Virginia Tech Football: ESPN has fascinating take on the Hokies' for 2024
By Scott Roche
Following a 41-20 win over Tulane in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27, the Virginia Tech football team heads into the offseason with a ton of momentum for 2024. The Hokies will get a whole offseason with a lot of key players for next season getting a full offseason together and the hopes are high around Blacksburg. And if we're being serious, why not?
Head coach Brent Pry has got a lot of key players to come back, they have added some very good talent in the transfer portal and they have some incoming freshmen who look ready to make an impact next season.
Just how high are the hopes? It feels like for the first time in nearly a decade that the program is heading, wait, dare I say soaring, through the rebuild and primed to play a big role in 2024 in the ACC. This year they went 5-3, which allowed them to become bowl-eligible after starting the season 1-3 in their four non-conference games.
Hopes appear to not only be high around the program and more importably the fanbase, but it looks like the national media is catching on and ESPN has high expectations for Pry's club next fall.
ESPN expects Virginia tech to have a "resurgent season" in 2024
In a recent ESPN article, Andrea Adelson has high expectations for the Hokies in 2024.
"What Virginia Tech did in a 41-20 victory over Tulane in the Military Bowl sent a clear message to those paying attention to both the rise and fall of this program: The Hokies will be ACC title contenders in 2024.
- Andrea Adelson
Once a shoo-in to play in ACC championship and BCS games under Frank Beamer, it is no secret Virginia Tech has fallen on hard times over the last decade. Though a 7-6 record is not quite to the standard Beamer set, the growth Virginia Tech showed in Year 2 under Brent Pry simply cannot be ignored. Nor can the optimism after the Hokies won their first bowl game since 2016."
Yes, there is plenty of optimism for Virginia Tech in 2024. They return their quarterback in Kyron Drones, their running back in Bhayshul Tuten, their top three wide receivers from last season in Da'Quan Felton, Jaylin Lane, and Stephen Gosnell and they get Ali Jennings back after he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 against Purdue. Tight end Nick Gallo who missed the entire season with a knee injury is coming back. On the defensive side of the ball, cornerbacks Mansoor Delane and Dorian Strong are returning, as are linemen Josh Fuga and Antwaun Powell-Ryland. Transfer Aeneas Peebles, Kemari Copeland, and Kelvin Gilliam along the line, and linebacker Sam Brumfield are all key transfers who are going to step in and make a difference.
More importantly, the players returning and the transfers are sending a message to Pry and his staff, that they love the culture and what is being built in Blacksburg right now and want to be a part of it. A lot of the players in their message about coming back mentioned "unfinished business.'' There is unfinished business and expect a special 2024 in Blacksburg.
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