ARLINGTON, Va. – Election day is just a couple of months away and all eyes are on the Commonwealth to see which way the state will swing.

As one of the key battleground states, Virginia is uniquely positioned to feel the impact of President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign and endorse his own vice president for the top of the ticket this November. 

Historically, Virginia has always been a fascinating case in American politics. Once a solidly red state, it has transformed over the past few decades into a pivotal battleground.

In recent elections, we’ve seen razor-thin margins as well as a mix of red and blue victories, proving how competitive the state has become.

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Virginia has not backed a Republican presidential candidate since 2004 and politicians are weighing in on Biden’s decision to exit the 2024 presidential race and who could be the new nominee.

Sen. Mark Warner said in a statement that “while there has to be an orderly process and the decision ultimately rests in the hands of the DNC delegates, I believe Vice President Harris has the experience, energy, and resolve to lead our nation. this November, we must defeat Donald Trump and his backward agenda.”

Sen. Tim Kaine also said that he’s “looking forward to working with my friend Kamala Harris and a great ticket mate to keep Virginia blue so that we can continue to build on our progress.”

The Democratic Party of Virginia also shared a statement with FOX 5, saying: “President Biden has never been in politics for himself. though his decision not to run is painful for so many of us, it represents his greatest quality: unwavering patriotism and service to the American people. Joe Biden’s decision to step aside is one that we deeply respect and we thank him for everything that he has done and will continue to do.”

There is so much history in the Virginia Tech football program. From the dominance of Bruce Smith, to the historic run of coach Frank Beamer, to the legendary run of quarterbacks in the early 2000s; Mike Vick was a huge part of that.

Vick led the Hokies to a 22-2 record while he was a quarterback, earning a Big East championship and winning the 2000 Gator Bowl before he was drafted with the first pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Vick had an incredible and historic career in the NFL, and it’s safe to say that Vick is loved in Blacksburg, Virginia.

With Vick being as good as he was at Virginia Tech, he is a voice to trust when it comes to the future of the Virginia Tech program.

Vick was back around the Virginia Tech area, as he is as times, and he got a chance to stop and talk about his thoughts about the Virginia Tech program with Anthony Romano of WDBJ 7 Sports. Here’s what Vick had to say:

“Virginia tech is [good]. Coach Pry has done an amazing job, the entire coaching staff [in] making sure that we stay the course. [I] feel good about this season, got great players coming back; I look forward to some amazing quarterback play from Kyron Drones, and the rest of those guys. We know the defense is going to be up-to-par, [the] offense has made great strides, and so that’s what you want. But, it takes all three phases of the game, but most importantly we’re getting better everyday”

Obviously it is great to hear some of the praise given to Kyron Drones from such a legendary quarterback. There has been a lot of excitement surrounding Drones before this season, with Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports claiming that Drones improving in a few areas could help him lead the Hokies to a competitive year in the ACC.

Obviously, Kyron Drones has a lot of hope for the 2024 season, knowing that he has actionable ways to improve, and a fairly easy schedule to work with. It’s great to see other people excited too, especially knowing how much that Mike Vick knows about the sport. This season could be special for the Hokies, and maybe they lead themselves back into the glory days, and begin to be a perennial contender in the ACC.

Is there any significance to Tony Muskett being chosen to represent the Virginia football team at the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff event this week in Charlotte?

The attendees for the ACC Football Kickoff were announced last week and joining UVA head coach Tony Elliott will be graduate defensive end Chico Bennett Jr., sixth year defensive end Kam Butler, and graduate quarterback Tony Muskett. Naturally, the question is being asked: why Tony Muskett and not Anthony Colandrea and does this decision at all reflect the current thinking as to who will be Virginia’s starting quarterback when the season begins in less than six weeks?

Elliott maintained throughout the spring that a decision has not been made between the two candidates, who both started six games for the Cavaliers in 2023 as Muskett dealt with injuries over the course of the season. There’s no doubt that Elliott did not intend for the decision to bring Muskett to ACC media days to imply that a starter had been named. In fact, Elliott has said multiple times that that decision won’t be made until fall camp, which is set to begin on July 31st. But if it’s any indication that Elliott and his staff are leaning Muskett’s way ahead of fall camp, we’re here to ask that question.

So, why was Muskett selected to represent Virginia if not because he’s expected to start at quarterback this fall? As compared to the rising sophomore Colandrea, Muskett is significantly older and more experienced and thus, better at fielding questions from the media. And there will probably be a number of questions posed at media days regarding the quarterback situation. Muskett attended ACC Kickoff last year and knows what to expect.

That’s not to say that Colandrea isn’t good at handling the media, though he did have the memorable soundbite that included the quote “after we beat Virginia Tech” a few days before the Hokies dismantled the Cavaliers 55-17 in Colandrea’s first bitter taste of the Commonwealth Clash. That moment comes to mind, but Colandrea has otherwise handled the media well.

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Another reason Muskett might have been chosen is that this is his final season of college football and his last chance to experience events like this. Whether he ends up the starter or not, Muskett is one of the veteran leaders of the team and it makes sense that he’s been chosen to be a voice to represent his teammates. Colandrea is undoubtedly the future of the program, though many UVA fans would hope that that future begins this season, but he’ll probably get multiple chances in the future to experience ACC media days, while this is Muskett’s last ride.

It should be noted, though, that four other ACC teams (Cal, Duke, North Carolina, SMU) have chosen to bring multiple quarterbacks with them to the ACC Kickoff. Virginia is only bringing three total players and there are other teams bringing four, or in the case of Duke and North Carolina, even five players in addition to their head coach to Charlotte. With that said, having both Muskett and Colandrea up at the podium likely would have done nothing but further encourage the media to ask questions about Virginia’s quarterback situation, questions Tony Elliott would have had to answer with his two quarterbacks sitting right beside him.

Ultimately, our verdict is that the decision to bring Tony Muskett to the ACC Kickoff is not strong enough evidence that Muskett is expected to start or that he even has the lead in the race for the starting job.

The 2024 ACC Football Kickoff will take place from July 22nd to July 25th at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in Charlotte, North Carolina. UVA is scheduled to appear at the event on Tuesday, July 23rd along with California, Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Virginia Tech. The ACC Network will have live coverage of the event on all four days.

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