Today, we kick off a series looking at the projected starting lineups for some of Virginia Tech’s most prominent athletic programs. That starts with a look at the starting lineup for VT Football on offense with the defensive side of things to follow next.
Here’s a look at where things stand position by position.
QB: Kyron Drones
Let’s start at the quarterback spot where the Hokies have arguably the best QB in the ACC in Kyron Drones to lead the way, with Miami’s Cam Ward set to battle him for Preseason All-ACC honors on that front. This comes after Drones seized his opportunity when Grant Wells went down with an injury against Purdue, and never looked back after that point.
He was a dynamic dual-threat playmaker as he threw for 2,085 yards and 17 touchdowns with only three interceptions and a completion rate of 58.2% while running for 818 yards, five touchdowns, and an average of 4.9 yards per carry. His production helped the Hokies go from a downward trajectory early in the season to their first winning season since 2019 and a team that seems ready to become an ACC contender this year.
The significant rushing threat that Drones brought to the table continues to be a key piece of the puzzle for the Hokies, especially with what he can do on read options and RPOs. His arm strength is also a serious weapon, with several impressive deep ball last season that helped ignite some major scoring production, with standout WR Da'Quan Felton being a favorite target in those moments.
One area where Drones has work to do is his accuracy after completing only 58.2% of his passes. That was a point of emphasis for Drones this season, according to offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen, and completing a higher rate of passes would obviously open things up further for Drones and Bhayshul Tuten on the ground.
There's also room for his decision-making to grow as though he only had three interceptions, there were definitely some other moments where he was fortunate to not have a pass intercepted. Accuracy improvements would help mask some of those issues, but he does need to become a better decision maker to maximize his potential growth this fall.
If Drones makes strides with his accuracy and decision-making, the Hokies will have one of the best quarterbacks in America and a serious ACC title contender.
Meanwhile, the backup QB battle has evolved with UCLA transfer Collin Schlee joining Pop Watson following the departure of Dylan Wittke via the transfer portal. Schlee definitely raises the level in that room and gives the Hokies a higher floor behind Drones, while Watson will absolutely have the chance to prove he's the better backup option over the summer and into the fall.
Incoming freshman Davi Belfort will also join the party this summer, though he seems bound to redshirt. However, Belfort will get the chance to start making his case that he, and not Watson, should be the heir to Drones as Virginia Tech's future starting QB whether that would be in 2025 or 2026.
