Ethan Grunkemeyer

#17 · QB · Jr. · Virginia Tech6′2″ · 213 lb · Lewis Center, OH · Olentangy

ZPR5841st of 119 QBsLast gameW 20–16at Clemson · Oct 24
Nextat SMUFri Nov 6 · 7 pm ET

Virginia Tech is 6-2 in the eight games played. A rhythm passer who throws shorter than most.

Strongest: an interception on 0.9% of throws, 21st lowest of 158 starters. Weakest: sacked on 8% of dropbacks, tied for 28th highest of 158 starters.

Passing yards

2,140

187 of 262, 71%

TD–INT

17–2

8.2 per throw

NCAA rating

159.9

25th of 119

ZPR

58

41st of 119

How ZPR works

Solid or better in 6 of 8 graded games.

Best by our grade: Pittsburgh. Lowest: at Boston College, sacked 2 times. Best play: Completion for 1 yards, touchdown, at California, Q4 1:15. Win chance 43% to 82%.

Tap a game for its plays

Q1Q2Q3Q4

Season

Steady through the game

How to read this

Each column is a quarter. Blue and up is a good stretch for the quarterback, red and down a bad one, hatched means the game was already decided. A red cross is a turnover and a black dot a touchdown. The word on the right grades the whole game. A gold line means the r/CFB game thread kept naming the quarterback. Dashed outlines on the Season row are last season’s average. Tap a game to open its plays: each bar is one of the quarterback’s plays, up helped the team’s chance of winning and down hurt it, and the grey line is that chance.

The word grades the game against every FBS quarterback start, from Rough to Great, using the same throws as the season Zeitgeist Passer Rating and adjusting for the defense faced. Bars are points added per throw in that quarter. The Season row leaves out quarters after a game was decided.

Style of play

Rhythm passer

Also: yards after catch

Why this word
Runs3.9 a gameRarelyA lot
Throws6.7 yards past the lineShortDeep
Completes72% by play-by-playFewerMore
Takes sacks8% of dropbacksRarelyOften

The dot is this quarterback, among this season’s starters; the tick is the middle.

Throws shorter than most and runs some. 3.9 carries a game. Closest matches: French, Baker, Minchey, Morton ’25.

Where the throws go

Behind the line23%typical 17%
Short46%typical 47%
Middle20%typical 22%
Deep11%typical 14%

Runs 3.9 times a game; 56% of starters run more.

Closest in style

FrenchBakerMincheyMorton ’25This QB

Nearer the middle means more alike.

  • French Cincinnati · Chain-mover
    1,773 yards, 13 TD, 3 INT so far. Both complete a lot and protect the ball.
  • Baker Louisiana Tech · Rhythm passer
    1,327 yards, 13 TD, 1 INT so far. Both protect the ball and complete a lot.
  • Minchey Kentucky · Rhythm passer
    1,755 yards, 14 TD, 1 INT so far. Both throw short and throw behind the line a lot.
  • Morton ’25 Texas Tech 2025 · Pocket passer
    2,780 yards, 22 TD, 6 INT. Drafted in round 7 (No. 234 overall) by New England, 2026. Both are efficient and throw behind the line a lot.

Compared with the 158 FBS starters this season for throws and running, and with 219 quarterbacks across 2 seasons for the matches, on how they play and how they have done.

This week

What’s being said

7 stories in the last 30 days, from 13 outlets.

Oct 8: 1Oct 19: 1Oct 23: 1Oct 24: 2Oct 30: 1Nov 1: 1L 20-25 at CaliforniaLW 34-24 vs Georgia TechWW 20-16 at ClemsonWOct 6Nov 4Most in a day: 2
Oct 8: 1Oct 19: 1Oct 23: 1Oct 24: 2Oct 30: 1Nov 1: 1L 20-25 at CaliforniaLW 34-24 vs Georgia TechWW 20-16 at ClemsonWOct 6Nov 4Most in a day: 2
Stories per day. W and L: the team’s results.

Ethan Grunkemeyer's TD pass to Luke Reynolds with 1:44 left lifts Virginia Tech past Clemson 20-16

ABC Columbia +5 Oct 24

All 47 stories this season

Worth knowing

  • Ethan Grunkemeyer spent two seasons at Penn State before this one.

His most important play this season

  1. Q4, 1:15 · Virginia Tech down 5, takes the leadEthan Grunkemeyer runs 1 yard for a touchdownVirginia Tech at California, week 6Q4, 1:15 · Virginia Tech 20, California 191:15Go-ahead touchdown for Virginia Tech with 1:15 left1:15Go-ahead touchdown for Virginia Tech with 1:15 leftGo-ahead touchdown for Virginia Tech with 1:15 leftEthan Grunkemeyer 1 yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)Watch from this playESPN College Football

All 15 of his plays on video

Ethan Grunkemeyer

QB · Virginia Tech · #17

Filling the Shoesas of Nov 4

Ethan Grunkemeyer takes over from Kyron Drones at Virginia Tech.

2,140passing yards17passing TD10rushing yards

PRODUCES ABOVE PERCEPTION · PCTL GAP

+38

perception vs production percentile · 2026

Fans price the perception around the 48th percentile; the tape produces at the 85th — so where is the credit?

Read the story so far

Ethan Grunkemeyer arrived as a 4-star prospect, the No.105 recruit nationally. Ethan Grunkemeyer lines up at QB for Virginia Tech.

On the field, the headline is 2,140 pass yds, with 17 pass td.

Ethan Grunkemeyer inherited the QB job from Kyron Drones (4-star).

The number to watch: +38 — produces above perception · pctl gap.

QB successionleap of faith
  • Inherited fromKyron Drones 4★

AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-11-04