Virginia Tech Football Top 10 Players | Virginia Tech Hokies Football 2024

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football top 10 players for this Virginia Tech program heading into 2024 until if you guys have been listening us talk about the ACC if there's one team that is lurking that is dangerous that not a lot of people are talking about it's this Virginia Tech program and one of the things that I love about this program it a lot of boxes are checked you look at this team playing some really good football towards the end of 2023 essentially just running it back with the same exact team heading into 2024 you feel like the culture is kind of changing under Brent Pride that's something we talked about when he took this job like there were going to be a couple years of growing pains I think for a lot of Virginia Tech fans you feel like you're past that stage and Brent pry is kind of building this program and it is clearly going in the right direction and I mean as a college football fan I'm just fired up to see blackbury absolutely some Ruckus a at Saturday nights in blackbury one of the best environments in college football really excited to get in this list before we do it as always just want to say thank you to you guys and it has been just an absolute blast taking deep dives into all these programs the amount of support you all shown the fellas it means a lot if you guys do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel and for the Virginia Tech fans we learn a ton from you guys in the comment section there are a lot of good players that we might be sleeping on left off this list let us know in the comments section players that we are sleeping on let us have it and without further Ado D let's get into our top 10 let's start with a transfer portal Edition that quite frankly I think just went under the radar this was a linebacker that a lot of power five programs were going after in the transfer portal Sam Brumfield coming to Virginia Tech and I'll start with this I think this matchup between him and Kelly Lawson it makes so much sense you look at Sam brunfield probably not the athlete that Kelly Lawson is not many athletes at the linebacker SP that Kelly Lo Kelly Lawson is but he's an experienced linebacker that knows how to pick through traffic and when you have an experienced linebacker that can go find the ball carrier you're letting Kelly Lawson do some other things that is how Kelly Lawson belongs doing in this defense coming off the edge Blitz in the a gap letting Kelly Lawson off the leash you can do that a little bit more comfortably because you got a veteran linebacker and Sam brunfield coming in yeah and I did get the sense they had some wood to chop in that linebacker room from a physicality St when again you look at Kelly Lawson really good playmaker I think they were missing that guy who could just be that inside the Box Hammer really really tough guy and very experienced and I think again you look at what they bring in with Sam Brumfield it does fill that kind of need and it allows a really really nice pairing as you said between him and Lai going to number nine we're gonna talk about just three straight receivers Oly Jennings Jaylen Lane dcoin Falon and I kind of just tied them all around this area all three players that I think think we could be talking about top five players on this Virginia Tech program let's start with Ali Jennings a guy that has just been super productive during his career 147 catches over 2300 yards 18 touchdowns was largely expected to be the wide receiver one in this Virginia Tech offense goes down with an injury I believe the first game of the season getting Ali Jennings back you saw some of these wide receivers emerge last year guys like laye and dcoin Fon you might be getting your wide receiver one back in henics and you add that into a really really good wide receiver room I think if you watch Virginia Tech and you get I mean Jaylen Lane his ability to work underneath work after the catch and make a lot of plays I think working on that slot really really strong and then dcoin Felton that ability to get over the top and make plays down the field so again you're adding that kind of real Dynamic number one into a pretty well constructed unit as has already already is you you noted it what I love most about this wide receiver room is this is something that we talk a lot about having just different kind of wide receivers you look at oi Jennings he's a box Checker I think he's that true wide receiver one that can kind of just do everything you want a wide receiver one to do when he's healthy you look at jayen Lane El Le slot wide receiver this is a guy that you look at the yards after the catch over 400 yards after the catch really good with the football on his hand was largely the go-to guy for Virginia Tech on those third medium spots 24 first down catch es and then you get into dcoin Feldon who I put him at number eight just because I I think the ceiling for dcoin Feldon is awfully high and you look at that number 17.6 yards per catch 72 targets that led the team and average depth to Target of 18 yards there's just not many wide receivers that are built like dcoin Felton and that can work vertically down the field like dcoin Felton I look at this wide receiver it's a lot of different bodies that can do a lot of different things if you see that Stu from cyon Jones that we're going to talk about in a little bit I think you are fired up about what this passing attack can look like in Virginia Tekken number seven d I'll kind of give you the floor here manord Delaney a guy that want to just kind of have a rebound year essentially I think you'd say heading into 2024 a quarterback that is certainly capable being a top five player on this team what do you thinking about mans sword coming in at number seven I mean I think it's fair I think again it kind of was a disappointing year in a sense and I think that obviously was in the backdrop of being a really really good freshman being kind of that guy you were kind of expecting to be that