Virginia Tech football CB third highest-rated returning ACC player

Following a 55-17 rout of Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend in Charlottesville, the Virginia Tech football team had a month before their Military Bowl Game against Tulane, but it was an eventful 30 days. A number of players had some tough decisions to make, to enter the transfer portal or declare for the NFL Draft in April in Detroit.

Head coach Brent Pry got more and more retainment as time went along on both sides of the ball. Offensively, quarterback Kyron Drones, running back Bhayhsul Tuten, and four wide receivers, Jaylin Lane, Da'Quan Felton, Ali Jennings, and Stephen Gosnell all announced they were returning to Blacksburg for the 2024 season. On the defensive side, Josh Fuga and Antwaun Powell-Ryland along the line announced they were coming back, but one of the biggest decisions lay with two players in the Hokies secondary, Mansoor Delane and Dorian Strong.

In early December, Dorian Strong's father issued a challenge to Virginia Tech fans to show how much they wanted his son to return to the Hokies for one more season. It worked as shortly after that post on X by Dorian's father, he announced that he was returning for the upcoming season along with Delane. Strong returning is big in many ways for coordinator Chris Marve and one look at the highest-graded returning ACC cornerbacks.

Virginia Tech's Dorian Strong third highest-ranked returning CB in the ACC

Pro Football Focus graded the returning ACC cornerbacks for the 2024 season and Strong was the third rated CB behind Quincy Riley of Louisville and Kendren Smith of Virginia.

Last season, Strong finished with 25 tackels, 18 solo and he had three interceptions. His biggest game was in a must-win road game for the Hokies at Boston College in November. Needing to pick up their first road win of the season to stay in range to become bowl-eligible, Strong picked off the first pass of the game by BC QB Thomas Castellanos, then later in the first quarter, he picked off a pass down field and those two INT's set up 10 Virginia Tech points in a 48-22 victory.

Getting Strong to return is a big boost for the Hokies secondary and defense as he is a big time play-maker and shutdown corner for a team looking to take the next step in Pry's third season in Blacksburg.