Virginia

Everything From Head Coach Brent Pry After Virginia Tech Practice On Wednesday

Published

1 year ago

August 14, 2024

Everything From Head Coach Brent Pry After Virginia Tech Practice On Wednesday

Brent Pry has had to work with growing expectations in the Virginia Tech football program, and addressed the media after practice.

Here’s everything Brent Pry had to say:

Question: You moved practice today up to those fields. What was the reasoning behind that?

Brent Pry: Yeah, we felt like it would be more similar to what we’ll get in Nashville. Field turf outside in the sun, no element of shade. Just a little change of scenery, a little bit hotter up there than it would be down here.

Question: Do you guys measure how much hotter?

Brent Pry: We do.

Question: How much?

Brent Pry: Yeah, it was 9-10 degrees hotter up there than it would have been down here.

Question: Do you plan on going back up there a few more times before the season starts?

Brent Pry: I think so. You know, it has to time up right, the days that we can do it. The band was good enough to work with us; I think they’re going to use our facility at one point. But it’s got to time up with our schedules, it’s got to be a hot enough day to make it worth it. But I thought the kids responded really well, and the whole staff—moving our whole operation up there—is not easy, and I thought it was worth it today.

Question: Was that the first day you’ve done that?

Brent Pry: First day we’ve done that, yes sir.

Question: And is just the change of scenery kind of nice?

Brent Pry: Yeah, absolutely it is. I think the guys, once they got up there, there was a little bit of extra excitement because it was something different.

Question: How much does the prep for band ball start to slowly kick in? I know there’s still over two weeks until the game, and obviously, things like that, you know, it seems like you guys are starting at least to do little things to prepare.

Brent Pry: Yeah, you know, we’re trying to think ahead and make sure we make good decisions. You can’t wait until the last minute, so heat acclimation and the things we can do to help our team be best prepared—we’re going to do that. I think the other piece is, you know, the players don’t always know it, but there are certain elements of people’s offense, or defensive, or even special team structure that need a little more attention. So you start weaving it in a little bit earlier in camp than maybe you would their base stuff, to make sure you get some extra reps at it.

Question: We saw an O-line up there: Ghannam at left guard, Braelin at center and Kaden at right guard. Is that a lineup or look you’re considering more recently?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I think, you know, we’re still exploring some options. We’re still in a mini-camp that allows us to do that. You know, Layth… we’ve been talking about him. He’s been getting better and better. He had a setback with a minor injury; he missed a couple of days, so we would have done it sooner. But, you know, Bob’s battling his butt off, Brody’s battling his butt off, Brody’s playing guard and tackle, you know, Kaden’s playing center and guard, which we know he’s got a history starting at guard. And, you know, Braelin is our backup center, and the more experience he can get there… we’re still just figuring out what our best lineup is really going to look like. Who’s the best five we can put out there that can work the best together?

Question: Does Ghannam profile better at guard, considering what you brought in with Lynch, who looked about as tall as Chaplin and is about that size?

Brent Pry: Well, yeah, I think so. Layth, to me, is a true swing guy just because he’s so athletic. But his body stature probably fits more to guard.

Question: Do you feel like you’re closer to figuring out a linebacker rotation?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I mean, it’s challenging. I mean, you know, from Keli to JK to Sam to JMac. He had a good day today, I thought. You know, Caleb Woodson’s playing in there. It’s a good problem to have. I mean, it’s a competitive group, and they all want to roll out there in the first group, but they also know that at least four of those guys are going to play a ton of football.

Question: You had Keli at Will in the past. I think we saw him at Star out there today. Is there a better spot for him in your mind?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I think he’s really talented at both. He’s got good instincts at Will; he’s learning the Star position right now. But his length and range out there… I’ve had a couple of guys like that—you wouldn’t think they would be a fit out there, but, you know, Keli’s athletic, he’s smart, plays really hard, and he’s got great range. So, you know, again, I think we’ve talked about… we’re always going to train our linebackers to, for the most part, learn two spots, and Keli’s certainly capable.

