Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry has high expectations in Blacksburg as the 2024 college football season approaches, with the third-year head coach retaining a number of players on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball and the Hokies acquiring several key players through the transfer portal.
When considering who could be an X-factor for Virginia Tech, there are a few options that are probably hard to go wrong with. On the offensive side, you can pick from potential contenders, and on the defensive side, you can pick from players who were on last season's roster. According to one national college football writer, a winter transfer could be a good X-factor for the Hokies in 2024.
Ali Wasserman and Manny Navarro of The Athletic talked about the X-factors for each ACC team heading into the 2024 season. Wasserman thinks Duke transfer Aeneas Peebles will transfer to Virginia Tech.
“The Hokies have arguably the best cornerback duo in the ACC in Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane, and are looking to bolster their defensive back position with improved defensive line play. That's where defensive tackle Aneeas Peebles comes in, a transfer from Duke who recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and was named All-ACC third team in 2023.”
– Ari Wasserman
Virginia Tech's defensive line performed well over the final two months of the season and in the Military Bowl against Tulane, and Peebles adds some depth to the portal. Blacksburg is also bringing in Iowa Western's Kemari Copeland, Oklahoma's Kelvin Gilliam and Alabama's Curtis Perry.
Another tough, stout defensive line would go a long way to helping the Hokies secondary, led by Strong and Delane, have another good season. Peebles has already caught the attention of NFL scouts as a 2025 draft pick, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him be an X-factor for the 2024 campaign.
