Where Did RJ Young Rank Virginia Tech in His "Ultimate 136" List?

Last week, college football analyst R.J. Young's "Ultimate 136" college football rankings were unveiled, ranking all 136 squads from best to worst.

Nov 9, 2024; Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry leads his team onto the filed with wide receiver Takye Heath (2) before the game at Lane Stadium. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Last week, college football analyst R.J. Young's "Ultimate 136" college football rankings were unveiled, ranking all 136 squads from best to worst. 11 ACC squads cracked the top 50. Virginia Tech was not among them, sitting at No. 57, 14th in the ACC.

A look at the rankings of every ACC Team on @RJ_Young's Ultimate 136 CFB Rankings 📊👀 Where does your team land? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/gJtACL0waF

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 14, 2025

The Hokies will play two ACC teams ranked in the top 30 of Young's list, four in the top 40 and five in the top 50. Here are the full ACC squad rankings, with national rankings in parentheses:

No. 1 - Clemson Tigers (No. 6 nationally)

No. 2 - Miami Hurricanes (No. 18 nationally)

No. 3 - SMU Mustangs (No. 24 nationally)

No. 4 - Louisville Cardinals (No. 27 nationally)

No. 5 - Syracuse Orange (No. 32 nationally)

No. 6 - Florida State Seminoles (No. 34 nationally)

No. 7 - North Carolina Tar Heels (No. 35 nationally)

No. 8 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (No. 37 nationally)

No. 9 - Duke Blue Devils (No. 42 nationally)

No. 10 - Pittsburgh Panthers (No. 43 nationally)

No. 11 - Boston College Eagles (No. 47 nationally)

No. 12 - NC State Wolfpack (No. 53 nationally)

No. 13 - California Golden Bears (No. 54 nationally)

No. 14 - Virginia Tech Hokies (No. 57 nationally)

No. 15 - Wake Forest Demon Deacons (No. 77 nationally)

No. 16 - Virginia Cavaliers (No. 84 nationally)

No. 17 - Stanford Cardinal (No. 88 nationally)

Here's what Young said about the Hokies:

"It's been simple to write off the Hokies in the Brent Pry era because they haven't beaten any of their non-conference Power 4 foes — 0-6. The program is just 10-13 in the ACC since 2022, but many of those have been close losses. In fact, five of their losses came by one score in 2024. Pry needs a winning season in 2025."

Last year, Virginia Tech ranked No. 58 in Young's rankings, one spot lower than this year.

The Hokies will play a pair of non-conference P4 foes this season. First, Virginia Tech will play South Carolina on Aug. 31 to open the season. The Hokies will then face Vanderbilt a week later in their home opener at Lane Stadium. The Gamecocks rank No. 17 on Young's list, a spot ahead of Miami. The Commodores sit at No. 36, one slot over Georgia Tech.

The move to place Virginia Tech in the mid-fifties is not surprising; however, what is intriguing about the list is how low the Hokies are ranked relative to their conference. The ACC preseason poll was released at the end of July and Virginia Tech ranked No. 11 there, compiling a lone first-place vote.

SP+ was more forgiving to the Hokies, ranking them No. 42 in the nation and No. 7 of all ACC squads. In the latest SP+ rankings, Virginia Tech ranked three spots behind Florida State, projected fifth in the conference.

Rankings and preseason talk can only go so far; the real test comes on the field. In just 15 days, the Hokies will open their 2025 campaign in Atlanta, squaring off against South Carolina. The season opener is set for Sunday, Aug. 31, with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.