Wake Forest Football Opponent Preview: Virginia Tech Hokies
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In Week 6 of the upcoming season, Wake Forest visits one of college football's most daunting environments: Lane Stadium. Coming off an up-and-down 2024, the Virginia Tech Hokies look to get moving in the right direction and contend for a spot in the ACC Championship under fourth-year head coach Brent Pry. But expectations have been the enemy of the Hokies, who underachieved in each of the last two seasons.
Heading into a pivotal year, Pry turns over almost everything he has – two new coordinators, 30 inbound transfers, and almost none of the marquee names from a season ago.
We'll check back in for a matchup preview between Wake Forest and Virginia Tech the week of the game, which kicks off on Oct. 4. But for now, let's give a lay of the land with Virginia Tech and what we can expect from the Hokies this season.
We're nearing kickoff for the 2025 college football season and that means tune in every week with Wake Forest on SI for an extensive preview on every foe the Demon Deacons will play this season.
2025 Virginia Tech Football At A Glance
- Name: Virginia Tech Hokies
- Stadium: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA (capacity: 66,233)
- Head coach: Brent Pry (4th season)
- Offensive coordinator: Philip Montgomery
- Defensive coordinator: Sam Siefkes
- 2024 record: 6-7 (4-4 ACC)
Virginia Tech Football In 2024: Treading Water
Throughout Pry's first three seasons in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is 16-21 overall (.432), just 5-13 (.278) away from Blacksburg, and not very good against its non-conference slate. In 2024, Virginia Tech went 6-7 overall (.462), just 2-4 (.333) away from Blacksburg, and wasn't very good against its non-conference slate, losing to Vanderbilt and Rutgers, both times as the favorite.
QB Kyron Drones again showed flashes of greatness but also suffered multiple injuries, eventually missing the final three games of the season (more on that below). RB Bhayshul Tuten was one of the bright spots among a largely mediocre season, rushing for over 1,100 yards and 15 TDs. The one-score game woes under Pry continued, though, as the Hokies went 0-5 in those close games.
You can't really point to one side of the ball for these issues. The offense scored 30+ in six games and the defense surrendered 30+ in four games; the offense failed to score 24 points four times and the defense held opponents under 24 points five times. Both sides of the ball rarely synched up, and when they did, it was against Marshall–a 10-win conference champion, but non-power foe at home–Georgia Tech without its star QB, the worst of Boston College (the week before it benched its starting QB), and three non-bowl teams.
Given that Pry hasn't broken .500 in the regular season yet, the pressure is on in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech Hokies Offense Preview
Drones returns after that injury-hampered season. Going back a year, he (and, as a result, the offense) caught fire down the final stretch of the season, scoring 38, 48, and 55 in the final five games of the season. That offensive firepower held as long as Drones was on the field.
The concern here is that Drones missed all of spring practice. He reportedly underwent a "minor" medical procedure, but from a QB that was hampered by injury throughout the back half of 2024, that's not what you want to hear.
Pry brought in a host of transfers to replace Tuten and the top four receivers from last season. Bowling Green's Terion Stewart is a yards-after-contact machine and one of the best make-em-miss guys in a phone booth in the country. Braydon Bennett, a 6.1 yards per rush starter from Coastal Carolina, also joins in. Donavon Greene (a name familiar to Wake Forest fans) almost immediately becomes the most viable pass catcher.
The lone FBS returning starter on the offensive line played for West Virginia last year, and there's a new offensive play-caller – a seasoned vet but ousted Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery.
For Pry being coming up on a make-or-break season, there's a lot of turnover on offense and a major question mark for his playmaking QB.
Virginia Tech Hokies Defense Preview
Like the offense, Virginia Tech's defensive meeting room this season will need some nametags. Of the projected starters, three of them played for the Hokies last season, and the coordinator changes. Pry went with the vet on offense but hired a young up-and-comer in 33-year-old Sam Siefkes (Arizona Cardinals linebackers coach).
The good news here is that Virginia Tech's two leading tacklers–linebackers Jaden Keller (82 tackles) and Caleb Woodson (72, 5.5 for a loss)–return as one of the better duos in the ACC. Kevin Gilliam also returns from a productive season, notching 35 tackles (a strong number for a nose). But after Keller and Woodson, the next eight leading tacklers are gone.
Three FBS starters to transfer in, all from non-power schools. DE James Djonkam is a two-time transfer who enjoyed a recovery season at Eastern Michigan, logging 11.5 tackles for loss and 98 overall tackles in seven starts, and is, quite loudly, a Power Conference-level player. Opposite of him is Texas State transfer Ben Bell, one of the most productive players in the Sun Belt, but who missed much of last season to injury.
