In an period of school soccer with roster turnover at an all-time excessive, Virginia Tech has labored to construct a tradition that stresses continuity. That continuity has led expectations to blossom in Blacksburg.
An enormous motive for these expectations was a robust end to the 2023 season, which resulted within the faculty’s first bowl win since 2016 and its first season with a profitable file since 2019. However a much bigger motive is the returning manufacturing from that group.
Based mostly on the newest numbers compiled by ESPN’s Invoice Connelly, the Hokies return 84% of their manufacturing from final season, fourth most in FBS, with 91% of their offensive manufacturing again and 77% of their protection returning.
Coach Brent Pry informed ESPN that stage of consistency has been, and can proceed to be, some extent of emphasis for Virginia Tech.
“We all know much more about our gamers on our workforce proper now than what we did final 12 months at the moment,” Pry mentioned. “For years, at the same time as a defensive coordinator, you go down your depth chart, and also you need to know what you are going to get from a man if you put him on the market. … And so now we have much more guys which have confirmed and have the expertise, have the consistency, the work ethic, the perspective. You form of know what you are going to get.”
The continuity of the roster makes the job of piecing collectively a profitable workforce simpler for Pry, getting into his third season in Blacksburg, and his teaching employees.
Defensively, prime pass-rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland (14.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks) returns, together with prime corners Dorian Robust and Mansoor Delane. Virginia Tech additionally added veteran Duke defensive sort out Aeneas Peebles, who will pair with Josh Fuga on the inside.
On offense, working again Bhayshul Tuten and prime receivers Da’Quan Felton, Stephen Gosnell, Jaylin Lane and Ali Jennings are all again, together with all the offensive line.
After all, a workforce with excessive expectations wants a star quarterback, and the Hokies have one in Kyron Drones.
Drones took over at quarterback for the Hokies final season after Grant Wells went down with a leg damage, and he elevated the Virginia Tech offense. Drones was nineteenth in whole QBR from Week 5 on and completed the season with 2,085 yards passing with 17 touchdowns and simply three interceptions, together with 818 speeding yards and 5 touchdowns.
“He simply will get higher on a regular basis,” Pry mentioned. “He is a man that basically learns with reps. I imply, he hadn’t began a university soccer sport when he acquired right here.”
Connelly listed Drones because the second-most fascinating quarterback within the nation for the upcoming season, behind solely Penn State’s Drew Allar. Recognition like that, together with figuring out alongside Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, attracts folks’s consideration.
Drones, Sanders and Ward labored out collectively in Miami throughout spring break in March, however Drones mentioned that is nothing new, as he is been figuring out with Ward, his cousin, and Sanders since highschool. Drones started coaching with Darrell Colbert of Choose QB Athletics, primarily based out of Houston, and as soon as Sanders and Ward started to coach with Colbert, figuring out collectively grew to become a factor.
One in all Drones’ focuses this offseason is attempting to be an extension of offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen.
“That may assist a great distance with simply me having the ability to inform a receiver or a lineman, everyone, their job,” Drones mentioned. “I might try this final 12 months, however this 12 months goes to be totally different the place the coaches do not actually should make as many requires me to know that I could make these calls by myself, after which simply actually run the offense and facilitate the offense as a quarterback.”
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Pry is assured teammates will take to Drones as an rising chief.
“The fellows have a ton of religion in him,” Pry mentioned. “I keep in mind the play down at Florida State, we’re getting our butts kicked fairly good. And impulsively he takes off and runs for 50-some yards, makes guys miss, runs over a man and our sideline form of went, ‘Wow, have a look at Kyron!’ He is simply acquired that form of gravity with the workforce.”
Drones mentioned he is known as on teammates for particular person exercises and brought it upon himself to attempt to bond with them off the sphere as properly, particularly transfers who’re new to this system.
However he acknowledges being a pacesetter can require some robust conversations as properly. “When issues will not be going good, any person’s acquired to say one thing. That needs to be me,” he mentioned.
“Folks say I cemented myself, however I do know it is folks nonetheless coming from my spot. So I simply should maintain competing every day and simply maintain working.”
The weather are in place for Virginia Tech to take one other step up in 2024, however Pry notes it hasn’t been a quick course of. And that is positive with him, as a result of the sluggish burn has introduced the consistency that he and this system want.
Pry cited three issues which have helped Virginia Tech return to this place of excessive expectations.
“Culturally, to be clear and real with our workforce and our coaches,” Pry mentioned. “Together with that, embracing laborious conversations that include the transparency and being real. I feel we have gained lots from that.
“Second, the flexibility to recruit our footprint and signal a ton of highschool gamers that we’re creating, which is true for Virginia Tech, and is a part of the consistency and continuity that you simply hope for. You are bringing guys in which can be proper for Tech that need to be right here, and you may develop them in your program.
“Third, the flexibility to go to the switch portal and fill true wants with the suitable kind of fellows. … This 12 months, we’ll see nonetheless, however we took 5 [transfers] on the proper positions. Up to now, they have been nice within the locker room, they’re staff, are selfless, and so they’re at spots the place we had to assist ourselves.
“That is the distinction between shortcutting and attempting to do issues shortly,” Pry mentioned. “I am not faulting any person else’s course of, however for us, it is simply going to take time to get it the place we would like, the place you may maintain it. The method is the method, and the freshmen are available in, and so they see it and so they develop in it, and coaches included. Having the ability to retain so many guys, and retain our teaching employees, actually helps proceed to maneuver that ahead.”
Regardless of this iteration of Virginia Tech soccer driving by way of the offseason with elevated anticipation, Pry has tried to maintain his workforce in a stage state of mind.
“We had a ton of noise once we’re 1-3, proper? All people bitching, you already know. And we talked about ignoring any noise and what mattered,” he mentioned. “And so they did an ideal job with that. And what we are able to be taught from that, as a result of now there’s lots of noise — prime 25, prime 10 quarterback — it is nonetheless noise, guys. It did not imply something when it was [negative], it does not actually imply something now.
“I really like the pats on the again. But when we do not keep humble and hungry, and win every section, we are able to go win 4 video games. So reminding them of how we improved and what that seemed like, and simply belief the method.”
A part of that course of is specializing in the duty at hand and never getting forward of themselves by worrying in regards to the summer time or coaching camp, not to mention the beginning of the season.
“I do not even know who we play in Week 3 or 4,” Pry mentioned. “That is the message, and so they’re purchased into that.”
Setting the skin noise apart, there may be perception throughout the program that this may very well be the 12 months Virginia Tech soccer makes its manner again to the nationwide highlight.
“All people’s working actually laborious to attempt to get Virginia Tech again the place it was once,” Drones mentioned. “We already know the place it was once and we already know Virginia Tech had down years. Final 12 months was only a step up towards the place we need to be.
“This 12 months, we’ll work our hardest to only attempt to get to the place we need to be — win the ACC and get in that playoff.”