Question: What does it mean to have one of the greatest linebackers in Xavier Adibi now on staff?

Brent Pry: Ah, we’re so fortunate. The combination of Chris and Xavier, you know, working with those guys—we’re just fortunate. You know, Xavier brings a wealth of experience. I mean, he’s not a rookie coach; this guy’s been around for a while, he’s coached a lot of football, and he certainly played it at the highest level and was very successful at it. So, the combination of those guys, particularly with the new rules where Coach Adibi is able to do more and have a bigger impact out there, you know, that’s good for us.

Question: Will you designate a number two quarterback at some point?

Brent Pry: Yeah, we will.

Question: How’s the battle?

Brent Pry: It’s good. Yeah, it’s good. I think, you know, we get excited about Collin, and then Pop comes back off a minor injury and has a couple of good days and makes some good plays. It’s going to be interesting over the next week here.

Question: Is the spotlight on the single quarterback position? Can you go up until game week and make a decision then?

Brent Pry: Or do you—I don’t know. You know, me, T-Bow, and Coach Chris will talk about it. I mean, I wouldn’t—I’d hope we could make a decision before that. I really want things settled, whether it’s linebacker, safety, backup quarterback, going into that game week. You really want to know where you’re at, let people practice in the rotation and in the position where they’re going to play when we go to Nashville.

Question: You bring up safety. Those… Phillips, Jaylen Jones, kind of working for probably that boundary side. What have they shown today along with the younger guy Quintin Reddish getting some burn there?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I think you’re talking about the top four right there, you know, with Stro and Mose and Jay Jones, and what the young guy Quinton Reddish is doing. You know, they got to keep coming. Jaylen Jones has made some big improvements. He’s always been a really good cover guy, but he’s tackling better. He’s also learned nickel, and he’s also learned corner. He’s the one guy on the defense that’s got three spots right now he can line up at.

Question: Do you think Quinton or even Josh Clark could prototype or fit that role on special teams like Braylon, Dante, Caleb Woodson stepped into last year?

Brent Pry: Yeah, there’s some of those guys that will. Josh is smart. He’s talented. We’re very excited about him. He’s got safety traits and corner traits. You know, Quinton’s probably further along; he’s gotten more reps, legitimate reps, with the first and second group, and he’s certainly going to play for us. But all those guys, those first and second guys, we’ve got to be more competitive on special teams. I’m not talking about our specialists; I’m not talking about our snappers. Everybody else, you know, we have to elevate that unit as much as anywhere on our football team right now.

Question: Has Caleb Spencer stepped into that unit and made a big impact?

Brent Pry: Yeah, he’s… you know, I don’t know if it’s a big impact, but he’s certainly penciled in at some starting spots. He’s showing up, he’s getting more comfortable, he’s got good mentality, he’s got some quickness, some suddenness, and he’s tough, and he learns it. So he’ll help us this year in some way, shape, or form.

Question: You brought up Bryan Chris. You’ve known him for what, 30 years? Been with him since 1995 as a graduate assistant on staff at Buffalo? What have you seen in his development from being where he was when you were here as a graduate assistant to where he is now?

Brent Pry: Ah, he’s grown so much. You know, he’s had some great experiences. He’s been a play-caller, he’s been a quarterback guy, he’s been a wideout guy, he’s been around good coaches. You know, he’s been like myself—you know, you’re hired, you’re fired, you’ve been through the gamut in this business. And he’s got a great family. He loves Virginia Tech, they’re a Blacksburg family, and he’s a great complement to Coach Bowen and has really helped impact our quarterback room.

Brent Pry: Alright, thanks, guys.

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Virginia

Five Key Takeaways From Virginia’s 80-72 Win Over Maryland

Published

6 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Five Key Takeaways From Virginia’s 80-72 Win Over Maryland

Virginia picked up another key win on Saturday evening after a 56 point explosion in the second-half marked by stellar shooting from the perimeter. Virginia pulled away to a double-digit lead and hit its free throws late to put the game away. Let’s take a deeper look at some key takeaways in the victory for the Cavaliers.

