One year ago, expectations were high for the Virginia Tech football team, but things went 6-6 and the season was a disappointment. After a number of key players hit the transfer portal and key players were lost to the NFL Draft, there are a lot unknowns about the Hokies entering the 2025 campaign.
With so many questions, it is easy to see why fans are nervous about the upcoming season, but head coach Brent Pry picked up some good portal additions, and he moved on from some of his assistant coaches and will have a new staff. With all of that said, here are three reasons why should be a believer in the Hokies this fall.
1. Brent Pry hiring Philip Montgomery as OC
Considering all the players the Hokies lost on offense, getting quarterbacks Kyron Drones and Pop Watson to return was huge for Pry. When Tyler Bowen left to take the offensive line coach position at Ohio State, Pry hired Philip Montgomery as Bowen's replacement. Montgomery has a history of getting very good results out of QBs he coached, and his playcalling should be more consistent than what Bowen's was. I'm not saying Bowen was bad; it just seemed inconsistent. It'll be interesting to see what the results end up being.
2. Underrated transfers
The offensive line is being retooled on the fly by new coach Matt Moore, and Tomas Rimac, following him from West Virginia, will be huge, but some transfers who could be considered underrated and can come in and make an immediate impact. Tennessee transfer Cam Seldon has the tools to be a playmaker at wide receiver, while Wake Forest transfer Donovan Greene and Bowling Green running back Terion Stewart are primed for a big season.
On the defensive side, edges Ben Bell and James Djonkam are athletic and bring a lot of experience, while Clemson transfer Sherrod Covil, Jr., in the secondary could be a player who makes a big impact. This transfer class could end up being good and make some big contributions.
3. Just four true road games
This season the Hokies schedule is good in terms of home/away splits. How? Well, they have five road games and seven home games, but the season opener against South Carolina is in Atlanta and will be a neutral-site game. I'm sure it will have more Gamecocks fans, but it is a neutral site game. The four road games, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Florida State, and Virginia, are all going to be tough, but depending on how things go early in the season, they could set themselves up well for some big road games in the ACC.