Legitimately, the one-two up front between Djonkam and Bell, plus Gilliam in the middle, gives Siefkes lots of solid talent to work with. It's not Clemson-level talent, but the defensive front could be one of the ACC's best. Fold in Keller and Woodson, and this front seven is nothing short of dynamite.
Best Case Scenario For Virginia Tech
Based solely on the talent available this fall, there's a pretty darn high ceiling for Virginia Tech. Should Drones return at 100% and remain healthy all season, and should his running mates in Stewart and Braxton turn into a solid run game, then this offense will do its part to win ballgames. Greene adds pop to the passing game with 18.3 yards per reception throughout his extended collegiate career. The skill corps is made up of shifty, veteran playmakers that will give opposing ACC defenses fits.
The defense is stocked with talent, especially in the front seven. Tech defenses under Pry have been rather stout; the last two seasons, they improved from 47th to 30th last season and, even in a 3-8 season, finished 43rd in Year 1. Transfers in Tyson Flowers (Rice) and Isaiah Brown-Murray (East Carolina) bring FBS starting experience to a largely inexperienced secondary. Oftentimes, a really good and disruptive front can paper over an exploitable secondary.
The Hokies play well at home in front of one of the loudest crowds in the country. Thanks to an opening weekend neutral site game against South Carolina (in Atlanta), Virginia Tech only plays four true road games.
Talent where it counts, mixed with more home games than away games, lines up Virginia Tech for a possible improvement on its 13-13 record the last two years. Pry could be in store for his first winning regular season since taking the reins. The ceiling here is likely 8-4, probably enough to keep him around for a bit longer.
Worst Case Scenario For Virginia Tech
In the above "Ceiling" section, I omitted one very important unit: the offensive line. That's a significant cause for concern here. Two projected starters are a redshirt freshman (center Kyle Altuner) and a sophomore (guard Layth Ghannam) with three combined career starts. (Ghannam was a starter for Georgia State to start the year but suffered a season-ending injury.) Tomas Rimac is the only one with starting experience (29 starts in four years), and he transfers in from WVU.
Drones' injury that curbed him late in 2024 and sidelined him for the spring is a stress fracture in his foot. It appeared to be an issue longer than advertised, as his rushing production nearly halved from 2023-24 and dipped significantly throughout last season. Should that injury limit his rushing threat this season, Virginia Tech's offense gets a lot more predictable.
The other big issue here is the schedule. While Pry handles three of his four non-conference games at home, the Hokies are 2-3 against non-conference Power teams at home. Vanderbilt sprung the upset last season in Nashville–a result that likely doesn't line VT as a favorite later in the season–and the Commodores run it back in Blacksburg this year. Old Dominion has twice bitten Virginia Tech in the last six years, but both of those major upsets came in Norfolk.
The final six games of the season feature top ACC contenders like Miami and Louisville, plus always-dangerous Georgia Tech (on the road) and a real wild-card in Florida State; three of the Hokies' four road games come in Week 7 and after. (This is a good time to remind everyone of Pry's 5-13 record on the road.)
If, by the late Week 8 first bye, the Hokies aren't in position to secure a bowl berth with a win or two, the next two games might be the final for Pry. There's a floor of 5-7 or worse here, and a real possibility that Tech is looking for a new head coach for 2026.
2025 Virginia Tech Hokies Schedule
Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
Aug. 31 | vs. South Carolina* |
Sept. 6 | Vanderbilt |
Sept. 13 | Old Dominion |
Sept. 20 | Wofford (FCS) |
Sept. 27 | at NC State |
Oct. 4 | Wake Forest |
Oct. 11 | at Georgia Tech |
Oct. 18 | BYE |
Oct. 24 (FRI) | Cal |
Nov. 1 | Louisville |
Nov. 8 | BYE |
Nov. 15 | at Florida State |
Nov. 22 | Miami (FL) |
Nov. 29 | at Virginia |
Wake Forest Opponent Previews
- Week One - Kennesaw State
- Week Three - NC State
- Week Five - Georgia Tech
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Brett is the ultimate college football traveler, currently en route to experience a game day at every FBS stadium. He is a former Division I recruiter at Bowling Green and Texas State, and his writing background includes analyzing NCAA betting markets. Also a high school football coach, Brett lives and dies by the gridiron. Follow along on all socials: @ roadtocfb.