Multiple media outlets reported Monday that former quarterback Penn State Ethan Grunkemeyer will reunite with his former coach, James Franklin at Virginia Tech.
Grunkemeyer is first in line to take over as Virginia Tech quarterback for Kyron Drones, who has exhausted his eligibility. Grunkemeyer, who was thrust into action after Drew Allar broke his ankle at midseason, led the Nittany Lions to four straight wins to end the season. He finished with a program-record 69.1% completion rate and threw for more than 200 yards in three games. He has three seasons of eligibility.
In other transfer portal news, North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins are also on the move and following their coach, with both committing to Oklahoma State with coach Eric Morris. The two freshmen helped lead the Mean Green to a school-record 12 wins, and they missed out on a College Football Playoff berth only after losing to Tulane in the American Conference championship game.
Mestemaker, the national passing leader after never starting a varsity game at quarterback in high school, changed the picture on his X profile to himself in an Oklahoma State uniform. Hawkins, who ran for 1,434 yards and a national-best 25 touchdowns, posted a photo with him in a Cowboys uniform and wrote “100% committed.”
Morris was introduced as Oklahoma State’s coach last month after three seasons at North Texas.
Oklahoma State, which had one of the worst passing offenses in the country, gets a quarterback who threw for 4,379 yards — second all-time among FBS freshmen — and a UNT-record 34 TD passes. Mestemaker’s 15 straight games with at least 200 yards passing is the longest streak in the nation.
Nebraska has found its replacement for Dylan Raiola in Notre Dame’s Kenny Minchey, according to media reports. Minchey was backup to C.J. Carr and played 87 snaps over six games. Minchey, a four-star recruit coming out of high school in Hendersonville, Tennessee, has two seasons of eligibility.
