Five Players to Watch In Virginia Tech's Spring Game on Saturday

Saturday's Spring Game at Lane Stadium isn't a regular-season game, but it's as close to one as Blacksburg has seen in April in a long time. With a new coach, a retooled roster, and a fanbase ready to believe again, every rep matters. Here are five players to lock in on when the Hokies take Worsham Field at 3 p.m. ET.

Ethan Grunkemeyer, Quarterback

Every eye in Lane Stadium will be on Grunkemeyer when he takes his first snap in a Virginia Tech uniform, and for good reason. The Penn State transfer followed Franklin to Blacksburg in January and has been the heavy favorite to win the starting job since day one. He has the resume to back it up. Grunkemeyer started the final seven games of the 2025 season for Penn State, throwing for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. He completed better than 67% of his passes in five of his final six games and didn't throw an interception in the last four. Saturday gives him his first chance to show Hokie Nation what Franklin already knows.

Troy Huhn, Quarterback

The reason Grunkemeyer can't take Saturday for granted is standing right behind him on the depth chart. Huhn, a true freshman out of Carlsbad, California, turned in what Franklin described as an "unbelievable" performance in a recent non-contact scrimmage, throwing four touchdown passes with one interception. He flipped his commitment from Penn State to Virginia Tech when Franklin was hired, and he's been one of the most talked-about players all spring. Franklin has been clear that he wants his non-starter quarterbacks to get live reps on Saturday. Watch how Huhn handles the moment.

A.J. Brand, Wide Receiver

Brand came to Blacksburg as a quarterback, one of the most productive high school signal-callers in South Carolina history. He rushed for 2,029 yards and accounted for 57 total touchdowns in his senior year at Irmo High School, earning the 2024 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year award. But with Grunkemeyer and Bryce Baker ahead of him on the depth chart, Franklin moved him to wide receiver this spring. "He's too good of an athlete," Franklin said. "It was my opinion and our opinion that this was in his best interest." Brand is raw at the position, but his explosiveness is real. Saturday is his debut at receiver, and first impressions will matter.

Kemari Copeland, Defensive Tackle

If there's a player on this roster with a genuine case for All-ACC honors in 2026, it's Copeland. The Virginia Beach product earned third-team All-ACC recognition last season and showed exactly what he's capable of in a single performance against Cal, posting 7 tackles and 3 sacks in one game, becoming the first Virginia Tech defensive tackle to record 3 sacks in a game since current defensive line coach J.C. Price did it in 1995. He is one of the few veterans on this roster who doesn't need a spring game to prove himself, which is exactly why watching him is worthwhile. If Copeland is dominating Saturday's line of scrimmage, it tells you something important about what Franklin's defense could look like when the games count.

Kenny Woseley Jr., Cornerback

Woseley is one of the more intriguing pieces of Franklin's defensive overhaul. The Penn State transfer followed his former head coach to Blacksburg after appearing in 13 games for the Nittany Lions in 2025, and he wasted no time making an impression in spring practice. Defensive coordinator Brent Pry singled him out as a name to watch during the spring, which is notable this early in the process. Woseley played nickel at Penn State, and that figures to be his role with the Hokies as they look to build depth in an overhauled secondary. Saturday will be his first chance to show Hokie Nation what Pry already sees.