Virginia Tech Football: Hokies QB named top performer at Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas

Brent Pry announced earlier this offseason that Virginia Tech quarterbacks Kyron Drones and Pop Watson will return, but they won’t be the only signal callers that Virginia Tech will have.

The Hokies signed two of the most talented quarterback recruits in their 2025 class: Kelden Ryan and AJ Brand. Ryan, the Texas Football 6A D2 Regional champion, and Brand, the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, will both make huge impacts in Blacksburg.

The latter, AJ Brand, is competing at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. The Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas is the nation’s oldest high school football all-star game, and the game raises money for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. The game will be played on Saturday, but On3 Sports was able to get a look at the practices leading up to the game.

Charles Power of On3 ranked the top performers and AJ Brand got the bid for best quarterback at the Shrine Bowl practices. Here’s what Power had to say about Brand’s performance at the Shrine Bowl:

”AJ Brand gets the nod as the top quarterback in Shrine Bowl practices. The Virginia Tech signee showed a strong downfield arm and spun the ball well, despite having a bandaged hand. As one of the top rushing threats at quarterback in the 2025 cycle, the non-contact practice setting didn’t allow Brand to show the full breadth of his skill set, but he still impressed. The Irmo (S.C.) High product can still stand to smooth out some of his mechanics, but the improvement as a passer in addition to his elite rushing ability should be reason for excitement among Hokie fans.”

Brand, the quarterback at Irmo High School, led his team to a State runner-up season. The Yellow Jackets won four postseason games to win a berth in the Class AAAAA Football: Division 2 South Carolina Football State Championship against Northwestern.

Brand had an opportunity to drive down the field with less than two minutes left on the clock, and he scored. Irmo tied the game 31-31 and just needed a stop to go into overtime and potentially clinch their first state title in over 40 years, but the Yellow Jackets fell just short. Northwestern nailed a field goal as time expired and Brand walked away as a runner-up.

The quarterback finished 12-for-17 passing with 151 yards and two touchdown passes. He also ran for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Brand did have to be helped off the field momentarily, “It was just a cramp. I didn't want to come out, honestly, but I tried to get up and I couldn't,” Brand said. “Teammates stepped in great. Got us back and ultimately ended up scoring on that drive. So, I mean, that's all you can really ask for. We're staying in the game with a great team like Northwestern.”

Brand’s main wide receiver target, Donovan Murph, is a four-star recruit in the class of 2025, who has yet to make his commitment. Murph will choose between Clemson and South Carolina on January 2nd at the Under Armour All-America Game.

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