With each passing day, we are getting closer and closer to the start of the 2025 college football season. Last week, we went under 100 days before Virginia Tech and South Carolina kick things off in Atlanta on Aug. 30 at 3 o'clock on ESPN.
Going into the season, the Hokies have a lot of questions surrounding the roster compared to a year ago at this time, when hopes were high in Blacksburg following a lot of retention and transfer portal additions for Brent Pry. Now, one year later, you are going to listen long and hard as to who is who and learn some names quickly in a lot of positions.
One position that didn't have some huge retention issues is at quarterback. Kyron Drones, coming off and up an up-and-down season, to say the least, is coming back, as is youngster Pop Watson. Gone is Collin Schlee to graduation, and Davi Belfort entered the portal this spring and left for Central Florida. Promising incoming freshmen A.J. Brand and Kelden Ryan are in the fold, as is Oklahoma State transfer Garrett Rangel.
Where does Virginia Tech QB room rank at ESPN?
David Hale of ESPN ranked all 136 FBS quarterback rooms going into the 2025 season in tiers and Virginia Tech was well down the list, coming in Tier 10: One more try (seven players). Joining Virginia Tech in this group is Arizona and Mississippi State, a Big 12 and SEC school.
As far as Virginia Tech goes, the job entering camp will be Drones' as long as he is healthy and ready to go. He missed four of the final five games last season because of an injury, and after Schlee went down with an injury against Duke, Watson powered the Hokies to a Commonwealth Cup win over Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend to become bowl-eligible.
Drones is a duel-threat QB who underwent a medical procedure at the end of spring practices, and cost him the final week and the Spring Game. Watson also missed the Spring Game with an injury that was revealed the day of the game last month.
One more try is rather fitting for Drones, who is 11-9 in two seasons in Blacksburg since taking over in 2023 for Grant Wells. The split numbers are rather eye-popping and truth be told, they need to be much better this season as this is a big season for a lot of people within the Virginia Tech program. This is a fitting ranking for once from ESPN.