Do you want a sign that the 2025 college football season is right around the corner? Well, aside from it being the middle of July, the ACC Media Days in Charlotte are right around the corner next week. On July 24, Brent Pry and four of his players, Kyron Drones, Donovan Greene, Jaden Keller, and Kelvin Gilliam, Jr., will be available to meet with the media and answer questions.
Shortly after, fall camp will officially be underway. Before we know it, all eyes will be in Atlanta on Aug. 31 when the season kicks off against South Carolina in a standalone afternoon game. With that said, it's time to make one final roster projection for the Hokies' 2025 depth chart.
Quarterbacks: Kyron Drones, Pop Watson, Garrett Rangel
The good news for Pry and first-year offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery is that both Kyron Drones and Pop Watson are returning. Drones had his 2024 campaign cut short with an injury, while Watson and Collin Schlee took over the duties for the rest of the season and the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Minnesota.
Oklahoma State transfer Garrett Rangel will make for an interesting camp battle with Watson to be Drones' backup. Davi Belfort hit the spring Transfer Portal and ended up at Central Florida, which made another quarterback through the portal necessary. Freshmen A.J. Brand and Kelden Ryan are also on the roster, but like Belfort last season, getting any playing time would come after the names ahead of them get injured.
Montgomery has had success with dual-threat quarterbacks in the past, and it would be very helpful for the Hokies if Montgomery can unlock his talent this season. A huge season from Drones is going to be key to Virginia Tech having success in 2025.
Running Backs: Terion Stewart, Marcellous Bennett, Jeremiah Coney, Braydon Bennett, Tyler Mason, Jeff Overton, P.J. Prioleau
This is one of many positions that will have a lot of eyes on them in camp. Replacing Bhayshul Tuten is not going to be done by one player, but a total unit effort. Malachi Thomas left through the Transfer Portal to Purdue in the Big Ten.
Bowling Green transfer Terion Stewart is an exciting back, and if he stays healthy, he would be tough to knock out of the RB1 slot. He is built like Tuten and has some metric numbers that make him a dangerous back and one that should catch the eye of some NHL scouts for the 2026 Draft.
Transfers Marcellous Hawkins (Central Missouri) and are interesting backs who could be key situational down-backs. At the same time, returners Jeremiah Coney and P.J. Prioleau, who had their 2024 season cut short with an injury after six games, will have a say and push the transfers.
The most interesting player in this group is incoming freshman Jeffrey Overton, who the coaching staff is high on and someone who they would not be surprised to make an impact this fall. This group will need to complement the quarterbacks and make some big plays, as Tuten did. Easier said than done.
Wide Receivers: Donovan Greene, Cameron Seldon, Ayden Green, Tucker Holloway, Keylen Adams, Takye Heath, Devin Alves, Isaiah Spencer
Aside from the offensive line, the other position that was nearly stripped down because of the NFL Draft, Transfer Portal, and running out of eligibility, the wide receiver room was hit hard with needing to replace outgoing players.
Wake Forest transfer Donovan Greene could end up emerging as a key addition, while Tennessee transfer Cameron Seldon impressed in spring practices and the Spring Game. Listed as a running back, he is someone who Pry sees as a wide receiver or maybe a tight end.
Ayden Greene is someone poised to have a breakout season, and we'll see how much of the offense will see Tucker Holloway after he missed last season with an injury. Youngster Keylen Adams is someone who could press for time this season.
Tight Ends: Benji Gosnell, Harrison Saint Germain, Zeke Wimbush, Ja'Racious Hairston, Cole Reemsnyder
The tight end spot has not been a big hit in recruiting, but the Hokies return veterans Benji Gosnell and Harrison Saint Germain. Gosnell had come up with some big catches, not as many as his brother Stephen has, but he is someone, along with Saint Germain, who could be a big part of the offense under Montgomery this season. Working in the tight ends might be necessary with the inexperience at the wide receiver position early in the season.
Offensive Line (L to R): Johnny Garrett, Lyath Ghannam, Kyle Altuner, Brody Meadows, Tomas Rimac; Montavious Cunningham, Aidan Lynch, Lucas Austin, Jaden Muskrat, Tommy Ricard, Carter Stallard
Talk about needing a roster to figure out who is going to be who this fall. Gone is the entire starting five from last season, either through the Transfer Portal or out of eligibility. Also gone is former coach Ron Crook, and in is former West Virginia offensive line coach Matt Moore.
The good news is Moore comes with a history of success in building successful offensive lines, and he's going to have to do it on the fly in Blacksburg this season. More good news, he brought some of his former offensive linemen from Morgantown with him, which is a good start.
