Virginia Tech football head coach James Franklin and three players — defensive tackle Kemari Copeland, safety Tyson Flowers and running back Marcellous Hawkins — will be present Thursday at the 2026 ACC Kickoff at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown (Charlotte, N.C.). Here are three things I think Hokies fans should hope to learn about the Hokies at media days, centered around which players will be taking questions.

No. 1: How has it been incorporating new athletic director Brian White?

White was named the university’s new athletic director and vice president in June; he previously served in the same roles at Florida Atlantic University. Under the helm of White, the men’s basketball team, coached by Dusty May — he later won a NCAA title with Michigan, and he’s now the head coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks — made it to the Final Four in the 2022-23 season. While White’s chops lie more in hoops, his influence on football could also arrive via the chips that he’s surrounded with around the Hokie Club. Virginia Tech has made an effort in finding replacements for its university president (Tim Sands) and athletic director (Whit Babcock), and it’s also procured a record $75 million investment, the majority of which is directed towards the athletic department. How that process of integrating White, who specializes in finances, is going is one of the more intriguing notes to cover.

No. 2: Is there anyone on the secondary that jumps out to either Franklin or Flowers?

The secondary remains one of the more fascinating position groups on Virginia Tech’s roster entering the 2026 season. While Flowers is the established veteran and unquestioned leader of the unit, there are plenty of snaps available around him following offseason departures. Media days won’t provide a depth chart, but they can offer insight into which younger defensive backs have separated themselves during summer workouts.

It will be interesting to hear if there’s a specific player who has caught his attention. Cornerback Joshua Clarke could be one to watch given that he projects into the two-deep after a torn ACL cost him the 2025 campaign. Whether it’s Clarke, an experienced transfer acclimating to Blacksburg like Troy transfer Jaquez White or a younger corner beginning to emerge, those types of comments often provide an early indication of how the coaching staff and players view the rotation before preseason camp begins.

The same goes for Franklin. Coaches are naturally careful with personnel discussions in July, but even subtle praise can be revealing.

No. 3: How does the running back/defensive line depth shape up?

Virginia Tech operated slightly short-handed at running back for the duration of fall camp, missing true freshman Messiah Mickens throughout. Hawkins was hobbled, and though he went through several individual workouts, he did not play in the spring game. How he’s doing is one of the points to note, and while it doesn’t appear to be a serious injury at first glance, clarity is always helpful.

As for the defensive tackle room, Emmett Laws is currently out with an undisclosed injury that defensive coordinator Brent Pry did not go into more detail on. Any update on his availability would be encouraging, particularly for a defensive front that is counting on developing quality depth behind its projected starters. Kemari Copeland and Elhadj Fall appear to be the likely starters at tackle, but beyond Aycen Stevens being at one of the edge spots, who starts at the other is yet to be determined.

As Roanoke hosts the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships this week, one of the region’s leading advocates for outdoor recreation is taking on a new role at the state level.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger has appointed Pete Eshelman to the Virginia Tourism Authority, marking his second term on the board after previously serving from 2018 to 2023.

For the past 15 years, Eshelman has helped lead the Roanoke Regional Partnership and the Roanoke Outside Foundation, promoting outdoor recreation as an economic development strategy. He said the region’s mountains, rivers and trails have become more than tourism assets; they have become tools for attracting businesses and new residents.

“We took for granted where we live—the beauty, the lakes, the mountains, the rivers, the trails—and we treated them like wallpaper,” Eshelman said. “But then we became intentional with them.”

Eshelman said investing in quality of life has helped distinguish the Roanoke Valley from competing communities.

“I always say quality of life is an economic sector,” he said. “When we invest in that, we see how it attracts companies like RINGANA. We see how it attracts people that can choose wherever they want to move to and live, but they’re choosing to move here over Asheville, North Carolina or Charlottesville because of that quality of life.”

That strategy has helped shape events including the Blue Ridge Marathon, GO Outside Festival and continued investments in parks, trails and outdoor recreation throughout the region.

“It’s not that Roanoke had a bad image; we just didn’t have an image,” Eshelman said. “What we’ve been able to do is show people these are our strengths as a community.”

Now, Eshelman hopes to bring that same approach to communities across Virginia through his appointment to the Virginia Tourism Authority.

“It’s really important that as decisions and policy decisions are being made at the state level that Roanoke has a voice and a say,” said Eshelman. ”I am very proud to do that.”

Eshelman believes the model that has helped transform Roanoke’s reputation can be replicated elsewhere.

“The work we’re doing here, this model, is replicable across other communities,” he said. “I think that whole ‘rising tides lift all ships’ mentality is really strong across economic development, across tourism, across our region and across the state.”

Despite Roanoke’s growing national recognition as an outdoor destination, Eshelman said the work is far from finished.

“We haven’t arrived,” he said. “We have a lot more that we can do. We have to put our foot down on the gas and do even more to kind of keep this competitive edge.”

As communities across the country compete for businesses, workers and visitors, Eshelman said he believes Roanoke’s greatest advantage has been in its own backyard all along.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – A new study ranks Virginia fourth among the best states for retirees.

The study by home care agency Polaris Home Care analyzed social and economic factors, including crime rates, annual medical costs, housing costs, and state salaries. This analysis revealed an index score out of 100 for every state based on retirement accessibility.

Virginia received a score of 87.48/100.

Virginia performs well across key factors, notably benefitting from one of the highest average annual earnings of $68,597.

The agency says the state has one of the lowest violent crime rates at 208 incidents per 100,000 people and a total crime rate around 24% lower than the national average at 1,850.7 incidents per 100,000 population, highlighting the above-average safety levels offered in the state.

Idaho ranks as the most retirement-friendly state, with Arizona and North Dakota coming in second and third, respectively.

Complete rankings: