Virginia Tech wide receiver grades very high among returning ACC players

One position that Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry got a lot of retainment for going into 2024 is wide receiver. After the Hokies win over Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend, Pry got a lot of key players on both sides of the ball to come back for the upcoming season.

Four wide receivers, Jaylin Lane, Ali Jennings, Da’Quan Felton, and Stephen Gosnell all announced that they were returning for the 2024 season. Jennings, a transfer from Old Dominion, was injured early in Week 2 against Purdue and missed the rest of the season. Felton and Gosnell played well in his place, but one player who really stepped in Jennings’ absence was Lane, who transferred from Middle Tennessee State. He made some big plays for quarterback Kyron Drones and because of that, he is one of the top returning receivers in the ACC.

Jaylin Lane ranked as a Top 10 returning wide receiver in the ACC

PFF College ranked the Top 10 returning ACC wide receivers with the highest grade and Lane was sixth recording a 74.8 grade. Last season, he finished with 538 receiving yards on 41 receptions which was good enough for an average of 13.1 yards a catch. He had six touchdown catches, two in a win over Wake Forest in what was a game-changing result for the 2023 season. He also had touchdown catches in wins over Pittsburgh, Old Dominion, and Boston College, while one in what was the most frustrating loss of the season against Purdue.

Virginia Tech is going to have a deep wide receiver room this season with all of the returning players making contributions. It is a talented core that offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen has at his disposal. Lane’s ability to make plays after the catch last season was impressive and used his speed to break away from his defender and it allowed Bowen to open up the field.