Virginia Tech Football: Previewing The Hokies 2025 Quarterback Room
In this story:
ACC Media Days are less than two weeks away and that also means that Fall Camp is getting closer. With that in mind, we are going to start previewing Virginia Tech's roster position by position and we have to start with the most important position on the field.
Who is Back?
Heading into last season, there was a lot of talk about Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones building off of his strong finish to the 2023 season and potentially being a darkhorse choice for the Heisman Trophy.
One of the voices of college football, Josh Pate, had this to say on am episode of his show heading into the season:
"Virginia Tech has an opportunity to be a playoff contender late in the year, they have a chance to be an ACC title contender late in the year, they have a chance to have a dynamite run game. Now, I don't think Drones is going to have the passing numbers that some of these guys do, he is going to have to supplement it with his work with his legs, not that he is going to have triple option passing numbers, but last year, 17-3 touchdown to interception ratio, he ran for five, he needs to double that rushing touchdown number, his completion percentage needs to bump up from 58% and into the 60's and it absolutely could, it absolutely could. They are going to have a really complementary style to help him and it is going to take voters watching him. Don't be checkin box scores, which a lot of Heisman voters unfortunately do, but if that ground game is churning and as a voter, if we really care about playing in a manner that best equips your team to win football games and we understand that yards gained on the ground count just as much as yards gained through the air, if we understand that, then Kyron Drones should be in this thing as well."
Things did not go as planned last season for either Drones or Virginia Tech. Drones missed four games last season, including the bowl loss against Minnesota, due to an injury and it affected him in the spring as well, with the program releasing a statement about him having a minor procedure.
“Kyron Drones is scheduled to have a minor medical procedure and we’ve made the decision to hold him out for the remainder of spring practice. Kyron has demonstrated excellent leadership and has had an outstanding winter and spring. We fully anticipate he will be ready to return for summer workouts.”
It might not be fair to put an entire season on one player, but it is hard to see a path to a successful season without Drones staying healthy and reaching his full potential under new offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery.
Even when he was healthy, Drones did not take the step forward that many around the country were expecting. He finished with 1,562 yards passing with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, as well as 336 yards rushing and six touchdowns. It was not a terrible season for Drones, but was not the Heisman type of season that some were thinking he could have and he took a step back rushing. Drones did finish as the second-highest graded player on the Hokies offense per PFF (Pro Football Focus), finishing with a 79.6 grade in 533 snaps. He finished with a 73.2 passing grade and a 73.4 rushing grade.
In the nine games that he did play, Drones only had two games over 200 yards passing (vs Vanderbilt and Stanford), and there were some games where he really struggled with his accuracy. In the loss to Rutgers, Drones was 13-27 for 137 yards, and in the loss to Clemson, he was 9-20 for 115 yards. Injuries played a big part in Drones' season, but he was not very consistent even when he played.
This Virginia Tech offense is going to look a lot different around Drones in 2025. It is a new look backfield, wide receiver group, and offensive line this season and Drones is going to be working with a new offensive coordinator. Head coach Brent Pry brought in former Baylor and Auburn offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery to call the plays and lead the offense. Montgomery spoke highly of Drones' ability this spring to be a building block for the offense this season:
"Yeah, I think he's done an outstanding job. As we've sat through meetings and been able to start talking ball and installing, I think he's picking it up well as long as well as you know a lot of the other guys offensively you know this thing won't be all about about him you know it's about us as a unit and what we can accomplish as a unit and it's 11 guys paying attention to details and executing on the field so obviously a lot of it starts and stops with him but I could say the same thing about the offensive line it all starts and stops with them as well."
With so many new faces on the offense and a new coordinator, what should be the reasonable expectation for Drones this season? Will we see the talented player who looked like one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country in 2023? Or will the inconsistencies slow him down, as well as all of the new faces? Virginia Tech has a huge test to start the season against South Carolina, which had one of the best defenses in the country last season. If Drones is healthy and playing like his 2023 self, this could be a closer game than many expect.
One of the other returning quarterbacks is none other than William "Pop" Watson. Watson had to play some last season when Drones and Collin Schlee were out, and there were intriguing flashes from him, but he was inconsistent as you would expect from a freshman. HIs best performance came in the rivalry win over Virginia last season.
Watson had the highest PFF grade of any Virginia Tech player in that win with an 87.3 grade. He’s the real deal. Being listed at 5-foot-11, there were always doubts, similar to the doubts that some analysts had about Kyler Murray, but Watson essentially silenced those doubts. He limited the number of times he was sacked in comparison to the Duke game, and he showed athleticism that could be the best Virginia Tech has seen at the quarterback position this year.
Watson threw for 254 yards and added 48 yards on the ground. He did not turn the ball over once against the Cavaliers and he honestly looked like a seasoned player out there on the field. He did not take very many high risk opportunities at all, scanned the field with patience, and he’s one of the quarterbacks that understands that not every play needs to be 50+ yards.
Watson can generate big plays, too, though. He threw a 66-yard pass to Jaylin Lane, a 42-yard pass to Da’Quan Felton, and a 40-yard pass to Ali Jennings. He oozes confidence and he is exactly the type of quarterback that Virginia Tech will need in the future.
How soon is that future? Is there a chance that we see Watson beat out Drones? I doubt it, but his talent is there and if Drones can't take a step, don't rule out Pry turning to Watson.
Newcomers
Virginia Tech is welcoming in three newcomers at quarterback this season.
Oklahoma State quarterback Garret Rangel was a spring transfer addition to the team. Rangel played three seasons in Stillwater, with 2022 being the year he saw the most snaps. That season, Rangel threw for 711 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 51% of his passes. According to PFF (Pro Football Focus), Rangel 229 snaps during the 2022 season and finished with a 49.0 overall grade on offense. In 2023, Rangel played 68 snaps and then he played 66 snaps last season. While the numbers won't blow you away, Rangel has experience and could be better in Phillip Montgomery's offense than the one he was in with Oklahoma State. With his addition, it will be worth keeping an eye on the backup quarterback spot now.
There are two true freshmen entering the fray this fall, with AJ Brand and Kelden Ryan set to be on the roster. Brand won the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and might have the most upside of the two players. I don't expect either player to factor in this season.
Summary
A lot of how good this group can be might hinge on either Drones or Watson hitting a high level. Rangel seems to have been brought in to bring experience to the room. If Drones can live up to his potential and stay healthy, this could be a dangerous team. If not, the Hokies better hope that Watson is ready to take a major step forward and lead the team or things could get ugly in a hurry.
More Virginia Tech Football News:
Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell
Follow jacksoncaudell