number one I think you kind of saw some other quarterbacks emerge a little bit canteen Dorian Dorian strong is just the Lee we'll be talking about him in a second this guys played kind of outplayed him it felt like in a sense at times and again I think Monsur delaye he has a lot of that Talent again you just want to see that second year or what should have been the second year jump you want to see him get back to that form and play really good ball totally agree number six let's talk about a running back that D upon watching some Virginia Tech games back looking at some numbers I think I just have a better appreciation for how good this kid was last year I thought he was a solid back in the ACC didn't think it was anything special and I kind of go back and reevaluate and say yeah I probably missed on that evaluation this is a guy that went for over 800 yards five yards per carry you start getting into the in-depth numbers 650 yards after contact 69 Mis Force tackles and you saw him hit his stride towards the end of the season this is a guy last two games over 250 yards three touchdowns when you have a quarterback in Kon drones that can operate and be such a weapon with his own legs it starts opening up some creases for the running backs and a guy like toon certainly gonna be taking advantage of that all 2024 and especially in an offense that allows him to catch out of the back field a little bit he's got the type of acceleration that I think really does help him in that department I think he's really good there and they used him a lot I felt like in that passing attack so again has the physical trades you want to be that power running back can do it down to down but also that ability that kind of acceleration I think you want to see guys have to be able to crack some big plays he's he's Twitchy he's bursty I don't know if the long speed is necessarily the best in the country this is a guy that he can get the zero to six0 awfully quickly and you look at that Virginia Tech offense that is what you want your running backs doing in some of those stretch Zone systems going to number five let's talk about a quarterback that quite frankly we could be talking about one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC come the end of 2024 K drones and I feel like a lot of people forget this was one of the more coveted quarterbacks coming out of the high school class you take a look at what he did I think one thing's important to note is you saw the flashes you probably didn't see the consistency that you wanted to see from drones it's important to know he wasn't the quarterback one heading into this season and so he's a guy that I think just got better as the season went on if you're a Virginia Tech fan what you're most excited for is hey what is Kyon Jones going to look like as quarterback one he's been quarterback one for the last 12 months I think that is in my mind what's so exciting about Kyon Jones heading into 2024 yeah I think a big part is is that progression he made through this I mean that Ruckers game was brutal such a tough watch making a lot of mistakes and then you saw him clean up I mean to finish that year off with only three interceptions and really start to look comfortable in that offense and it's it's kind of a unique one obviously they throw lot of tricks plays and theyve make him throw on the run a lot he's really really good doing it I thought got better towards the end of the year so you kind of look at the progression he made over that season and think well if we can carry over a little bit of that the talents there he runs the ball really really effectively obviously can throw from various different places on the field the arm Talent is apparent like that's not necessarily the concern with Kyon Jones I thought you made an excellent point I mean this Virginia Tech offense is going to ask you to make some difficult throws and put you in some difficult spot spots Kyon Jones can handle that type of stuff and another thing to be excited for is I think there is still a long way to go for Kyon Jones I don't think you've nearly seen him scratch the surface of what he can be as a quarterback right a 21% completion percentage 20 plus yards down the field that is about a low of a number that I've seen from these quarterbacks heading into 2024 what if that number gets up to 40% what if he kind of dials it in pushing the ball down the field hitting those explosive plays you look at what Virginia Tech wants to do they want to run the football force you to bring your safeties in and they want to beat you down the field and if you can get the Quan Feld and Kyon drones hitting some more of those explosive plays and that's the recipe for this Virginia Tech program on the offensive side of the football getting into the top four let's talk about my guy and I have to give the assist to the Virginia Tech fans 12 months ago the guys who were the the the fans who've been rocking with the boys since the boys were were were were just starting out they said hey Lawson is a guy to keep your eye on they'll we go back and watch him he said this young linebacker is an absolute freak Show I think you've seen him take those steps consistently over the years you look at Kelly Lawson heading into 2024 you've seen him continually get better if he takes another step you are looking at one of the more versatile dangerous linebackers in the ACC yeah and obviously exceptionally Dynamic his ability to play a variety of different spots I thought you saw him get a little bit better taking on blocks being able to be more physical not being a liability in that box when teams are kind of playing that inside Run game if you will so again he made the strides there obviously makes a lot of big plays seven tfls two NF sacks he does fly around a lot in the way you want guys to be like Harold Perkins when you see him at his best he's doing that type of thing Kelly Lawson has a little bit of that in his game in those are type of plays again we talk about those high impact moments he makes those for this Virginia Tech