Virginia Tech has turned things around in a big way in 2023, currently sitting at 4-4 after going 3-8 in the first year of the Brent Pry era. Of course, the story to get to this point has been fascinating, with the Hokies opening ACC play at 3-1 after going 1-3 in non-conference play.
A big reason for Tech's success this season has been their 2023 transfer class that brought in new starters at QB, RB, WR, DE, and nickelback. This group has mostly lived up to the hype and likely will have a few who will earn All-ACC honors after this season.
So with that in mind, let's dive into our player grades for Virginia Tech's 2023 class two-thirds of the way through the regular season.
QB Kyron Drones: B+
You may be surprised that this grade for Kyron Drones isn't higher, but Drones hasn't been in that A tier with his since taking over the starting QB job. However, there's no doubt that Drones has made a significant, positive impact on an offense that now looks like what Tyler Bowen always wanted it to be.
Drones has a 58.6% completion rate with 1,237 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, and one interception in six starts (seven games total), plus 400 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He's given the Hokies a true dual-threat quarterback, which has helped Tech open up their offense and forced defenses to account for his rushing ability.
Drones has been the type of true dual-threat QB that the Hokies have been looking for in their offense, forcing teams to mark him on any read option, RPO, or play that feels in the realm of that type of play. He has played fairly well within the structure of the offense while also having great pocket feel that has helped him make some great scrambles. He's also shown a good ability to progress through his reads and find an open target.
Drones broke the record for most passes without an interception, which is currently at 151, but he's had some ill-advised throws, with a couple being fortunate not to be intercepted. He's also tried to force some things at times that have held back the Hokies' offense.
Drones' grade is trending towards an A with how his game has progressed, but there's still plenty of room for him to grow before jumping into that tier.
