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David Hale, ESPN Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After a strong finish to the 2023 season, including a bowl win over Tulane, expectations for Virginia Tech are sky high entering 2024.
That’s true for head coach Brent Pry, too, who said he sees the Hokies as an ACC title contender.
“Yeah I would probably be disappointed [if we didn’t make the ACC championship game],” Pry said. “Again, my message to them has been we have to keep pushing and we have to make strides in these areas where we have to be better to be a team that can do that.”
After a miserable 2-4 start to the season — Pry’s second in Blacksburg — the Hokies rebounded by winning five of their last seven to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2019. Previously, Virginia Tech had finished above .500 every year from 1993 through 2017, at one point boasting the nation’s longest bowl streak.
In the aftermath, a host of key players — defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland, corner Dorian Strong, tailback Bhayshul Tuten — all opted to return for the 2024 season with sights set on returning the program to its former glory.
The turnaround began with the development of quarterback Kyron Drones, who began the year on the bench but blossomed as the year progressed, throwing 17 touchdowns and just three picks. Cornerback Dorian Strong said the team has spent ample time learning about the program’s rich history, but with Drones as the centerpiece, the Hokies are ready to add to that legacy.
“People are always talking about the [Mike] Vick era,” Strong said. “But we’ve got the Drones era, so let’s start leaving our own legacy.”
Pry said the ceiling could be a playoff berth after seeing how the program grew in 2023 combined with so much talent returning. The Hokies return 20 starters from last year’s offense and defense, along with their punter and kicker, making them one of the most experienced teams in the nation. Still, Pry said, there’s not much margin for error for a team that, it’s worth remembering, still finished just 7-6.
“A lot of things have to happen, but there’s enough production, there’s enough experience, there’s borderline enough depth,” he said. “We have to coach our asses off and be right a lot more than we’re wrong. We have to have some things go our way. We have to stay healthy.”
If Pry is optimistic about the upcoming season, however, he said one of the biggest reasons is that no one on the team is taking success for granted.
Asked about the most encouraging aspect of his offseason, Pry pointed first to the lack of ego his team showed after the strong finish to 2023.
“There was no sign of complacency on our football team,” Pry said. “A lot of pats on the back. There was success. There was accomplishments. There was no sign of anybody coming off the gas, which I was very proud of. I consider that our biggest win this off-season.”