Every decision has a ripple effect, good, bad, or even downright ugly... When Penn State decided to move on from James Franklin as its head football coach mid-season, there was going to be plenty of fallout to soon follow. This included starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer eventually leaving State College for the transfer portal. He ended up following Franklin over to Virginia Tech in the offseason.
When speaking with Adam Breneman, Grunkemeyer spoke on how it was not an easy decision at all.
"Luckily, I was home with my family because they kind of [were] the mediator for me. It was really tough on me as a person. Like, I'm a loyal guy. I loved Penn State. Everything that place had given me, the opportunities. I wanted to be able to repay that. So it was really tough. But sometimes, you gotta look past how you feel, and you just gotta make the best decision for your future."
This comes on the heels of Breneman speaking with his former head coach about watching games...
Ethan Grunkemeyer told me he’s extremely loyal, so leaving Penn State wasn’t easy.
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) May 17, 2026
But with all the changes happening around the program, he felt like it made the most sense for his future⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/D34JKlLDh3
As Penn State turns the page under Matt Campbell, Franklin and Grunkemeyer still need each other.
Choosing to follow a head coach into his next stop shows complete trust and faith from any player...
Ethan Grunkemeyer explains why leaving Penn State was so difficult
Heading into this past season, Grunkemeyer was the backup to Drew Allar at Penn State. Once Allar's college career came to an end after a fractured ankle, Grunkemeyer was inserted into the starting lineup. After a disastrous 3-3 (0-3) start to the season, Penn State battled like nobody's business to achieve bowl eligibility with a makeshift staff and depleted roster. Grunkemeyer was part of that push.
While a change of scenery may do both of them a world of good, we have to wonder what they could have accomplished at Penn State this upcoming year, had things gone any differently... Of course, the allure of Rocco Becht getting to play yet another season under Campbell has everyone so excited about Penn State football. That being said, Virginia Tech has the far better shot of winning its league...
Miami may be the team to beat over in the ACC, but the Hurricanes have never won an ACC crown before. With mostly a roster of former Penn State players, maybe Franklin, Grunkemeyer, and the rest of the Blacksburg newcomers can make it happen? Conversely, Penn State massively underachieved a season ago. No program did more with less for longer than Iowa State did under Campbell for years.
Ultimately, Grunkemeyer shares similar sentiments to that of Franklin, and even Breneman. Their college football careers did not end at Penn State. Breneman transferred to UMass where he had great personal success playing for the Minutemen. Together, Franklin and Grunkemeyer have to set the foundation for future greatness at Virginia Tech. It has been such a long time since Beamer Ball...
Penn State may no longer be home for them, but they all share fond memories from their time there.
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