College football season is finally here with Virginia Tech being among the last teams to kick off their season when they take on No. 13 South Carolina Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. There are plenty of fascinating matchups especially given some of the unique playmaking and athletic talents that the Gamecocks bring to this game.
So with that said, here are my matchups to watch for the Hokies against the Gamecocks.
OTs Johnny Garrett & Montavious Cunningham vs DE Dylan Stewart
Johnny Garrett and Montavious Cunningham are set for their first regular season starts at Virginia Tech at left and right tackle tomorrow. While you would like those first starts to happen against a G5 or FCS opponent, they will instead happen against one of the best pass rushers in college football, Dylan Stewart.
The sophomore defensive end lived up to the five-star billing as a true freshman, earning Freshman All-American honors while having 23 tackles including 11 for loss with 6.5 sacks plus three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one pass breakup. His advanced numbers are even stronger as he generated 51 total pressures last season while earning a 91.4 PFF pass rush grade. For comparison, VT's 2024 star DE Antwaun Powell-Ryland had 48 pressures despite playing 15 more pass play snaps (324 vs 309).
The hype around Stewart is real and with the way he's progressing, he should easily be a top 10-15 pick at worst in the 2027 NFL Draft with All-American potential the next two seasons.
