Oct. 10, traveling across the country to face California. CBS notes that while Virginia Tech won last season, the game was decided late, and it describes Cal as improved with one of the ACC’s top-caliber quarterbacks, emphasizing how the travel and the opponent quality combine into a high-leverage early checkpoint.

Two weeks after the trip to California, CBS places another substantial challenge at Clemson, calling out the difficulty of playing in Death Valley. The following week, the Hokies are projected to be on the road again, this time at SMU in Dallas. CBS highlights SMU’s stature since joining the ACC, indicating that the matchup is less a novelty and more a test of whether Virginia Tech’s defense and special teams can hold up against an increasingly prominent conference opponent.

The final stretch in CBS’s view grows even more intense, with Virginia Tech scheduled to travel to Miami on Nov. 21. CBS frames Miami as a program that has looked elite again since the NIL era began, and it also notes Virginia Tech’s historical ability to play well against Miami. The combination, in CBS’s telling, sets up a closing-week swing that could determine how the Hokies finish among the teams competing for upper-tier positioning.