Everything From Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones At Tuesday's Press Conference

Q: How eager are you to get out of the camp phase and get to the actual season portion of things here?

"I'm very excited. This all I've been waiting on. Yeah, camp was cool. You want to go through camp, but I just been ready to get back out there and play a full game. So, I'm excited."

On how he looks back at his offseason with his surgery, how he feels physically and whether he's in a different kind of shape from the beginning of last season:

"I feel like it was possibly a blessing in disguise. Nobody want to get hurt, nobody want to go through that, but at the same time, I feel like it just made me better, made me more patient, and then what I went through my rehab just to get back and then the shape I'm in now, I'm in better shape than what I was before."

On mindset approaching South Carolina:

"I feel like our mindset is just going out there. We got a mission to go accomplish and that's to go win. South Carolina is a very good team. Like you said, nationally ranked, we respect them, but at the same time, we know what we got in this locker room and it's time to go in.

On embracing Caleb Woodson, who was charged with a DWI over the weekend, and trying to make sure he's in the right headspace:

"Just letting him know that the team got his back no matter what. Like, we love Caleb. Everybody make a bad decision here and there. His just got caught up, but at the same time, we already know the type of player he is and the type of work he put in. So, whether he goes out there and plays or not, we going to have his back no matter what. And then like I said, we still on a mission to go in the game."

On Takye Heath:

"Takye just grew up, saying like we've been waiting on him to, we already knew the type of player he could be. He just finally decided he wanted to be that player and I've been real excited about him and I can't wait to go play in the game with him."

On how he would describe the team's mindset and where it's at entering Week 1:

"I feel like we got good momentum heading into this game. Like you said, camp ended well for us. Offense, defense, very competitive all camp. So, we feel good going into it and we just ready for Sunday."

On LaNorris Sellers:

"I mean, yeah, I'm interested to see how he is in person, but at the same time, I hope our defense do what they need to do. So, it's going to be an exciting game."

On what jumps out when scouting South Carolina's defense:

"We didn't create a lot, we didn't create a lot of matchups. Other than that, we know what type of offense we run. They don't really know what to look for from us right now. So, at the same time just going out there executing and then it's going to be a lot of in-game adjustments."

On offensive line movement in the depth chart:

"I feel comfortable around them. They've been working their tail off all year, spring, summer, and then going into fall camp. So, I'm comfortable with that O -ine, and I can't wait to see what they do in this game."

On comfort level in offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery's offense and where Drones feels that he's made "big strides in his game" under Montgomery:

"Just finally like understanding where he wants, what he wants to do with a certain play call. But I'd say my comfortability out of like one through 10 is at a 10 right now. I just been working with him real close about seeing what he sees, him seeing what I see. Just us getting on the same page here and there and then he just been enthusing confidence in me and the whole offense."

Q: You say a 10 now. Where do you think it was when you were in the spring?

"I feel like if I did the whole spring ball, I would have got to like eight. So I mean I was really getting up there. I mean, it's the third offense that I had to learn. So, I mean, it wasn't that hard."

On the running backs and what Drones has seen:

"That we can go out there and put any running back out there and they going to get yards when the team need it most. Uh, Marcellous, Coney, Braydon, Terion, all the running backs, Tyler Mason, P.J. [Prioleau], they can all go out there and do what they need to do with running the ball."

On growth of wide receiver Ayden Greene:

"Just his vocal leadership, like him still being young but at the same time, he's the veteran in the room alongside Donovan. But just him making plays when plays needed to be made and just him growing as that player that we knew he was capable of.

Let's go back to our broken Kairen. I mean, how much or I guess how would you describe the offense that Monty has installed now compared to last year in a positive way?

On how Drones would describe the offense Montgomery has installed compared to last year in a positive way:

"Just a very 'get the ball to playmakers' and an explosive-type offense. Not really just run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, and then sometimes passes. A lot of "just get the balls to your guys and let them go make plays".

Q: Kyron, you said Monty's been infusing confidence in you. What has that been like? How has he gone about doing it and how has it made you more confident as a quarterback in this offense?

"It all started like him giving not just me in the quarterback room, but all the quarterbacks the trust to go out there, and if we see something we don't like, just go out there, change the play. I mean, no other quarterback wants all the keys in their hands. So, just going out there and trusting us from the get-go. That's what gave me the confidence like, oh yeah, like he wants me to go out there and play. Just let me be me and do what I do."

On the opportunity to prove to everyone what Virginia Tech is:

"Just to go out there and go dominate. I don't think it's anybody's first time playing in the NFL stadium. So, that's not really crazy for us is [being the] only game on. So, let's just go put on the show and that's what everybody want to see."

Q: Have you noticed a difference in working with Monty, just his innate knowledge of your position?

"Oh yeah, it's definitely a difference. Like, my last two coordinators were both O-lineman when they played. It's definitely a difference from somebody that has been in that backfield and has played the QB position. So, they know probably what you're thinking after a play. Like you just got sacked and you got a clock in your head now. So, they know how to call the play from there. And then they just know like if they see you in a rhythm, not to go out there and just keep running the ball for you to get out [of] that rhythm. So, it's a huge difference."

Q: You feel like he just has a really good feel of kind of your strengths and weaknesses and kind of how the game is how kind of like how you're mentally processing the game in the moment?

"Yeah, I mean, it's a QB to QB thing. I feel like it's best when you're OC as a quarterback, especially if you want to be in a QB room. So, just him being in that backfield, like I said, he already has felt what I felt in the game. So, it's definitely a huge blessing for me."