Grant Wells

Grant Wells exited spring with a seemingly firmer grasp on the Hokies starting quarterback job than he entered with following a rough first year in Blacksburg. He completed just 59.0 of his passes after being better than 60 percent in two years at Marshall, while throwing as many interceptions (nine) as touchdowns. He was also sacked 30 times behind an offensive line that couldn’t pass or run block, as the Hokies produced only 3.1 yards per carry, though Wells did rush for six scores. While his leadership, poise and decision making per praised during the spring, further dampening hopes of a rebound season is a lack of receiving weapons. Last year’s leading receiver, Kaleb Smith, is gone, choosing to retire after initially transferring to Notre Dame, forcing the Hokies to hit the transfer portal hard and Wells in turn to develop chemistry with new options. Finally, Wells doesn’t seem to have the upside of Baylor transfer Kyron Drones. Should he and the team struggle early, it wouldn’t be surprised if the coaching staff makes a change to spark the offense. All in all, there doesn’t appear to be much upside in Wells for 2023, though he could flash in the right matchup on a weekly basis.