Team and I think that's one thing you're kind of looking for this team General to take a bit of a step is have more guys make more of those plays change games completely agree because you look at this Virginia Tech Team heading into 2024 it's solid like teams are going to have to play really good football to beat them if you're Virginia Tech and you can start manufacturing some of those game-changing plays a guy like Kelly Lawson certainly can do that that's kind of how you take this Virginia Tech Team from being really dangerous making teams play good football to beat him to being a very danger I guess being a very good team in the winning games more consistently where again you're kind of like yeah they've been starting to hang around a little bit more in some of these games but you kind of want to get that win plus eight seven eight nine wins a game or wins a season you need a handful of those guys to make some of those Ultra impact plays talk about another impact guy an ESP B very well could be the best player on this Virginia Tech team was phenomenal for Duke last year led the team with 24 quarterback curries and that is a stat that I mean 24 quarterback curries a 16% pass rush win rate deal we've looked at a lot of interior defensive linemen I'm not sure if I've seen those numbers from an interior defensive lineman that we've seen right you look at Mason Graham Deion Walker those are the kind of guys that are having those kind of numbers anas peoples it's rare to see interior defensive lineman be able to get that active in the pass rush anas people is one of those rare guys that can do it yeah really good pass rusher really good work on those stunts just having good athleticism being able to use his hands effectively just a really Dynamic pass rusher especially again they'll have their guys for the inside Josh fugas some of these other bigger defensive tackles to play that tough in interior run kind of game but they did need probably a little bit more from that interior rushing the passer I think he got a perfect fit within and a guy that can be a game wrecker right you have some really solid guys on the inside that can two Gap youat up double teams let your linebackers play downhill you didn't really have I look at an ESP pbl I guess I should say he can be one of those game records that's creating negative plays forcing teams in those third and long situations again that's how you play Elite defense at the college level Nas pebles can be a guy that does that for Virginia Tech going into her top two and D you know you gotta be pretty damn good if you're above an ESP pbl at least in my mind Dorian strong this kid is one of the best quarterbacks in the country like looking at the numbers watching back the film led the team in both interceptions and pass breakups crazy number 27% completion percentage when targeted only 33 targets I think teams really yeah screw we're just not gonna throw a Dorian strong because it's not going to work out for us when you have a cornerback that can erase a half of the field super super beneficial to running your defense Dorian strong strong he's he's one of those cornerbacks and you can line him up wherever you want on the field play it a fair amount of that slot nickel Corner was really really effective there you saw him kind of start to emerge on the edge I think that's or that boundary Corner rle obviously I think that's where he's going to end up playing most of his snaps this year but again it just shows you that for being that long that athletic to be able to be sticky on wide receivers in the middle of the field on the boundary just a really good quarterback who's I mean he's kind of that guy you're looking for just can shut down that half of the field can play man can do whatever you need number one Antoine Powell Ryland a guy I gotta give you your flowers you uh you were watch in some Florida last year around this time Florida Oregon State bowl game and you said hey this Antoine Paul Ryland cat he's flashing a little bit was largely a guy that didn't get on the field much for the Florida Gators and we kind of threw him into our notebook heading into 2023 emerged as one of the better pass rushers in the ACC right the numbers speak for themselves four 14 and a half tackles for a loss nine and a half sacks 28 quarterback curries a 16% pass pass rush win rate 19 run stops that was third on on the team this is a guy and it's rare to find ad rushers who are Elite rushing the passer and then can hold up in the Run game as well that's what you get with Antoine Paul Ryland a guy that quite frankly I thought could have gone to the NFL draft had he wanted to again coming back to Virginia Tech I think this team knows they can do something special and if they do I mean guy like Antoine Paul ryland's gonna be playing a big role in that and he has that Elite explosion off the line of scrimmage that you need to be a dynamic player but I think one thing that kind of gets overlooked with those really really good productive defense end is when they have the motor to kind of match that explosiveness that's really really powerful combination again you know he's got all the talent the twitchiness the explosiveness you want to see but plays with an extremely high motor and I think that's why you see that productivity really really high where he's making a lot of tackles he's getting his sacks I think a lot of that is again when you plug a talented talented player with a ultra high motor I think you get a guy like Powell Ryland who's out there making a ton of plays so productive plays extremely hard kind of represents how Bren pry wants to play defense at Virginia Tech still that'll do it again left some I'm looking at my notebook here when I was putting together these slides like some guys didn't make the cut that I don't feel great about not making the cut would love to hear from you guys in the comment section appreciate y'all rocking with it if you guys do enjoy the content again consider subscribing to the channel appreciate you guys and we'll talk to y'all later peace