The Virginia Tech Hokies will have a new quarterback in 2026. In fact, Virginia Tech’s entire quarterback room could look different once the transfer portal opens in January. Although the portal can only open in January, players can reveal their intention to enter the portal.
Virginia Tech quarterback Garret Rangel on Wednesday became the first Hokie since the arrival of new coach James Franklin to reveal his intention to enter the transfer portal. Rangel transferred to Virginia Tech before last season from Oklahoma State, but didn’t play a snap. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
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It’s no secret that the Hokies need to improve at the most important position. Tech added a commitment from Troy Huhn in the 2026 recruiting class. Kyron Drones played his final snap for the Hokies in the loss to Virginia. This makes most Virginia Tech fans happy. Drone play has been a source of frustration over the past two years, after a promising start in 2023.
Several quarterbacks have already declared their intention to transfer. Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt appears to be the most prominent. Leavitt is expected to have suitors such as Oregon, LSU, Indiana, Miami and Texas Tech, among others. He will not be an option for the Hokies. ODU’s Colton Joseph will also enter the portal. Hokie fans got a good look at Joseph in September, and Franklin could get a personal scouting report from ODU coach Ricky Rahne, his former offensive coordinator at Penn State.
However, on Thursday, On3’s Pete Nakos revealed that Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula was entering the transfer portal.
It’s a name Virginia Tech fans should know. Pribula, 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, is a native of York, Pennsylvania, and began his college career at Penn State. A four-star signee from Central Catholic High School, Pribula spent three seasons at Happy Valley – all under James Franklin. He played last season at Missouri and has one season of eligibility remaining.
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While a number of teams could pursue Pribula aggressively, three stand out: Virginia Tech, Washington State and a return to the Nittany Lions. The Hokies make sense because of his relationship with Franklin. New Washington State head coach Kirby Moore was Pribula’s offensive coordinator at Missouri last season. Penn State reportedly interested in a reunion.
Hokie fans will see Pribula’s stats and ask, “If we have money, why are we going after his man?” Good question. After redshirting in 2022, Pribula played in a total of 24 games for the Nittany Lions over two years, completing 37 of 56 passes (66%) for 424 yards, with nine touchdowns and one interception. He totaled 571 yards (6.1 YPC) and 10 touchdowns.
Yes, Pribula is a dual-threat quarterback.
Last season at Missouri, Pribula played in 10 games, completing 67 percent of his passes for 1,941 yards, with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He totaled 297 yards and six touchdowns. Pribula suffered a dislocated ankle during the season, missing only two full games.
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There’s a lot to like about Pribula. This is an improvement as a passer over drones. How much? Some of his numbers could be attributed to Missouri’s struggles in pass protection last season. Pribula would be a solid option, but Franklin would have to take two quarterbacks out of the portal to compete with the remaining quarterbacks.
William “Pop” Watson (two years of eligibility remaining) and two true freshmen (AJ Brand and Kelden Ryan) are Tech’s current quarterbacks, not named Rangel or Drones.
It’s unclear who Franklin will target next month, but Pribula is a good bet to watch.
