There aren't a lot of starting jobs truly open for competition given the boatload of veteran talent that Virginia Tech has returning for the 2024 season. However, the Hokies do have an opening at safety next to Jalen Stroman following the graduation of Nasir Peoples.
While you could maybe argue Mose Phillips or Jaylen Jones as a slight favorite for the job, it's clear that this is a pretty wide open competition that goes beyond just those two.
Of course, the starting experience that Phillips and Jones both gained due to Stroman and Peoples allowed both of those guys to gain valuable reps even if it didn't always go well. That has CBs coach Derek Jones viewing this as less of an opening given the starting experience that those two have, in addition to having one veteran starter back in Jalen Stroman, plus having more talent beyond those guys including four-star signee Quentin Reddish.
