At long last, the 2025 season is finally upon us. Last year, Virginia Tech underperformed in nearly every category and finished with a 6-7 record to show for it. After significant roster turnover, two coordinator changes, and some other coaching shuffles, the 2025 Virginia Tech program looks ahead to regain its footing on its return to prominence.
Straight out of the gate, the Hokies face the South Carolina Gamecocks in Atlanta. Shane Beamer’s squad finished 2024 by winning six straight games before dropping the Citrus Bowl to Illinois. As one of the SEC’s dark horse picks to make the College Football Playoff, the Gamecocks present quite the challenge for the Hokies.
Offense
The Gamecocks return five starters on offense. Without much debate, South Carolina’s best player on both sides of the ball is sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers, whose 2024 campaign earned him a laundry list of awards, including the National Offensive Player of the Year, Freshman All-American, SEC All-American, and third team All-SEC. He threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing nearly 66% of his passes. Sellers also got it done on the ground, rushing for 674 yards and seven scores. In short, this offense goes as LaNorris Sellers goes. His upside is substantial, with a proven ability to punish undisciplined defenses with both his arm and his legs.
In the passing game, Sellers has several options who can hurt opponents. Nyck Harbor, a 6”5 track star who has made a living beating defensive backs deep, will be a difficult first test for a largely unproven Hokies cornerback room. Although he only registered three scores last season, he boasted a 14.5 yard per catch average, underscoring his deep-threat capability. Redshirt Junior Jared Brown is another capable weapon on the outside, clocking a 16 yard per catch average, despite playing hurt for most of the season. Mazeo Bennett, Jr. is a shifty slot receiver who grabbed 30 passes and scored three touchdowns in 2024. Tight end Jordan Dingle is an experienced option who primarily operates in the blocking game, but has proven to be a reliable receiver when called upon.
On the ground, South Carolina had to replace star running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers. To make up for his production, the Gamecocks added Utah State transfer Rashul Faison, who was ranked as the second best running back in the 2024 transfer class. He was an efficient rusher, gaining 1,109 yards on 198 carries, and scored seven times. North Texas transfer Oscar Adaway III, who served as Sanders’ backup last season, is also a capable back, but has seen the field in a limited capacity thus far in his time in Columbia. The Gamecocks’ offensive line has seen significant turnover, returning just two starters up front.
Defense
Last season, South Carolina was largely anchored by a defensive unit that sent five players to the NFL draft and had to replace seven starters in total this offseason. Although less accomplished, this season’s defense returns plenty of weapons. The Gamecocks are led by star defensive end Dylan Stewart. The Freshman All-American returns after a season in which he registered 10.5 tackles for loss, including 6.5 sacks in 11 starts. Stewart is more than capable of wrecking an offensive game plan on his own, but he probably won’t have to. At the other defensive end spot, senior Bryan Thomas, Jr. returns after registering 6.5 tackles for loss with 4.5 sacks.
Alabama linebacker transfer Justin Okoronkwo appeared in every game for the Crimson Tide last season, but in limited capacities. Okoronkwo will likely be flanked by freshman Donovan Darden, a talented prospect. In the defensive backfield, South Carolina is led by nickel back Jalon Kilgore, another returning All-American who tied the SEC interception lead in 2024 with five. Both cornerbacks are experienced players and should challenge Tech's receivers to make plays in space. Brandon Cisse transferred to South Carolina from NC State, where he logged five pass breakups and 1.5 tackles for loss last season. Junior Judge Collier is back after a Third Team all-SEC performance in 2024 with eight pass breakups and 28 tackles, 3.5 of which were for a loss.
Special Teams
The kicker and punter positions are both up for grabs, with Mason Love and Max Kelley vying for the jobs. There hasn’t been much news on who Shane Beamer will play in the kick and punt returner roles. Players like Harbor and Kilgore could make an impact in these positions because of their speed, but Beamer hasn’t publicly disclosed a starter at either role just yet.
Overall Team Review
South Carolina returns a talented roster despite experiencing significant turnover from last season. Unlike the 2024 team, the Gamecocks will likely be led by the offense, primarily by the success of LaNorris Sellers, who figures to be a national award winner in 2025. Containing Sellers is of paramount importance for defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes. Regardless of which scheme he opts for, the Hokies’ defense cannot afford to let Sellers beat them by himself.
This can be accomplished by limiting the number of touches South Carolina’s stable of receivers get, particularly deep down the field, namely throws to Harbor on the outside, and keeping him in the pocket. Siefkes has echoed Brent Pry’s statements about wanting to return the defensive mentality to that of Tech teams of old: blue collar, tough on the run with solid back-end coverage. This first game is a great opportunity to establish the new culture, although it will also be a sizable challenge.
Defensively, South Carolina will likely be less stingy overall than last year’s group, but will still pose a challenge to most offenses it faces. Kyron Drones will be forced to contend with the Gamecocks’ edge pressure from Stewart and Thomas, Jr., which will also be a significant challenge for Matt Moore’s untested offensive line group. In the passing game, Drones and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery must know where Kilgore is on the field at all times to limit turnovers, a problem that plagued the Hokies last season. On the ground, Montgomery will need to establish the run early to soften up South Carolina’s defensive backfield, which figures to be a strength of this unit.
Overall, South Carolina will be a tremendous test for Brent Pry’s team as he enters a critical fourth year in his tenure, in which he has to win early and often or risk losing his job. The Gamecocks will challenge the Hokies in every facet of the game. In many ways, Virginia Tech will need big performances from its stars on both sides of the ball to stay in this game and set the tone for a season that will demand nothing less.