Virginia Tech Football: Three Takeaways from Opening Day of 2025 Fall Practice

With the opening day of fall practice now in the books, here's three takeaways from what Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry spoke on.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech opened fall camp Thursday, officially kicking off preparations for the 2025 season. The Hokies enter camp balancing competition at key positions with the challenge of building chemistry ahead of their Aug. 31 opener against South Carolina in Atlanta, Ga. Here's three takeaways from what Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry said after Day 1 of fall camp.

Walking on air after day ☝️ #ThisIsHome | #TeamOverMe pic.twitter.com/esSqbuGpKp

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) August 1, 2025

No. 1: Pry is unconcerned about the tampering allegations levied by NC Central.

There's still a plethora of unknown questions about what transpired. For now, here's a slight retread of what NC Central coach Trei Oliver said. Oliver stated that a Virginia Tech assistant coach was on his sideline recruiting one of his tailbacks, saying that the player later transferred to Virginia for the sum of $400,000. Oliver did not specify who the player was, but J'Mari Taylor, who starred for the Eagles last year before transferring to the Cavaliers, is the likely tailback involved.

But for Pry, it's simply business as usual. The head coach expressed confidence in the Hokies' administration, noting that he trusts the university to thoroughly review and address any potential issues that may arise.

"I was surprised by the comment, but the university, they vetted it, did their research and I feel confident in the process and where we're at with things," Pry said. "I'm not concerned about it... I know that our university vets those type of things very seriously and takes them very seriously and they've done that."

No. 2: Pry likes what he's seeing from the quarterback room.

For many, "rhythmic" and "consistent" would not be words associated with Virginia Tech football's 2024 campaign, especially in the quarterback room, which saw three different signal-callers throughout the year. But this year, Kyron Drones returns for what is presumably his final season in the maroon and orange. And Pry is optimistic, especially after a solid first day of camp.

"I thought Kyron looked really rhythmic and consistent today. He operated the offense fast and efficient. I wasn't sure he'd come out on day one and do that with the defense lined up and things [at] full-tilt. But he did. He looked really sharp today."

The battle for the main signal-caller, as of now, doesn't appear to be one. Drones is QB1, barring injury or a drastic downturn in production. However, Pry remains high on William "Pop" Watson, who started the final two games of the season. Though Watson struggled at times, absorbing 13 combined sacks against Duke and Minnesota, he also compiled 254 passing yards in his first career start against Virginia. Though the Cavaliers' pass coverage was below-average, Watson still showcased high-upside talent. Context matters. Watson was not great by any means against Duke or Minnesota, but he also only possesses two career starts to his name.

Meanwhile, Rangel, who transferred from Oklahoma State over the offseason, is another signal-caller wrapped in a shroud of uncertainty. His career to this point has shown flashes of potential, but inconsistency and limited playing time have kept evaluators from getting a clear sense of his ceiling. At 6‑foot-2 with a live arm and solid mobility, there’s natural talent baked into his game, but how quickly he can translate those tools into ACC‑level production remains to be seen.

"I don't know, they both made plays," Pry stated when asked whether the QB2 battle would last for the entirety of fall camp. "You know, Pop's got some great instincts, and can turn nothing into something. And Rangel's got a whip, man. I mean, he can get it in the hole."

No. 3: Unity is at more of a premium this year.

Nearly half of the roster is made up of newcomers — transfers and freshmen alike — yet to Pry, the Hokies’ first practice reflected a team that looks more connected than ever.

"Yeah, these guys are really together," Pry said. "When you look at all the new faces, nearly half the team, you wouldn't expect them to be so close and the fellowship to be so good, especially you know, you see it when they can compete like crazy, and then when it's over, they can be joking and laughing and hugging on each other, and that's the way they've been. I credit to the guys on the team and the guys that came in. They've made it work. We worked as hard at mental and physical toughness, at learning offense and defense and team building those, you know, and accountability, those are the things that we worked hard on this offseason."

Pry’s comments reflect the broader message surrounding the program heading into 2025: cohesion may be as important as talent. With nearly half the roster turned over and new coordinators on both sides of the ball, establishing trust and accountability was a necessary priority during the offseason.

Whether that trust and accountability manifests itself in Tech's record this year is a different story entirely and one that won't see a true answer for a couple more weeks.