1. Virginia shoots the lights out in the second half

After struggling in the first half and only making nine of its 33 field goals, Virginia found its groove in the second half. The Cavaliers went 21-33 and were scorching hot from three-point range. The Hoos went 6-11 from beyond the arc, and their best perimeter shooter Jacari White went 3-3 from the three-point line in the second half. How was Virginia able to find its groove? They were sharing the basketball and continuing to find the open man. Virginia had 13 assists on 21 made field goals. Maryland had no answers for the Virginia offense and struggled to slow them down after an impressive showing in the first half. The Hoos had two players who scored double figures in the second half.

2. Chance Mallory gets it done on defense

The young guard didn’t have a great game shooting the basketball, going just 2-9 from the field, but what makes him special is his ability to affect the game in other ways especially defensively. Mallory was a pest on the defensive side of the ball and came up with five steals in the game, which led the team. He also added a block on Saturday evening. To be a small guard, he guards the perimeter extremely well. In days like Saturday when your offense is not hitting on all cylinders and struggling to score, it is a luxury to have a defense you can lean on to get you going. The Hoos have a perimeter player who can lead the charge and help the offense get back in a rhythm.

3. Dallin Hall Ignites

Hall was a go-to player in the second half of the game for the Cavaliers. He finished with 20 points on 8-8 shooting. In the second half alone, he scored 18 points. Hall scored in multitude of ways by driving to the rim, hitting perimeter shots, catch and shoots, and creating offense for himself. He did a little bit of everything and was the main engine on offense for the Cavaliers, especially when their best players struggled to get it going. That is what makes Virginia so good; they have true depth on their roster, and anybody can get theirs. Tonight happened to be Hall’s night.

4. Virginia defense is a problem

As we mentioned earlier, a main part of the defensive effort was Mallory, but he didn’t do it alone. Virginia continued to apply ball pressure and make it tough for the Terrapins to bring the ball up the floor. That led to 19 turnovers by Maryland on Saturday evening. The Hoos turned those turnovers into 22 points. A stat that further brings home their performance is their 15 steals on the evening. Yes, you read that right: 15 steals. Virginia had three different players with at least three steals on Saturday. Mallory, Hall, and Jacari White. Their first-half defense was exceptionally good as they held Maryland to just five made field goals and 21% from the field. They also only made two threes and forced 10 turnovers. When Virginia is playing at that level defensively, they are tough to beat.

5. Virginia is a scary basketball team

They are ranked No.24 in the country for a reason, but the Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the country, and they continue to prove it each night on the floor. After a long break, the first half was rough for the Hoos, but they hung their hat on their defense, which came through in a major way. Then their offense came alive, and the game wasn’t even close. Virginia has one of the better offenses in the ACC, and they have hit 80+ points in 10 of the 11 games played this season. What makes that stat even better is that the scoring isn’t predicted on their best players like Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grunloh, or Chance Mallory. Anybody can be the leading scorer on any given night. In their win over Maryland Eastern, Sam Lewis was the leading scorer with 15 points. Tonight it was Dallin Hall with 20 points on a perfect 8-8 shooting. When you have the depth, defense, scoring prowess, and unselfishness that Virginia has, it makes the team a tough one to play against and stop. Virginia continues to send warning signs to college basketball about how legit they are. Don’t just look at the 10-1 record, but what they are doing in each game and how they play basketball together. This team is legit.

More Virginia Basketball News:

•How to Watch Virginia Basketball vs Butler: Tipoff Time and TV Channel

•Virginia Men’s Basketball Ascends In Latest KenPom Rankings After Win vs Northwestern

•Will Virginia Land a Spot on the AP Top 25 After Win Over Northwestern?

