Good morning Hokies on a Victory Monday! Virginia Tech took down Virginia 37-17 for their 19th victory in the past 20 Commonwealth Cup matchups, This was also the seventh time in their past 13 matchups with UVA where a victory by the Hokies clinched bowl eligibility.
Pop Watson was a star in his first career start while veterans like Bhayshul Tuten and Antwaun Powell-Ryland delivered winning plays for the Hokies once again to cement All-ACC First Team honors. It was a performance reminiscent of the best moments this team has provided along with some promise shown by younger guys like Watson and Caleb Woodson.
Meanwhile, the Hokies struggled on the basketball court as Men’s Basketball went 0-2 against Michigan and South Carolina in Fort Myers while Women’s Basketball split games against Davidson and Michigan days later in Fort Myers. Women’s Soccer Cinderella run also ended with a 1-0 defeat to No. 1 Duke in the Elite Eight.
We’re going to change up the order by wrapping up Saturday’s victory first before I share my first thoughts on what could be the most fascinating and important offseason of Brent Pry’s tenure.
Postgame Highlights
Hokies of the Game: The Hokies of the Game picks were pretty easy this week. Pop Watson was impressive in his first career start, going 14-21 for 254 yards and one touchdown while running for 65 yards and a touchdown on his nine non-sack carries. Defensively, Antwaun Powell-Ryland had three sacks and a forced fumble, putting him 0.5 sacks off the national lead of 16.5 held by Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku while Marshall’s Mike Green is tied with Powell-Ryland at 16. Green has the possibility of 14 games with the Sun Belt Championship and a bowl game while APR and Ezeiruaku only have a bowl game left.
Stat of the Week: Excluding the final two drives where Tech was trying to run out the clock, the Hokies scored on 70% of their drives in this game. While only scoring touchdowns on four of those seven is a little disappointing, this was still an impressive offensive display from Tech especially with a third-string quarterback.
Postgame Quote of the Week: There’s only one quote that matters most to Hokie fans at this point and it’s Brent Pry response to a question on whether he feels his program is still trending in the right direction after a 6-6 season. Here’s what he told the media in the very early hours of Sunday morning in response to that question.
“Yeah, without a doubt. We’re a better team. There’s plenty of growth and development. We have so many first- and second-year players that are making strides. That’s why I think this bowl prep is going to be really important for a bunch of them. We’re going to lose some old guys that have certainly made a lot of plays around here, but we’ve got a good group coming. We’re very competitive in practice against one another and I think it showed up each and every week. We’re a resilient bunch, a very coachable bunch. They’ve stuck together, they didn’t point fingers. A lot of good signs, a lot of good things that, to me, are important to building a foundation and a team that can sustain some success and remain humble and hungry and keep growing and pushing the thing forward.”
No one is shocked that a coach is saying publicly he feels his program is going in the right direction. But it’s interesting to see the reasons he is pointing to with a focus on culture and the development of younger players. We’ll see in 2025 whether Pry and his program can prove him right or if this time next year, I’m sharing what I know about a head coaching search.
A Fascinating and Important Offseason
What a difference a year makes.
Last year, the Hokies won five of their final eight regular season games on their way to a three-win improvement with a team returning almost everyone and the buzz rapidly growing about Tech being a sleeper to win the ACC.
This year, Brent Pry will be on one of the warmer seats in the country starting next season with a staff shakeup seeming very likely after another 6-6 regular season that included going 0-5 in one-score games, all but one of which came against teams Tech was favored against.
This is the reality when you miss expectations and have hit a plateau at .500 as the Hokies have this season. While Pry continues to feel that his program is heading in a positive trajectory, it seems pretty clear that something has to change to truly reach that positive trajectory.
Add in the fact that the Hokies are losing likely a little over half of their offensive starters and it’s going to be a busy offseason, even with the young talent that should be ready to fill some of those gaps at a high level.
Here’s a quick primer to get you ready for what is to come.
Transfers Out: I won’t put any names out there at this time since I don’t have enough to confirm any specific players. However, there are three players who have started significant games during their times at Virginia Tech that I’ve been told to at least monitor along with a former four-star recruit.
Get ready to see lots of walk-ons leave as well as the House Settlement will cut down rosters from 120 to 105 while allowing scholarships to jump from 85 to 105. Some walk-ons will remain including a core group of special teamers and some top walk-ons like PJ Prioleau and Ja’Ricous Hairston, but a lot of current walk-ons likely won’t have a spot going forward.
Coaching Changes: Brent Pry likely wouldn’t have been fired if VT lost to UVA, but the victory ensures his seat is safe for now. However, the frustration around the program is immense and I would expect Pry to make some shakeups to his staff. Now whether that includes changing a coordinator or both remains to be seen, but the decisions on who to retain and where to make changes will be the most important of his tenure.
And honestly, I could make a case for keeping both coordinators and making other changes, or changing one or both coordinators amongst other changes. The question for Pry now is whether he can make the right decision or not.
Don’t be surprised if changes come after Signing Day rather than before it, especially with Signing Day in only a few days. However, I have heard a rumor that there could be something that happens tomorrow but haven’t been able to verify any specifics about it at this time.
Signing Day Drama: For the first time in a long time, we have some Signing Day drama and intrigue, all of which is about Tech adding players and none of which is about a flip elsewhere at this time. The Hokies are continuing to push to flip Michigan State DB commit Aydan West while they also appear to be trending for three-star CB Jordan Crim. Additionally, the Hokies hosted three-star DB Jakarrion Kenan over the weekend with a decision feeling very likely to come in time for Signing Day between VT, NC State, Vanderbilt, and Virginia.