Tomas Rimac should garner a lot of NFL Draft interest with a strong season, and Kyle Altuner is expected to slide in at center, filling the hole left by Braelin Moore, who left in the portal for LSU, along with cornerback Mansoor Delane.
It would not be surprising to see youngster Aidan Lynch factor in at some point this season, but the real wild-card, a potential breakout candidate, is Georgia State transfer Montavious Cunningham, who is entering his second season in Blacksburg. There is nowhere to go but up for this group in 2025.
Defensive Line: Ben Bell, Kelvin Gilliam, Kemari Copeland, James Djonkam, Emmett Laws, Kody Huisman, Keyshawn Burgos, Aycen Stevens, Elhadj Fall
This is a position grouping that lost some talent to the NFL in Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Aeneas Peebles, but they do return some players who played last season, as well as some very interesting transfers.
Back is Kelvin Gilliam, who came over from Oklahoma in December of 2023 and Kemari Copeland is returning after suffering a season-ending injury early in 2024. Emmett Laws should push for some playing time, but the Transfer Portal has added some pieces that could be big addiitons when all is said and done.
Ben Bell is an edge rusher who could cause problems for other teams, while James Djonkam is a wild card. Keyshawn Burgos is a veteran who will play some valuable minutes this fall.
Bell has the potential to make plays, and Djonkam is a graduate transfer from Eastern Michigan who is looking to prove that he can make an impact in a Power 4 conference before he graduates. All of this could end up pointing to a unit that, when healthy, can be underrated, but it may take some lumps early in the season.
Linebackers: Caleb Woodson, Jaden Keller, Jordan Bass, Kaleb Spencer, Caleb Brown, Thomas Williams, Will Johnson, Antwone Santiago
This is a position group that lost some pieces, including Sam Brumfield to the Transfer Portal to Memphis, but they return a lot of talent at the second level that could be a handful for opposing teams this fall. They will need to step up until the defensive line gets thigns figured out.
Caleb Woodson and Jaden Keller are going to be a duo that will look to lead the defense and unit. Last season, Keller had 83 tackles, 35 solo, and Woodson had 72 tackles and a pair of sacks. Twent-six of his tackles were solo.
Just where everyone ends up slotting remains to be seen, but this unit has some veterans on it that should play some valuable snaps. But there is no doubt that this unit has a lot of potential going into 2025.
Kaleb Spencer made some big plays last season, including his interception at Miami in September, and Jordan Bass could be a beast coming in from Pittsburgh. It will be interesting to see how this unit is used by first-year defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes.
Secondary: Quentin Reddish, Dante Lovett, Isaiah Brown-Murray, Tyson Flowers, Sherrod Covil, Isaiah Cash, Joseph Reddish, Christian Ellis
Another unit that has had some turnover with Delane, and Mose Phillips (Missouri) leaving through the Transfer Portal, but Pry has added a lot of players through he portal to go along with some returning young players, which should make the transition easier this fall.
There is some young returning talent to be excited about this season. Dante Lovett and Quentin Reddish are players who have been waiting behind some talented players, but they should be ready to step in and make a difference this season. The sample sizes we have seen from Lovett are very promising.
Transfers Isaiah Brown-Murray, Sherrod Covil, Isaiah Cash, and Joseph Reddish bring experience to Blacksburg and will make some big impacts, which will be needed. Covil comes from Clemson, and Reddish comes from Wingate, reuniting with his brother Quentin.
This is a unit like the defensive line that has brought in some prortal additions, but it's a group that will have to come together quickly in camp as they will be severly tested right out of the gate against outh Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Special Teams: John Love, Kyle Lowe, Tucker Holloway, Cameron Seldon, Thomas Williams, P.J. Prioleau, Nick Veltsistas
You know how big special teams can be in football, and the Hokies have some good ones who could make some plays, whether it's in the kicking game or the return game.
Kicker John Love has an explosive leg, where Pry should feel that once the ball is inside the opponent's 40-yard line, they are well within his field goal range. He booted a 50-plus-yarder against Miami last season, then drilled a 60-yard kick on the final play of the first half against Minnesota in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
As far as the return game goes, Holloway returns after missing last season with an injury, and when healthy, he was one of the more dangerous returners in the ACC. Last season, Jaylin Lane improved his draft stock with his ability to return punts in Holloway's absence.
Seldon and Prioleau will be back to return kickoffs, and just how many they are even able to return remains to be seen. It feels like the more chances that Virginia Tech has to get the ball in Seldon's hands, the more chances he has to make some plays.
When all is said and done in an important year, the Hokies are going to need some big plays from their special teams, especially if they are going to win some one-score games in 2025.