Why 2025 Could Be A Make-or-Break Year for Virginia Tech Football

After a frustrating 6-7 finish in 2024, the Hokies enter their fourth year under Pry with external scrutiny mounting. The ACC media poll projects Tech to finish 11th in the league and a performance like that would reinforce concerns that Pry's efforts have stalled out.

The offseason brought significant change, with over 30 transfers and new coordinators on both sides. Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, the former head coach at Tulsa, arrives with the hope of unlocking greater efficiency and stretching the feld. On defense, new coordinator Sam Siefkes, who worked with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals brings a fresh approach to a unit that underperformed last year, relying more on natural instinct rather than complicating the playbook. Though new systems often take time to install, patience may be in short supply in 2025.

Quarterback Kyron Drones and incoming tailback Terion Stewart were named to the Maxwell Award Watch List earlier this month, signaling the potential in the backfield. But while Drones enters 2025 presumably at 100% strength, the team still faces questions both in protecting him and in the receiving corps after the team's top four wideouts all moved on to the pros.

The Hokies open the season in Atlanta against South Carolina, a game that could be either catharsis, damning or neither. If Tech can survive that test either with a victory or a close defeat, it's well on its way to carving out a decent start with a relatively light schedule; on July 27, I covered how I believed that the Hokies could jump out to a 5-1 start if things broke right. Here's a snippet of that article:

"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."

If Virginia Tech grabs eight or more wins and stays competitive in ACC play, particularly in marquee matchups, it gives Pry room to stake a case for job stability and raise the program's momentum, particularly in recruiting.

A retread of a 6-6 regular season would leave the Hokies again stuck in mediocrity, squarely in the middle of the pack with no upside to counterbalance the lack of progress. The outcome would likely thin fanbase patience even further about the internal leadership.

And if Tech finishes below .500 with a bowl miss, the fallout could be serious. With a revamped staff and transfer-heavy roster, failure would cast significant doubt on the direction of the program and likely put Pry on the hot seat.

If the Hokies deliver an 8-plus win season, it's another step towards rewriting the narrative. If they falter again, it might demand even bigger changes. 2025 isn't just another season, but rather the season that decides whether Pry's tenure rolls forward or stalls altogether.