Transfer Priorities: Let’s be honest, Virginia Tech likely will look to add transfers throughout their position groups and understandably so. With Tech allowed to go up to 105 scholarships now (along with a 105-roster maximum), I’m currently projecting the Hokies to add roughly 10-15 transfers.
On offense, I would look to bring in at least two offensive line additions including a veteran, high-end tackle who I would give a significant NIL payday towards to pair with Xavier Chaplin. This would be more of a one-year rental to bridge to young guys like Johnny Garrett, Layth Ghannam, and others. I’d also look to get an up-and-coming type OL with multiple years of eligibility left who could at least provide quality two-deep depth and push for a starting job on the interior or be a top backup.
While I like the potential of Jeremiah Coney and think a healthy PJ Prioleau has some tremendous explosiveness, I think a bridge RB1 to Coney and the future would make a lot of sense. Tech also seems to clearly be looking for a veteran wide receiver to pair with their talented young corps of Ayden Greene, Keylen Adams, Takye Heath, and Chanz Wiggins, with Indiana’s Donaven McCulley being someone who visited earlier this fall and who the Hokies are battling Michigan and others for.
On defense, I think the defensive line needs at least one end and one tackle to fill the gaps that APR and Cole Nelson will leave on the edge, and that Aeneas Peebles, Wilfired Pene, and Josh Fuga leave on the interior. While guys like Kelvin Gilliam and Keyshawn Burgos can help lead those rooms, adding a premium edge rusher and a quality DT to pair with those two makes sense. Young guys like Aycen Stevens, Jason Abbey, and others does decrease some of the need at DE.
I also think adding an inside linebacker who could start at mike linebacker would make sense, though I could also see Tech looking for someone who could play either mike or will LB if they feel Caleb Woodson is ready to be their mike LB of the future now.
Tech clearly seems to want a cornerback to pair with Dante Lovett and battle Thomas Williams next season, being already in pursuit of the #1 JUCO CB in the country Keshawn Davila. Jalen Stroman’s decision as to whether he will return or not will be one to monitor because if he doesn’t, Tech should absolutely look to add a safety to at least provide depth behind Mose Phillips and Quentin Reddish.
Monday Notes
ACC Championship Game Set: Syracuse’s upset of Miami means it’s 11-1 SMU against 9-3 Clemson for the ACC title in Charlotte. The Tigers have to win to reach the Playoff while the Mustangs might still be in the CFB Playoff even with a loss. Meanwhile, Miami’s loss drops them to 10-2 and likely out of the CFB Playoff.
Bowl Projections: Here’s the latest rundown on VT’s bowl projections.
- ESPN's Mark Schlabach: Fenway Bowl vs Memphis
- ESPN's Kyle Bonagura: Fenway Bowl vs Tulane
- CBS Sports: Fenway Bowl vs East Carolina
- 247 Sports: Fenway Bowl vs Tulane
- Athlon Sports: Fenway Bowl vs Memphis
- Sporting News: Armed Forces Bowl vs West Virginia
Women’s Soccer’s Season Ends: The Cinderella run came to an end for Virginia Tech Women’s Soccer on Saturday night with a 1-0 loss to 1 seed Duke. This was the deepest run for the Hokies since they reached the 2014 College Cup as Tech continues to show signs of a new renaissance under longtime head coach Chugger Adair.
Rough Fort Myers Trip for Men’s Basketball: Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball struggles continued in Fort Myers with a pair of losses to Michigan and South Carolina, both by double-digits. The Hokies were right in it for about the first 25-30 minutes against the Wolverines and for most of the game against the Gamecocks, but the Hokies were the weakest team in the field and it showed in the end. Tech returns home for a pair of home games against a solid Vanderbilt team and a likely top 25 Pittsburgh. A 3-6 start with a five-game losing streak could be reality this time next week.
Up and Down Week for Women’s Basketball: Meanwhile, Women’s Basketball’s week in Fort Myers went a little better as they routed Davidson 79-50 before coming up short against Michigan 76-65. The Hokies were among the first eight teams out in the latest ESPN Women’s Bracketology prior to these games and likely are still in that range currently. An upset win at Duke next Sunday would change that a lot, though getting a win at Georgia on Wednesday would at least make this a good week and help the non-conference portion of the resume.
4* OL Justin Hasenhuetl Visiting Virginia Tech Soon: Four-star OL Justin Hasenhuetl has decommitted from Georgia Tech and will take a visit to Virginia Tech this upcoming weekend as first reported by ESPN’s Eli Lederman. Additionally, California is also under consideration for Hasenhuetl as he told us, with him almost certain to end up at either VT or Cal.
The Week Ahead: Here’s a look at the Virginia Tech Athletics schedule from now through Sunday.
Wednesday (12/4)
- Swimming & Diving at US Open (Greensboro, NC)
- Women’s Basketball at Georgia (5pm in Athens, GA)
- Men’s Basketball vs Vanderbilt (9:15pm in Blacksburg)
Friday (12/6)
- Wrestling at Cliff Keen Invitational (Las Vegas, NV)
Saturday (12/7)
- Men’s Basketball vs Pittsburgh (2pm in Blacksburg)
Sunday (12/8)
- Women’s Basketball at No. 13 Duke (4pm in Durham, NC)
