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Harry Lyles Jr., ESPN Staff Writer
In an era of college football with roster turnover at an all-time high, Virginia Tech has worked to build a culture that stresses continuity. That continuity has led expectations to blossom in Blacksburg.
A big reason for those expectations was a strong finish to the 2023 season, which resulted in the school’s first bowl win since 2016 and its first season with a winning record since 2019. But a bigger reason is the returning production from that group.
Based on the most recent numbers compiled by ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the Hokies return 84% of their production from last season, fourth most in FBS, with 91% of their offensive production back and 77% of their defense returning.
Coach Brent Pry told ESPN that level of consistency has been, and will continue to be, a point of emphasis for Virginia Tech.
“We know a lot more about our players on our team right now than what we did last year at this time,” Pry said. “For years, even as a defensive coordinator, you go down your depth chart, and you want to know what you’re going to get from a guy when you put him out there. … And so we have a lot more guys that have proven and have the experience, have the consistency, the work ethic, the attitude. You kind of know what you’re going to get.”
The continuity of the roster makes the job of piecing together a winning team easier for Pry, entering his third season in Blacksburg, and his coaching staff.
Defensively, top pass-rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland (14.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks) returns, along with top corners Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane. Virginia Tech also added veteran Duke defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles, who will pair with Josh Fuga on the interior.
On offense, running back Bhayshul Tuten and top receivers Da’Quan Felton, Stephen Gosnell, Jaylin Lane and Ali Jennings are all back, along with the entire offensive line.
Of course, a team with high expectations needs a star quarterback, and the Hokies have one in Kyron Drones.
Drones took over at quarterback for the Hokies last season after Grant Wells went down with a leg injury, and he elevated the Virginia Tech offense. Drones was 19th in total QBR from Week 5 on and finished the season with 2,085 yards passing with 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions, along with 818 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
“He just gets better all the time,” Pry said. “He’s a guy that really learns with reps. I mean, he hadn’t started a college football game when he got here.”
Connelly listed Drones as the second-most interesting quarterback in the country for the upcoming season, behind only Penn State’s Drew Allar. Recognition like that, along with working out alongside Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, draws people’s attention.
Drones, Sanders and Ward worked out together in Miami during spring break in March, but Drones said that’s nothing new, as he’s been working out with Ward, his cousin, and Sanders since high school. Drones began training with Darrell Colbert of Select QB Athletics, based out of Houston, and once Sanders and Ward began to train with Colbert, working out together became a thing.
One of Drones’ focuses this offseason is trying to be an extension of offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen.
“That can help a long way with just me being able to tell a receiver or a lineman, everybody, their job,” Drones said. “I could do that last year, but this year is going to be different where the coaches don’t really have to make as many calls for me to know that I can make those calls on my own, and then just really run the offense and facilitate the offense as a quarterback.”
Pry is confident teammates will take to Drones as an emerging leader.
“The guys have a ton of faith in him,” Pry said. “I remember the play down at Florida State, we’re getting our butts kicked pretty good. And all of a sudden he takes off and runs for 50-some yards, makes guys miss, runs over a guy and our sideline kind of went, ‘Wow, look at Kyron!’ He’s just got that kind of gravity with the team.”
Drones said he’s called on teammates for individual workouts and taken it upon himself to try to bond with them off the field as well, especially transfers who are new to the program.
But he recognizes being a leader can require some tough conversations as well. “When things are not going good, somebody’s got to say something. That should be me,” he said.
“People say I cemented myself, but I know it’s people still coming from my spot. So I just have to keep competing each and every day and just keep working.”
The elements are in place for Virginia Tech to take another step up in 2024, but Pry notes it hasn’t been a fast process. And that’s fine with him, because the slow burn has brought the consistency that he and the program desire.
Pry cited three things that have helped Virginia Tech return to this place of high expectations.
“Culturally, to be transparent and genuine with our team and our coaches,” Pry said. “Along with that, embracing hard conversations that come with the transparency and being genuine. I think we’ve gained a lot from that.
“Second, the ability to recruit our footprint and sign a ton of high school players that we’re developing, which is right for Virginia Tech, and is part of the consistency and continuity that you hope for. You’re bringing guys in that are right for Tech that want to be here, and you can grow them in your program.
“Third, the ability to go to the transfer portal and fill true needs with the right type of guys. … This year, we’ll see still, but we took five [transfers] at the right positions. So far, they’ve been great in the locker room, they’re workers, are selfless, and they’re at spots where we had to help ourselves.
“That’s the difference between shortcutting and trying to do things quickly,” Pry said. “I’m not faulting somebody else’s process, but for us, it’s just going to take time to get it where we want, where you can sustain it. The process is the process, and the freshmen come in, and they see it and they grow in it, and coaches included. Being able to retain so many guys, and retain our coaching staff, really helps continue to move that forward.”
Despite this iteration of Virginia Tech football riding through the offseason with increased anticipation, Pry has tried to keep his team in a level frame of mind.
“We had a ton of noise when we’re 1-3, right? Everybody bitching, you know. And we talked about ignoring any noise and what mattered,” he said. “And they did a great job with that. And what we can learn from that, because now there’s a lot of noise — top 25, top 10 quarterback — it’s still noise, guys. It didn’t mean anything when it was [negative], it doesn’t really mean anything now.
“I love the pats on the back. But if we don’t stay humble and hungry, and win each phase, we can go win four games. So reminding them of how we improved and what that looked like, and just trust the process.”
Part of that process is focusing on the task at hand and not getting ahead of themselves by worrying about the summer or training camp, let alone the start of the season.
“I don’t even know who we play in Week 3 or 4,” Pry said. “That’s the message, and they’re bought into that.”
Setting the outside noise aside, there is belief within the program that this could be the year Virginia Tech football makes its way back to the national spotlight.
“Everybody’s working really hard to try to get Virginia Tech back where it used to be,” Drones said. “We already know where it used to be and we already know Virginia Tech had down years. Last year was just a step up toward where we want to be.
“This year, we’re going to work our hardest to just try to get to where we want to be — win the ACC and get in that playoff.”
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