In May, four-star quarterback Oscar Rios from Downey, California, scheduled a visit to Virginia Tech—a promising development for head coach Brent Pry and his staff. The Hokies previously had a quarterback commit in the 2026 class, Peyton Falzone, but he decommitted in November, later pledged to Penn State, and ultimately flipped to Auburn. The Tigers might want to wait until signing day before celebrating.
Rios, ranked as the No. 10 quarterback prospect nationally and No. 21 overall in California for the 2026 class, was viewed as a major recruiting target for Virginia Tech. However, he canceled his visit before making the cross-country trip, dealing a setback to the Hokies’ efforts. Ultimately, Rios narrowed his final choices to Arizona and UCLA, announcing his commitment to the Wildcats on Friday night.
Recruiting for the Class of 2026 hasn’t matched the momentum Virginia Tech had with the Class of 2025 at this point last year. While there’s still time for head coach Brent Pry to shift the narrative, missing out on two top quarterback targets—both rising seniors—is far from ideal as he prepares for his fourth season in Blacksburg.
With the recruiting dead period now in effect, Pry and his staff are back to the drawing board. On-campus visits are paused until the fall, by which time many Class of 2026 prospects will have already announced their commitments. However, there’s still a window of opportunity: a few of Virginia Tech’s priority targets are expected to make decisions in the coming week, and landing even one could provide a much-needed boost.
So far, most of the Hokies’ 2026 commits are on the defensive side of the ball. Adding a couple of offensive playmakers would help balance the class and strengthen the overall outlook moving forward.
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