The Virginia Tech transfer quarterback lands in the middle of CBS Sports’ ACC QB rankings ahead of the 2026 season.
CBS Sports released its preseason rankings of ACC starting quarterbacks this week, placing Virginia Tech's Ethan Grunkemeyer in the middle of the conference pack as the Hokies prepare for the 2026 season.
Grunkemeyer was ranked No. 6 among ACC quarterbacks in the list compiled by CBS Sports writer Austin Nivison. The ranking comes as the former Penn State quarterback enters his first season as Virginia Tech's projected starter. Despite the modest placement, Grunkemeyer arrives in Blacksburg with significant expectations after a promising stretch late in the 2025 season with the Nittany Lions.Grunkemeyer originally emerged as Penn State's starter after veteran quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending broken left ankle injury in October. The redshirt freshman stepped into the lineup and helped stabilize the offense during a turbulent stretch. Over seven starts, the Ohio native completed over 69 percent of his passes for 1,339 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions, guiding the Nittany Lions to a 4-3 record during that span. He also finished the year strong, leading Penn State to four consecutive wins to close the season while throwing six touchdowns without throwing an interception during that stretch.Despite landing at No. 6 in the rankings, Grunkemeyer enters the 2026 season with a realistic chance to climb the conference quarterback hierarchy. CBS Sports ranked Darian Mensah as the top ACC quarterback after a standout season in which he threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading Duke to an ACC title before transferring to Miami. NC State's CJ Bailey and SMU's Kevin Jennings were also placed ahead of Grunkemeyer after multiple productive seasons as starters. California's Jardon-Keawe Sagapolutele and Pitt's Mason Heintschel round out the top five after both showed significant promise early in their careers. Sagapolutele threw for more than 3,400 yards as a freshman, while Heintschel helped lead Pitt to a winning record in games he started. Grunkemeyer, meanwhile, sits just behind that group entering his first season at Virginia Tech. After taking over as Penn State's starter last last season due to injury, the redshirt freshman showed flashes of potential that could translate well in the ACC. If he builds on that late-season momentum and settles into the Hokies' offense quickly, Grunkemeyer could surpass several of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of him and establish miself amonf the conference's top signal callers by the end of the season.James Duncan is a senior at Virginia Tech studying Sports Media and Analytics. He is an active member of 3304 Sports, covering Virginia Tech sports, as well as a reporter for The Lead covering the Washington Commanders. James is passionate about delivering detailed, accurate coverage and helping readers connect with the games they love.Way Too Early Bowl Projections Match Virginia Tech With Big Ten Playoff Contender
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cal's ACC Women's Tournament Challenge: Five Wins in Five DaysCal coach Charmin Smith experienced a similar unlikely run though a conference tournament 22 years ago
Read more »
Cal's ACC Women's Tournament Challenge: Five Wins in Five DaysCal coach Charmin Smith experienced a similar unlikely run though a conference tournament 22 years ago
Read more »
Three Cardinals Earn 2025-26 All-ACC HonorsImari Berry was also named the Sixth Player of the Year.
Read more »
Virginia Clinches No. 2 Seed In ACC Tournament With Win Over Wake ForestIt was not pretty, but Virginia was able to get the home win against Wake Forest tonight and with that, they are going to be the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournamen
Read more »
FSU Basketball Set For Final ACC Road Game Against Desperate Pitt PanthersFlorida State has played surprisingly well on the road in ACC play. Can they notch one more win?
Read more »
Stanford’s flurry to force OT not enough in ACC tourney loss to MiamiCourtney Ogden led 13th-seeded Stanford (19-13) with 22 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter when the Cardinal scored the final 11 points to tie the game at 70.
Read more »