Two Deep | The Longest-Running Hokies Podcast · Pete B. & Sam Jessee | Sons of Saturday

Hokies Spring Practice - Depth Charts, Top Positions, and Standouts from Week 1

March 26, 2026·1 hr 29 min·7 clips

A Virginia Tech coach passionately declares, 'This isn't some rinky-dink-ass program,' revealing his family's total commitment to the Hokies.

1. Two Deep, Virginia Tech's longest-running Hokies podcast, covers the first week of spring practice under James Franklin with a focus on depth charts and position group grades. 2. Hosts Pete B and Sam Jesse are recording back-to-back nights after a separate Virginia Tech basketball show; the episode opens with March Madness cheers before pivoting to football. 3. The episode's central question is which position groups look reassuring and which remain major concerns heading into fall camp under Franklin's new staff. 4. Seven players are confirmed out for all of spring practice: Jojo Crim, Garrett Witherington, John Patrick Oats, Logan Howland, Rose B. Labentis, Messiah Mickens, and Marley on Jackson. 5. Marcellus Hawkins is also limited, leaving Tyler Mason, Bill Davis, and Jeff Overton as the primary running backs getting spring reps — a thin room the hosts acknowledge. 6. Reporter Ryan Castle described Thursday's practice as 'intense, competitive and efficient,' contrasting it with the 'walking and jogging' pace observed under earlier staffs. 7. James Franklin was seen on video pushing a practice sled off the field to keep drill transitions moving, cited as evidence of his hands-on, zero-wasted-seconds approach. 8. Three quarterbacks — Ethan Grunkemeier, Bryce Baker, and Troy Hoon — split reps with the top group, with AJ Brand officially moved to wide receiver and Kelton Ryan appearing to be the fourth option. 9. Both hosts identify quarterback as their least-concerned position group: Grunkemeier produced at Penn State in a difficult situation with limited weapons, and Baker is a high-ceiling recruit connected to the same staff. 10. Sam frames the real depth question as whether Baker can run the same full offensive system as Grunkemeier — something Virginia Tech's backup quarterbacks historically could not do. 11. Colin Schley is cited as a specific example: he performed well against Syracuse but Virginia Tech had to run a simplified offense around him, limiting the team's ceiling. 12. Troy Hoon, a true freshman who 'should be a senior in high school,' has apparently already passed Kelton Ryan on the depth chart based on spring reports from Kolby Crawford. 13. Pete names corner as his least-concerned defensive back position, citing two experienced portal additions (White and Chadwick) who look like potential starters alongside a deep young talent base. 14. Both hosts express more uncertainty about safety than corner, noting the position has been chaotic for two years with injuries, scheme issues, and misplaced personnel. 15. DB coach Nick Perry is flagged as a question mark — he came from Arkansas, where the secondary was among the worst in the country — but the hosts note he now has the talent to prove himself. 16. Sam identifies offensive line as his biggest concern, estimating it as worth 'a game and a half difference in the win-loss column' and questioning whether the existing multi-year starters can improve under a new staff. 17. The five spring starters on the offensive line are named as Aiden Lynch, Laith Ganham, Kyle Altuner, Johnny Garrett, and Montavious Cunningham — all returning players who already struggled in 2024. 18. Tone is conversational and analytical, with both hosts using specific historical references and personnel details to support their position grades. 19. Virginia Tech fans tracking the Franklin-era roster rebuild who want early positional grades from observers with on-the-ground practice access. 20. Listeners unfamiliar with Virginia Tech football or the ACC who have no interest in depth chart speculation and practice reports.

As heard by us

A spring-practice checkup that lands best when it focuses on Virginia Tech's secondary.

By the time the conversation settles, the most useful stretch is the one on Virginia Tech's secondary, especially safety and corner. The discussion ties the defensive back worries to injuries, a strange scheme, and the need to move players around, then gives Anthony Midget's…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want a blunt Hokies spring read on the secondary?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Two Deep | The Longest-Running Hokies Podcast