The Hokies have high marks on the predictive metrics entering the 2026 season.
Virginia Tech football is still six-plus months away from its 2026 season. The Hokies will look to improve on a dismal 3-9 campaign, where they fired then-head coach Brent Pry after a 0-3 start — which included a 45-26 defeat at the hands of Old Dominion.
Ohio State's No. 1, Indiana's No. 5, buy 🦆🦆🦆 and the state of South Carolina, sell the Big 12 teams that aren't Tech.As such, the Hokies enter the season with elevated expectations. Twenty-three high school recruits and 27 transfers join the program, which will be in its first season under new head coach James Franklin. Franklin spent 12-plus seasons at Penn State, reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024. The 2025 start, however, was less fruitful. Franklin's team got out to a 3-3 start, and the head coach was fired after the team sustained back-to-back-to-back losses. Penn State bounced back with a four-game winning streak to end the year, spearheaded by then-redshirt freshman signal-caller Ethan Grunkemeyer. Grunkemeyer, however, joins Franklin in Blacksburg and will presumably be the Hokies' Day 1 starter. Here's a look at how the 10 Virginia Tech regular-season opponents — discounting VMI, which is not on the initial SP+ rankings since it is not in the FBS — stack up on the SP+ rankings:Maryland : No. 55 overall, No. 65 offense, No. 43 defense, No. 39 special teamsPittsburgh : No. 41 overall, No. 40 offense, No. 53 defense, No. 60 special teamsGeorgia Tech : No. 43 overall, No. 53 offense, No. 51 defense, No. 11 special teamsSMU : No. 28 overall, No. 25 offense, No. 32 defense, No. 104 special teamsMiami : No. 8 overall, No. 12 offense, No. 7 defense, No. 42 special teamsOld Dominion is projected to suffer a -11.5 adjusted points per game loss after the departure of Colton Joseph to Wisconsin. Virginia Tech receives a +19.2 adjusted points per game boost with the advent of Franklin. The Hokies kick off their 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, against VMI. In the meantime, their spring game kicks off on Saturday, April 18, at 3 p.m. ET, with admission for the contest free of charge.Hughes serves as Virginia Tech On SI's lead editor, a position he has held since July 2025. He is a sophomore at Virginia Tech, majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. Hughes is also the assistant editor-in-chief for 3304 Sports, as well as an on-air talent for 3304's SportsCenter-style studio show. He is also a staff writer for Steering Wheel Nation, having written pieces on several motorsport series, including Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series.Latest Virginia Tech Win-Loss Projection Offers Reason For Optimism
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