BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech football hosts Pitt this Friday, looking to improve to 5-0 for the first time since the 2005 season. Ahead of the clash, head coach James Franklin took questions from the media after Tuesday's practice. Here are five notes (and quotes) from the practice and Franklin's post-practice availability.

No. 1: Franklin referred to the O-line's situation as a "bunch of moving parts."

The offensive line has been bruised for the better part of this season; 2025 starter Johnny Garrett has been out with a long-term injury and hasn't played a single snap. Left tackle Justin Terry is out for a couple weeks, while guards Montavious Cunningham and Brody Meadows went through practice but didn't participate in one-on-one drills against the defensive line.

"There's been a bunch of moving parts, and some of that is day-to-day, but it's been good," Franklin said. "As you guys know, we've spent a ton of time in spring and in training camp making sure that we had as many moving parts and as much depth as we possibly can. It's not ideal, but college football is not ideal, right? You've got to make the best of it. There's also some young guys like Buddy Wegdam that are doing some nice things that we're excited about as well."

As a result of the injuries along the line, center Michael Troutman III logged his first snaps. The sophomore (redshirt junior) did not log any action at Penn State in 2025, and he did not play in any of Virginia Tech's first three games. He was injured during the summer; Franklin remarked that he was set to factor into the competition for a starting job, but that the injury was a setback.

"He's got tremendous balance," Franklin said. "He's got tremendous core strength, and he's a smart and reliable guy. We've been impressed with him really since he's arrived. ... We were fortunate to get him back as soon as we did, but yeah, we're very excited about him and his future. And without that injury, he could have been part of the starting rotation from the beginning of training camp. The biggest thing is he's smart, he's consistent, he's reliable, and he's got really good balance and body control for a 320-pound kid [for a second-year player]."

No. 2: The running back hierarchy will likely remain a 1A-1B deal, though Franklin said the staff hasn't talked about rotation.

Those discussions, Franklin said, usualy happen after practice on Thursday or the morning of Friday. While those are in relation to a game being scheduled on Saturday, the answer likely won't become public until the depth chart is released.

"We have not talked specifically about rotation, but it will still be some variation of a 1A-1B," Franklin said. "But I think, as everybody as noticed, [Jeffrey Overton Jr.] has earned the right to get more opportunities. There's no doubt about it."

Overton, a sophomore who totaled 146 rushing yards over the final four games of 2025, has burst onto the scene in year two of his career. Through four games, he has a team-high 409 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns — and against Boston College Sept. 26, Overton tallied a career-high 209 rushing yards, including 140 in the final quarter.

No. 3: Franklin touched on the ejection of LB Kaleb Spencer in Saturday's game against Boston College.

Spencer was ejected Saturday against Boston College for targeting, though he won't miss the first half of the Pitt game.

The new rule is that a player disqualified for targeting as a first offense can participate in the following game and is ejected for the current one. A second offense means that the player must miss the first half of the subsequent game, while a third offense means the player must sit out for the entirety of the following game. Franklin said he didn't think that targeting was in place for the Spencer call, but that the letter of the law and technicality made it to where he knew what the officials would say.

"I was gonna make a call about that, but I know what's gonna be said," Franklin said. "Like, I don't think targeting is in place for that. But if you go to the letter of the law and the detail of the play, technically, he got hit in the head. So I don't really feel like that's why targeting was put in a guy that didn't have contact with the helmet, didn't have contact with the shoulder, and his elbow grazed the top of his head. But I didn't make any calls. I didn't complain to officials because once I watched it on the Jumbotron, I said I know what they're going to say."

“Technically, the letter of the law when you're able to slow the film down and look at it ... I think sometimes whenever it's an ugly hit, or it's a scary hit, or it's a quarterback, they're, I think, coached to throw the flag now because they can go to replay. ... So I think what they coach them to do is, if it's close, throw the flag, and then we can take the targeting off, and we can take the penalty off. But we'd rather officiate it that way to make sure we're protecting the student athletes, which I totally get. ... there was contact with the helmet, so I know what they're going to say. Technically, it's an accurate call.”

No. 4: Franklin praises Marcellous Hawkins Jr.’s effort despite a fumble in Tech's own territory.

During Virginia Tech's game against Boston College, with the Hokies trailing 7-6 after Mason McKenzie's touchdown, Hawkins coughed up the ball at Virginia Tech's 42-yard line, though he hustled to keep Boston College from reaching the end zone and made the tackle. Boston College's subsequent drive petered out quickly, going back 18 yards.

"At the end of the day, we've got to finish, and I know he wasn't happy about it, but he could have sulked, which a lot of times you see guys do," Franklin said. "They sulk and they get beat on a sack; they don't help the quarterback up, or they fumble and they sulk. The fact that he was able to finish that play and make that tackle talks about our culture. I also think it talks about the young man, and I think what happens sometimes this is not an excuse, but I think sometimes when you're a running back and you get tackled and you're laying on your back, they relax. And they shouldn't relax because he was actually laying on top of somebody and not on the ground, so the ball's still alive.

"If he's on the ground, it's a dead ball, and the play's over. But I think sometimes that is human nature to relax once you think you're on the ground, and he wasn't."

After the fumble, Hawkins did not log any more carries; Overton Jr. was the only running back to log any rushes after that.

No. 5: Here's the scoop on player availability for Friday's game against Pitt.

Offensive linemen Brody Meadows and Montavious Cunningham were present at practice and going through some drills, though neither participated in one-on-ones against the defensive line. Wide receivers Ayden Greene and Takye Heath were both practicing Wednesday. Greene missed the Boston College game after playing in the first three games; he left the Maryland game midway through the first half. Heath hasn't played yet this year.

"They're just coming back; Luke has looked good this week," Franklin said of Heath and Luke Stuewe, neither of whom has played yet this season. "Takye has shown some flashes. They're two guys that we were hoping to factor in, and they had not been available, so it'll be great to get them back. But this week was really just kind of like their first time in several weeks of even taking any reps, even routes on-air and things like that. So it's good to start seeing them guys out here."

Stuewe, Heath and Meadows were listed as questionable for Friday's game, while Greene and Cunningham were designated as probable.

Virginia Tech's clash against Pitt is set for Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. ET; the contest will be live for viewing on ESPN.