'We Want To Win': Virginia Tech's Isaiah Brown-Murray Speaks on Hokies' Expectations In Fall Camp

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech defensive back Isaiah Brown-Murray was confident when dishing out the thoughts he had on his goals for the Hokies at Aug. 6's post-practice media availability session.

"We want to win," Brown-Murray said. "We're going to reinstate Virginia Tech, and we're really going to find a way to win games, and there's no other option."

Brown-Murray was a mainstay starter in the secondary last year, starting in each of the Hokies' 12 games last season and recording 39 tackles (29 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception (vs. Wake Forest; Oct. 4). That year, Virginia Tech went 3-9 (2-6 ACC) and lost its final four games of the season en route to its lowest winning percentage mark since the 1992 campaign.

The team isn't forgetting about that mark — Brown-Murray referred to it as something they try not to think of since they've got a completely new staff and team, but something that does factor in as motivation.

"You try not to think about it because it's a completely new staff, complete new team," Brown-Murray said. "But we have a chip on our shoulder with Coach Pry getting fired and us going 3-9, and we got Coach Pry back as our DC. We all have a chip on our shoulder, and you can feel that with how we practice and how we compete with each other, that we all just want to come out here and show everybody that Virginia Tech is back."

Brown-Murray was stellar, splitting his snaps between run defense (77.7 grade across 330 snaps) and coverage (72.6 grade across 361 snaps) and finishing with a 74.1 overall grade — fourth on the team behind defensive linemen James Jennette (79.7), Kody Huisman (77.7) and Kemari Copeland (75.3). Brown-Murray is the second-highest returner by PFF grade, only behind Copeland.

Brown-Murray is one of the most essential pieces coming back. In the secondary, Virginia Tech also returns key pieces in safeties Tyson Flowers and Quentin Reddish, the latter of whom missed the final nine games of the season due to a season-ending shoulder injury. Cornerback Joshua Clarke is also back after a torn ACL cost him the whole 2025 season. And then there's defensive coordinator Brent Pry. After being fired three games into the season, Pry returns to the team as the defensive coordinator — and in Brown-Murray's eyes, he's got more of a spark than he did previously.

"You can tell he's got his swagger back now. Like you can tell he loves coaching defense," Brown-Murray said. "You can tell he loves that. Like that's his passion right there. He loves coaching. Like you can tell as a head coach, he wasn't able to coach as much because he had to do all the other things. But now he's back on the field coaching, and you could tell he's got his swagger back."

To Brown-Murray, the fall practice is vital and critical. In his own words, it's "go time": the chance to build chemistry, see who will step up and foster a healthy degree of competition.

"Of course, spring is one thing," Brown-Murray said. "Spring is seeing what you have on your team, what you need, who needs to improve, is that. But ... [fall camp] is where you build the chemistry. This is where you build who's going to play. This is where the competition's at the highest. Is where you. This is where you find out who really wants to win."

Part of the formula is aggression. Brown-Murray spoke on dictation and how Virginia Tech's defense wants to be the one controlling the pace and tempo.

"Coach Pry is attack, attack, attack, and we're going to attack guys," he said. "We're gonna make sure we're gonna dictate offense. We're not gonna let them dictate us, and this is not a passive defense. And we're very aggressive, and we're gonna play that way."

Virginia Tech's season starts on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 p.m. ET against VMI. The game, the first between the two schools since the 1984 season, will be broadcast on the ACC Network.

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