Virginia Tech Football: Brent Pry says Hokies are losing a quarterback
By Scott Roche
Right before the 2023 season kicked off at home against Old Dominion, Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry announced that senior quarterback Grant Wells was going to be his starting quarterback. However, there were packages from offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen that included Baylor transfer Kyron Drones.
Little did Wells, Pry and Bowen know that they were going to see a lot more of Drones than they originally planned for. In Virginia Tech's, 24-17, Week 2 loss at Lane Stadium against Purdue, Wells suffered an ankle injury in the first half. He gutted it out in the second half until the final drives when Pry went to Drones. The sophomore got the Hokies into Boilermakers territory, but they turned the ball over on downs.
That was just the beginning for Drones. He was elevated to the starter job the following week at Rutgers and the rest you could say is history. It took Wells a long time to recover from his injury, which ankle injuries can be a long time frame to return from. As each week passed, Drones got better and better, and earned the starting job in 2024 after he announced earlier this month he was returning to Blacksburg.
Wednesday as he met with the media following Early Signing Day, Pry said that Wells' career at Virginia Tech is over.
Grant Wells is moving on from Virginia Tech
Pry said in his media session Wednesday that Wells, to no ones surprise, is "moving on.''
Brent Pry's here talking about the #Hokies' signing class. In answering a question about seniors, he said QB Grant Wells is moving on.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) December 20, 2023
Eventually, Wells worked his way back into game shape, but there was no way that Pry or Bowen could even think about removing Drones from under center. He is a big reason as to why the Hokies are playing in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27 against Tulane in Annapolis, Maryland as he turned around the offense once ACC play began as a dual threat throwing the ball and rushing it.
Wells ended up playing in a couple of games down the stretch in November in blowouts, but once the writing was on the wall that Drones is the future for the Hokies, it's not surprising to see Wells "moving on'' from Blacksburg.