Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones disrespected by national college football writer

One reason for the excitement surrounding the Virginia Tech football team in 2024 is because of quarterback Kyron Drones. Last season, he took over for starter Grant Wells who suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 against Purdue and once he settled in, there was no way that head coach Brent Pry could take him out.

After losing non-conference games to Marshall and Rutgers, Drones played really well in the ACC and was a key part of the Hokies’ going 5-3 and turning a 1-3 start to the season into a 6-6 finish and a Military Bowl berth against Tulane. In the Virginia Tech Spring Game, he appeared to pick up where he left off against the Green Wave, and looks like he’s in for a very good 2024 campaign.

Last season, Drones threw for 2,084 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. He also became a threat running the ball, rushing for 818 yards and five touchdowns. In the pouring rain against Tulane, he rushed for 176 yards in the Hokies’ 41-20 victory. Despite all of that, one national college football writer curiously omitted Drones from an article previewing the ACC.

Kyron Drones was curiously omitted by an NCF writer in listing some of the conference’s top QBs

Peter Fiutak of College Football News did a preview for the ACC, and early on, I’ll say that, for the 2024 season in one of the sections, “The mentioned quarterbacks in the ACC will make the conference as much of a just-watch as any in the bunch.” One QB noticeably missing was Drones.

"Clemson is set with Cade Klubnik, and SMU has a sneaky-hot NFL prospect in Preston Stone, but the new guys coming in will take the overall play up a few notches. DJ Uiagalelei going to Florida State is a big deal. Not enough is being made about Coastal Carolina's Grayson McCall stepping in at NC State, and there for the presence of Quinn and Arch it would be the Maalik Murphy show at Texas instead of Duke. Tyler Shough is about to have a monster season at Louisville, Max Johnson found a home at North Carolina, Kyle McCord went from hanging the Ohio State O to taking on Syracuse, and Cam Ward might just be the passer Miami has been waiting a long time for.
"

- Pete Fiutak

Nothing against the signal callers mentioned, but not having Drones on that list is mind-boggling. Is he the best QB in the ACC? No, however, not even mentioning him in the group that includes signal callers who came from another school last year and were not even in the ACC feels like a major omission. Drones should use it as motivation going into 2024.