Former Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer headlined the players’ migration from Happy Valley to join former coach James Franklin at Virginia Tech via the transfer portal. Franklin poached 12 of his former Penn State players to assemble the No. 18 transfer portal class in the country after taking the Hokies job.
Grunkemeyer took over the Penn State QB1 job after Drew Allar sustained a broken ankle in October that ended his season.
Analyst Reveals Ethan Grunkemeyer’s Stellar Reputation
During Wednesday’s segment of the “Joel Klatt” show, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt revealed how highly regarded Grunkemeyer was by Indiana’s defensive coordinator, Bryant Haines.
“Grunkemeyer played really well (against Indiana), and after the game, I’m texting with Bryant Haines (Indiana’s defensive coordinator) in preparation for some of the games,” Klatt said. “I was like, man, credit that offensive line, they ran the ball well, and he texted me back, ‘I was so impressed by their quarterback’,
“Grunkemeyer was obviously playing for Allar at the time. I got to tell you, I think the guy I respect, one of the two or three defensive coordinators I respect the most in college football, and one of those would be Bryant Haines from Indiana. When that guy tells me is unbelievable, and he was hard to stop, that tells you something.”
With Grunkemeyer under center, the Nittany Lions came close to upsetting the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in Happy Valley in November, before a miraculous Fernando Mendoza throw to Omar Cooper Jr. won the game for coach Curt Cignetti’s team.
Grunkemeyer Tabbed To Elevate Hokies to ACC Improvement
In CBS Sports analyst Chip Patterson’s latest power rankings, he tabbed the Hokies to rise as high as No. 5 in the ACC due to the signing of Grunkemeyer and several former Penn State recruits.
“The James Franklin era begins in Blacksburg with plenty of Penn State flavor, as 12 of Virginia Tech’s 27-player transfer portal class are former Nittany Lions. Among them are quarterback Ethan Grunkmeyer and tight end Luke Reynolds, who, along with wide receiver Que’Sean Brown, give Hokies fans some reasons to be excited about the offense.
“The heavy turnover associated with the coaching change might have the Hokies a year away from jumping into that top tier and competing with Miami and others for conference supremacy.”
Grunkemeyer earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 76.6 after tallying 1,339 passing yards, resulting in eight touchdowns and four interceptions, while adding one rushing touchdown for the Nittany Lions last season.
