One year after getting a lot of retention, the Virginia Tech football team experienced the opposite this offseason. The Hokies lost several key players to the NFL and the transfer portal, leaving head coach Brent Pry and his staff diving deep into the portal to rebuild the roster for 2025.
That’s not to say that Virginia Tech didn’t get any retention; they got some key players who announced that they were coming back for another season in Blacksburg. Some of them are key players, and here are the top five returning players for the upcoming season.
Ayden Greene, WR
Last year, the Hokies were loaded at the wide receiver position, but Ayden Greene was used by former offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen, and when called on, he made some big plays. He had a touchdown catch against Miami and then another one against Duke on a reverse jet sweep. He had 19 catches for 268 yards, but expect him to get targeted more this fall, and the addition of Cameron Seldon through the portal should open the field more for him.
Kyron Drones, QB
If one player is looking to bounce back from a tough 2024 season, it’s quarterback Kyron Drones. After entering the season being high expectations, he struggled and ended up getting injured in late October against Georgia Tech, which cost him four of the Hokies’ final five games. If healthy, then he is a big candidate who could have a turnaround season, but he missed the final week of spring practices for a medical procedure, and his health will always be something to watch.
Pop Watson, QB
Normally, on a list like this, you don’t get both quarterbacks on it; however, with Drones’ injury history, Virginia Tech needed to get Pop Watson to return. In fact, back in December, Pry announced that both players would be returning for 2025.
Watson took over against Duke in the next-to-last game after backup Collin Schlee was injured, and he led Virginia Tech to a bowl-eligible win over Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend after nearly leading them to a big comeback against the Blue Devils a week later. Virginia Tech picked up a portal addition recently with Oklahoma State transfer Garrett Rangel, who will push Watson in camp for the QB2 spot.
Jaden Keller, LB
As the season went along last fall, linebackers Jaden Keller and Caleb Woodson became key players at the second level. Both players are returning, with Keller leading the two in tackles last season. He registered 76 tackles, 32 solo, and is one of the veterans at linebacker. Under new defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes, Keller has a chance to be even better in 2025 and be a leader on the defensive side of the ball.
Kelvin Gilliam, DL
It’s no secret that the Hokies lost a ton of talent along the defensive line, but getting Kelvin Gilliam back is big, as the Oklahoma transfer has a chance to be a big impact player. Last season, he got into 12 of the 13 Virginia Tech games and registered 35 tackles with a sack and forced fumble. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Virginia native had four tackles in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to Minnesota and will be a key player along the defensive line in 2025.