Virginia Tech Football: Four receivers make giant decision on future

After a quiet couple of days, the Virginia Tech football team got some huge news in regard to four key players for the 2024 season. After losing tight end Dae’Quan Wright and wide receiver Da’Wain Felton to the transfer portal when it opened, head coach Brent Pry got some big news in terms of his wide receivers for next season.

Virginia Tech gets four wide receivers to return for 2024

Virginia Tech wide receivers Ali Jennings, Da’Quan Felton, Jaylin Lane, and Stephen Gosnell have announced that they are returning to Blacksburg next season. Quarterback Kyron Drones last week announced that he’s returning as well, which means he is getting a lot of his top-skilled players back too.

Da’Quan Felton formed a big connection with Drones as the season went along and finished the season with 38 receptions for 667 yards and eight touchdowns. He had two touchdowns against Syracuse, North Carolina State, and Virginia this season. The Norfolk State transfer from Portsmouth, Virginia averaged 17.6 yards a reception.

Jaylin Lane, who transferred from Middle Tennessee State, had 37 receptions for 524 yards, six touchdowns, and averaged 14.2 yards a reception. His best game was against Wake Forest in October in a 30-13 win at home when he had two touchdowns and 102 yards on just three catches.

Stephen Gosnell, who played in his second season for Virginia Tech after transferring from North Carolina, had 22 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Those three touchdowns all came in the final three games against Boston College, NC State, and Virginia.

The fourth wide receiver committed for next season to come back is Old Dominion transfer Ali Jennings, who played in just one game and a quarter after getting injured in Week 2 against Purdue. His one game, however, was a promising one for the Hokies. Against his former team, he had five receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns. In 2022, he had 1,066 yards receiving for the Monarchs on 62 catches.

These four returning are big for the Hokies and with Drones, the offense should be very good next season. Aside from Jennings, who has yet to be completely ruled out of the Military Bowl against Tulane on Dec. 27 by Pry, they will get one game together this season before shifting their offseason focus to 2024.