How Virginia Tech Football's 2025 Schedule Could Set Up for a Fast Start

Though the 2025 iteration of Virginia Tech football lacks the collective firepower of the 2024 squad, two things fall in its favor going into this fall. The first is that the schedule, as a whole, is easier than last season. Of last year's top-five squads in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Hokies draw just two: Louisville on Nov. 1, then Miami three weeks later on Nov. 22. The second is the unity of the team.

When Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry spoke before the media at this week's ACC Kickoff in Charlotte N.C., he preached team unity and mental fortitude as being two of the biggest areas that warranted improvement following a 6-7 season in 2024. Here's a snippet of what he said on Thursday:

"I'm excited and encouraged by the leadership from our players, from our new coordinators, our new strength and conditioning coach. We made some upticks in some really important areas in our program. We needed to have the type of off-season that we're having. Our roster is deeper. We've had an influx of talented transfers, high school signees, and young men that we've developed in the program over the last couple of years, guys that we've recruited and have been in the system for multiple years.

I'm also excited and encouraged by the type of off-season we've had. When we reflected on the 2024 year, it was evident to me that we needed to be a more mentally and physically tough team. That starts with me, and we've addressed it in each phase of our off-season program, the winter, the spring and the summer... The changes on defense with Sam Siefkes, offense with Phil Montgomery and Matt Moore. I'm a big fan of our staff and our players right now. The other thing that we did this off-season, we doubled down on our team building. In today's game, with the influx of players, the transfers, the high school additions, now more than ever, and especially at a place like Virginia Tech, team is where it starts and ends.

The guys have embraced it. The coaches have embraced it. We've had several unique opportunities to grow as a team, to become more and more selfless and put this team first, put this brotherhood first. We're making great strides in that area, as well."

The enhanced sense of a collective cohesion, therefore, should lead to a more balanced unit that can gel together quicker and lead to a steadier squad as a whole. As I said above, though this team looks weaker on paper compared to its 2024 iteration, the hires of Siefkes, Montgomery and Moore, coupled with a focus on team building and the feeling of a "brotherhood" have raised optimism.

The schedule that the Hokies face in the first six weeks, particularly, is a more generous schedule that should lead to three wins at minimum. Though Virginia Tech has lost to Old Dominion, its Week 3 opponent, as recently as 2022, that game should, in theory, be a facile contest that is over by the final quarter. On that note, the same goes for FCS squad Wofford; the Hokies won 27-7 three years ago in a rather pedestrian affair where they totaled 17 points in the second quarter and held the Terriers scoreless until the final frame.

Hypothetically, that spots Tech's 2025 iteration a pair of wins. Their remaining four games in the first six contests that I haven't mentioned? South Carolina (Week 1), Vanderbilt (Week 2), NC State (Week 5) and Wake Forest (Week 6).

The first two weeks provide an immediate measuring stick: a neutral‑site opener against the Gamecocks, followed by Vanderbilt’s visit to Lane Stadium. South Carolina, led by preseason Heisman contender LaNorris Sellers, presents a physical SEC challenge that will test Tech’s retooled offensive line and new skill‑position depth. The Commodores, meanwhile, return several key contributors from the unit that gashed the Hokies last fall, including dual‑threat quarterback Diego Pavia, one of the few signal‑callers to find rushing success against Tech’s defense in 2024.

After taking on Old Dominion and Wofford, the Hokies will dive into conference play against NC State and Wake Forest. The Wolfpack, led by C.J. Bailey, could set the tone for Virginia Tech’s ACC trajectory. Wake Forest closes out this early stretch with lingering questions at the most important position, remaining uncertain of who their starter will be. How the Hokies navigate these six games, particularly against SEC opponents and upper‑tier ACC foes, should provide a clear indication of where Pry's group truly is heading.

South Carolina is projected as a considerable favorite, currently favored by 8.5 points, according to USA Today. That game is the lone one where I view Tech as a considerable underdog. The following matchup with Vanderbilt shapes up as a far more even contest and one that Virginia Tech will view as an opportunity for redemption. NC State is also a relatively even matchup; Bailey is an intriguing prospect but one that was hit-or-miss in his freshman campaign.

Surviving South Carolina without long‑term injuries and capitalizing on winnable bouts with Vanderbilt and NC State could ultimately dictate whether the Hokies are positioned for bowl contention or scrambling to recover by November. However, a more magnanimous 2025 schedule provides Pry’s team with more breathing room to develop continuity. If the Hokies can weather the early tests and avoid the self‑inflicted mistakes that plagued them a season ago, they’ll have an opportunity to build momentum heading into the heart of ACC play.