Marshall transfer Grant Wells named Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback

Grant Wells will open the season as Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback, head coach Brent Pry said Wednesday following the team’s practice.

An offseason transfer from Marshall, Wells edged out another transfer, Jason Brown, along with Connor Blumrick, who started the Hokies’ bowl loss to Maryland last season.

“He’s had an exceptional camp,” Pry said. “Very accurate, great ball placement, great decision-making. Moving forward, Grant’s our guy.”

Wells was a two-year starter at Marshall, throwing for 3,535 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. In 2020, he led the Thundering Herd to a 7-0 start to the season, throwing 16 TDs and just four picks during that stretch, but ended the year with three straight defeats and just two more TD passes.

Wells will be Virginia Tech’s sixth different opening-week starter in the past eight years when he takes the field at Old Dominion in the Hokies’ opener on Sept. 2.

Hendon Hooker, who transferred to Tennessee after the 2020 campaign, is the only Hokies QB to lead the team in passing yardage in consecutive years since Michael Brewer in 2014 and 2015.

Pry thinks he’ll have a solid backup option, too. Brown transferred to Virginia Tech after starting four games for South Carolina last season. There, he completed 55.6% of his throws with eight touchdowns and six picks.

“Jason made it difficult,” Pry said. “He had a great summer and a really good camp. I was proud of the way he competed.”