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Oct 26, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) catches a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Peter Casey-Imagn Images

National Outlet Ranks Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones Favorably Amongst Other ACC Quarterbacks

Originally posted on Virginia Tech Hokies on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Heading into last season, there was a lot of talk about Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones building off of his strong finish to the 2023 season and potentially being a darkhorse choice for the Heisman Trophy.

One of the voices of college football, Josh Pate, had this to say on an episode of his show heading into the season:

"Virginia Tech has an opportunity to be a playoff contender late in the year, they have a chance to be an ACC title contender late in the year, they have a chance to have a dynamite run game. Now, I don't think Drones is going to have the passing numbers that some of these guys do, he is going to have to supplement it with his work with his legs, not that he is going to have triple option passing numbers, but last year, 17-3 touchdown to interception ratio, he ran for five, he needs to double that rushing touchdown number, his completion percentage needs to bump up from 58% and into the 60's and it absolutely could, it absolutely could. They are going to have a really complementary style to help him and it is going to take voters watching him. Don't be checkin box scores, which a lot of Heisman voters unfortunately do, but if that ground game is churning and as a voter, if we really care about playing in a manner that best equips your team to win football games and we understand that yards gained on the ground count just as much as yards gained through the air, if we understand that, then Kyron Drones should be in this thing as well."

Things did not go as planned last season for either Drones or Virginia Tech. Drones battled injuries and there were only flashes of the high-end talent that he displayed down the stretch of the 2023 season. Now, Drones has a new offensive coordinator and an almost entirely new supporting cast for the 2025 season, one that will be big for Drones and the entire program.

Despite all of that, Drones is still one of the most talented quarterbacks in the ACC and in a recent ranking of all ACC quarterbacks, The Sporting News ranked Drones 8th out of 17 QB's.

Here is how The Sporting News ranked all 17 ACC quarterbacks:

1. Cade Klubnik- Clemson

2. Haynes King- Georgia Tech

3. Carson Beck- Miami

4. Kevin Jennings- SMU

5. Miller Moss- Louisville

6. Darian Mensah- Duke

7. Chandler Morris- UVA

8. Kyron Drones- Virginia Tech

9. Grayson James- Boston College

10. Tommy Castellanos- Florida State

11. CJ Bailey- NC State

12. Max Johnson- North Carolina

13. Eli Holstein- Pittsburgh

14. Rickie Collins- Syracuse

15. Devin Brown- California

16. Robby Ashford- Wake Forest

17. Elijah Brown- Stanford

A few names on that list were surprising. South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez is expected to take over in Chapel Hill and Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli seems to be the favorite to start for Syracuse this season.

Drones has the talent to be higher on this list, but he has to stay healthy and rediscover his form from the 2023 season, when he looked like he was ready to breakout in a big way.

CBS Sports analyst Carter Bahns says that Drones is ready to silence his critics this season:

"Last season was supposed to be a big one for Drones and Virginia Tech, but it fell off the rails straight out of the gate en route to a disappointing sub-.500 year. Drones missed four games as injuries hampered his highly anticipated second season with the Hokies. There is some post-hype value with Drones in 2025, though. The former Baylor transfer is one of college football's most dynamic athletes when he is healthy, and the expectation is that he will be fully recovered from a minor procedure by the time camp arrives."

With so many new faces on the offense and a new coordinator, what should be the reasonable expectation for Drones this season? Will we see the talented player who looked like one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country in 2023? Or will the inconsistencies slow him down, as well as all of the new faces? Virginia Tech has a huge test to start the season against South Carolina, which had one of the best defenses in the country last season. If Drones is healthy and playing like his 2023 self, this could be a closer game than many expect.