Virginia Tech was one of the most hyped teams last offseason in college football. Armed with a huge number of returning starters, including quarterback Kyron Drones, and many members of an emerging defense, there were some out there that were picking the team to take advantage of a favorable schedule and make the college football playoff.
Obviously that did not happen.
The Hokies limped to a 6-7 season that was off from the start with a week one upset loss against Vanderbilt. However, if you look closer, it was not for a lack of talent. In the offseason, Virginia Tech lost a number of players to the transfer portal, with many of them being highly-coveted players by other teams. On top of that, Virginia Tech saw five of its players get drafted in this year’s NFL Draft, second most in the NFL after Miami. So why did the Hokies not win more games in 2024? CBS Sports Analyst Chip Patterson asked the same question in a recent article:
“With a strong NFL Draft, why didn’t the Hokies have more wins in 2024? This overreaction is tied less to what we learned on the field this spring and more to we saw from Virginia Tech the 2025 NFL Draft. The Hokies had five players selected, the most for the program since 2018 and second only to Miami among ACC schools. It was a veteran group that helped quickly restore order to a program that was lost, but ultimately the record over the last two restorative years is a cumulative 13-13. When Virginia Tech won last year, it was often overwhelming — it beat all six opponents by at least two touchdowns — but it also went 0-5 in one-score games.
Regression suggests the Hokies might set for some better bounces this fall, but there is an exodus of talent that puts that theory into question. It’s a big year for QB Kyron Drones, new offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, and especially head coach Brent Pry. If the group is ready to take advantage of some mathematically-suggested better bounces, it could be a continuation in the restoration project in Blacksburg.”
The question about whether or not the Hokies should have won more is correlated with head coach Brent Pry being on the hot season heading into this season.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg listed Pry as a coach on the hot seat going into 2025 and listed him in the “Don’t backslide” category alongside Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, Florida’s Billy Napier, and Cal’s Justin Wilcox:
“The hot-seat talk bubbled up around Pry in November, and if the Commonwealth Cup had gone differently, Virginia Tech could have had a decision to make after a disappointing fall. Pry’s second consecutive 6-6 regular season got him to a bowl game, but he will enter Year 4 with a new defensive coordinator and a staff that will include former longtime Hokies DC Bud Foster as an advisor/analyst.
Pry is halfway through his contract and Virginia Tech isn’t in the best position to eat a seven-figure buyout. Virginia Tech should be more competitive in a very winnable ACC, especially with quarterback Kyron Drones back. The Hokies have eclipsed seven wins just once since 2017.”
Will Pry need to improve upon his record in 2025 to be ensured of another season in Blacksburg? Virginia Tech opens the season against South Carolina in Atlanta and the Gamecocks are likely going to start the season with a lofty ranking. They also face Miami, Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Louisville next season, but it is not a murderers row of a schedule. Needless to say, the Hokies need to see some progress next season.
Related Links:
2026 Defensive Lineman Narrows Down Final Three With Virginia Tech Included
Virginia Tech Softball: Meet the Hokies’ Opponents in the 2025 Tuscaloosa Regional
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