College football is in the air as we enter the last week of July. Media Days are in the books, and now everyone will shift their focus to the field and the upcoming 2025 campaign. As far as Virginia Tech goes, there are more questions than answers facing them than there were one year ago.
Head coach Brent Pry has overseen massive roster turnover, which includes three new assistant coaches at key positions, as well as new offensive and defensive coordinators and an offensive line coach. With camp about to start, here are four unknowns facing Pry in what is a pivotal year.
1. Who replaces the outgoing wide receivers?
Last year, the Hokies returned a slew of wide receivers, including Ali Jennings, Stephen Gosnell, Da'Quan Felton, and Jaylin Lane. All four announced together that they were returning for another year. It was a talented group that wasn't always utilized the right way within the offense.
Pry added some transfers, with two of the biggest being Tennessee transfer Cameron Seldon and Donovan Greene from Wake Forest. Don't count out Jackson State transfer Isaiah Spencer. Returning is Ayden Greene, while Tucker Holloway is healthy after missing 2024 with an injury. Youngsters Keylen Adams and Chanz Wiggins will look to challenge for time as well. This is a position that needs to be figured out quickly in camp.
2. How does the secondary play out?
The Hokies lost a ton of talent in the secondary last season with Mansoor Delane and Mose Phillips hitting the Transfer Portal, while Dorian Strong is off to the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. First-year defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes will have some young players and transfers pushing for time.
Transfers Sherrod Covil, Joseph Reddish, Isaiah Brown-Murray, Tyson Flowers, and Isaiah Cash should help, while Quentin Reddish, along with Dante Lovett, are coming back, and after sitting behind some talented players who are now gone, it's their time to shine. This unit will be a work in progress in camp, but needs to jell quickly ahead of a tough opener against South Carolina.
3. How much does Kyron Drones get pushed in camp?
Virginia Tech will go as quarterback Kyron Drones goes. The Baylor transfer is back for his third year in Blacksburg, but last season was cut short with injuries, which limited him to just one game over the final month, and he also missed the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Minnesota.
Last week at the ACC Kickoff, he said he was healthy, but with a brutal beginning to the season, the first two weeks against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, just how hard are they going to push him? Backups Pop Watson and Garrett Rangel will battle for the QB2 spot, which will likely be a big position in 2025 behind Drones.
4. Who pushes Terion Stewart for RB1?
Running back Bhayshul Tuten is gone to the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Malachi Thomas left through the Transfer Portal to Purdue, leaving the Hokies with a depleted running back room. Bowling Green transfer Terion Stewart is expected to get a lot of the carries this season, but will anyone push him in camp?
Jeremiah Coney is back, looking to push for playing time, and P.J. Priouleau is back from an injury. Transfers Braydon Bennett and Marcellous Hawkins, while Tyler Mason, a redshirt freshman, and true freshman Jeffrey Overton should not be overlooked when healthy. This is a key position group behind Drones in 2025.