•Virginia Finishes Strong, Downs Northwestern

•Three Key Takeaways from Virginia’s Tight 83-78 Win Over Northwestern

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Virginia

Colorado, Deion Sanders to hire former highly-touted DC as defensive assistant

Published

19 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Colorado, Deion Sanders to hire former highly-touted DC as defensive assistant

Colorado is expected to hire former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Chris Marve as its next linebackers coach, according to CBS Sports. Marve served as the Hokies DC from 2022-2024.

Marve has previous experience on defensive staffs at Vanderbilt, his alma mater, Mississippi State, Florida State and Virginia Tech. He’s been in the coaching industry since 2014 when he was brought on as a defensive assistant with the Commodores.

By the time he left his alma mater in 2018, he had worked his way up to inside linebackers coach. He was brought on at Mississippi State in 2019 as the Bulldogs’ defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach. His run there lasted one year before moving on to coach at Florida State for two seasons as the Seminoles’ linebackers coach.

ACC foe Virginia Tech would poach him away ahead of the 2022 season, where he stayed until he was fired following the 2024 season. He spent the 2025 season away from college football, and will now get another shot by joining Deion Sanders’ staff in 2026.

His playing days spanned from 2007-2011, where he has a three-time All-SEC linebacker for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Marve also earned Freshman All-American honors in 2008.

He’ll join a Buffaloes program that finished the 2025 season with a 3-9 record, which included a 1-8 record vs. conference opponents. This came in the fallout of their 9-win season led by current Cleveland Browns QB Sheduer Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Colorado wide receiver Dre’lon Miller plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Colorado wide receiver Dre’lon Miller plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. He caught 20 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown this past season.

His 2024 season was a bit better. Miller caught 32 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns prior. He’s shown he can get the job done when there’s some solid quarterback play on offense.

Miller played high school football at Silsbee (Silsbee, TX), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 141 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted algorithm that complies all major recruiting media services.

Time will tell where he ends up next. There will certainly be plenty of interest in his services when the time comes.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

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Virginia

Virginia Democratic operative arrested on child pornography charges

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Virginia Democratic operative arrested on child pornography charges

WARNING: This story contains material some readers may find disturbing due to its graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia Democratic operative is accused of distributing child pornography.

Randon Alexander Sprinkle, 30, allegedly engaged in conversations with an undercover FBI agent in May of this year through the Jack’d app under the name “Randy.”

The 9-page affidavit states that Sprinkle asked the agent to move their conversation to Telegram, where he allegedly wrote “mostly into young, rape, incest – you?”

The arrest has prompted swift condemnation from elected officals who worked with Sprinkle in various capacities.

Richmond City Council Vice President Katherine Jordan said Sprinkle served as her 2024 campaign treasurer, handling campaign forms, events and financial reporting.

“What has been alleged is disgusting and abhorrent,” Jordan said in a statement. “I’m shocked and sickened.”

1st District Council member Andrew Breton also used Sprinkle’s services for campaign finance reports and event logistics.

“The allegations are shocking and disturbing. I am grateful that law enforcement is involved, and that justice is taking its course,” Breton said.

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who has appeared in several photos with Sprinkle that he posted on X, also responded through spokesman Jared Leopold.

“Congresswoman McClellan is shocked by these appalling accusations which should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Leopold stated.

Sprinkle previously served as a leader in the Young Democrats of Virginia and held a financial director position with the Democratic Part of Virginia.

He has also been photographed with Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment.

The FBI affidavit confirms that 68 files were extracted during a forensic sweep of Sprinkle’s electronic devices, some with disturbing titles. Legal expert Ed Riley said the investigation may have uncovered evidence of distribution through peer-to-peer networks where individuals exchange illegal video files and images.

If convicted on the single charge of distribution of child pornography, Sprinkle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with potential sentencing up to 20 years.

“If they find the images and they can connect you to the images, you’re not dealing with the merits of the case anymore. You’re dealing with the resolution that it’s going to be,” Riley said.

Sprinkle is currently being held at the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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