Virginia Tech fans have high hopes for the 2024 campaign. All college football fans know, there are few better environments in the country than Lane Stadium. Coach Pry will look to bring the Hokies back to the top of the ACC standings in his 3rd season.
When: Thursday, October 17th, 2024 @ 7:30pm
Where: Blacksburg, VA
Last Season (7-6 overall, 5-3 in ACC)
Advertisement
Virginia Tech finished above .500 last year for their first time since 2019. They ended the season with a win in the Military Bowl against #23 Tulane, which gave them their first bowl game win since 2016. The Hokies haven’t been relevant in the ACC since that 2016 season. Hopefully, they will build off last year’s momentum and become a contender once again. According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, Virginia Tech is ranked #1 (95%) in returning offensive production percentage and #12 (77%) in their defensive production percentage.
Departing Players
As mentioned above, the Hokies coaching staff did a great job of retaining talent. In this NIL era, that is no small feat. Some key losses from the Hokies roster are Bryce Duke, Dae’quan Wright, and Da’Wain Lofton. On the defensive side of the football, Derrick Canteen, the Hokies number 3 cornerback, will not be returning to Blacksburg. There were also zero Hokies drafted in this years’ NFL Draft.
This Year
Coach Pry and the Hokies will lean on Quarterback Kyron Drones. Drones established himself as one of the best dual-threat Quarterbacks in the country last season throwing for 2,085 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 818 with 5 scores. Drones torched Boston College in 2023 throwing for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns while also adding 135 yards on the ground.
Advertisement
Drones will have weapons at his disposal. The entire offensive line is returning along with All-ACC Third team running back Bhayshul Tuten. Drones’ top 4 receiving targets, Ali Jennings, Stephen Gosnell, Da’quan Felton, and Jaylin Lane, will also be back in Blacksburg. The Hokies are poised for a solid campaign in 2024, if they can capitalize on the momentum the gained from last season.
Consensus four-star forward Cam Ward cut his recruitment to 10 schools on Sunday and Virginia made the cut. In addition to the Cavaliers, Ward is considering Michigan State, Marquette, Mississippi State, Alabama, Kansas State, Maryland, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and Florida State.
NEWS: 2025 Top-50 prospect Cam Ward has cut his list to 10 schools, he tells @On3Recruits.
The 6-6 Small Forward has scheduled four official visits: https://t.co/8anHlTm3ta pic.twitter.com/Va1GP3UQot
Per a report from On3’s Joe Tipton, Ward has scheduled official visits to Kansas State (September 13), Maryland (September 21), Michigan State (September 28), and Alabama (October 12). Virginia hosted Ward for an unofficial visit back on June 27th, but the Cavaliers were not included in his initial list of scheduled official visits. Ward also previously took unofficial visits to Georgetown, Maryland, Notre Dame, Florida State, and Marquette.
Advertisement
Ward is ranked the No. 48 overall prospect in the class of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite, which also rates him as the No. 15 power forward in the country and the No. 2 player in the state of Maryland.
A 6’7″ wing out of Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Ward is already having himself an incredible year. After helping to lead Largo to a state championship and becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer in the spring, Ward has continued that momentum on the summer basketball circuit, drawing attention from countless major conference programs and coaches.
Nike EYBL Session IV: 1st Team 🥇
Cam Ward | Team Durant (MD) | 2025
Statistics ➡️ 22.6 PPG, 68.1 FG%, 6.2 RPG, 1.8 APG
Per reporting from UVA basketball recruiting expert Hooz Got Next, Cam Ward is one of Virginia’s top remaining targets in the recruiting class of 2025, in addition to Derek Dixon, Nate Ament, Chance Mallory, Mason Blackwood, Isaiah Denis, JJ Mandaquit, Matthew Able, and Jack McCaffery.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is investigating a fatal carjacking incident that occurred this afternoon in Sterling. The victim was a Montgomery County, MD woman.
According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, “At approximately 11:39 a.m., deputies responded to the 21000 block of Towncenter Plaza for a report of a carjacking. The victim and owner, Melody Waldecker, 54, of Silver Spring, Maryland was struck by the vehicle as the suspect fled the scene and was pronounced dead.
A suspect has been arrested, and there are no ongoing threats to the community. This is an active investigation and additional criminal charges are forthcoming.
Witnesses to the incident who have not already spoken with law enforcement are asked to contact Detective Rodriquez (703) 777-1021.”
Ciara Byars, a 6-foot-2 forward from Kentucky, shortened her list to just 7 schools. Byars is the 44th best player in the 2025 class, according to ESPN’s HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. HoopGurlz also graded Byars at a 94, which is tied with Purdue’s Avery Gordon, Alabama’s Ace Austin, and Minnesota’s Makena Christian.
Virginia Tech has already landed two four-stars in the 2025 recruiting class, and Byars would be a huge addition. Virginia Tech’s two four-stars are point guard Katie Sears and 6-foot-2 forward Amani Jenkins. Sears, from Watauga High School, is graded as a 92 by ESPN’s HoopGurlz, and Jenkins is also graded as a 94, meaning that if Virginia Tech could land Byars, she would be the highest rated commitment in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Byars suffered an ACL injury, but had put up very solid stats prior to that. In her junior year she recorded 14.1 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game in only 15 games. She led her team to a 14-1 record in that stretch, and her school finished with a 30-5 record on the season.
Ciara hasn’t always been a forward first player. Coming up through the ranks of junior high and youth basketball, Byars was looked at as a combo guard, and took the ball up the court more times than not. Byars discussed this in an interview with YourSportsEdge, “The shot is there. I just don’t showcase it as much in high school,” Byars said. “I have been working on my ball handling as well. Most people don’t know that in seventh and eighth grade I was the primary ball handler for GRC. I can do that better than most people know and we all do it in EYBL. If you get the rebound, you can push it. I like that.”
Advertisement
Byars would be a huge addition to the class, especially knowing that she has a history of playing all around the court, she could be a dynamic player for the Hokies.
