Virginia Tech Football 2024 - Whose Stock am I Buying?

By now, everyone knows that the 2024 Virginia Tech football team has depth.  And with so many starters returning, there are high expectations, for both the team and certain individuals. 

We know that Kyron Drones is a big, athletic, dual-threat quarterback, and it would surprise no one if he made a push for 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing.  We also know that running back Bhayshul Tuten is strong and gathers yards after contact. In the 2023 season, 654 of Tuten's 863 rushing yards were gained after contact.  He has a legitimate chance to be Tech’s fourth 1,000-yard rusher since 2010. 

Defensively, we revel in the fact that Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane are shut down corners who are among the best in the ACC.  We also love that defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland had 9.5 sacks last year and defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles transferred in from Duke as an All-ACC player.  All four of these guys are on Athlon’s 2024 preseason All-ACC first or second team.

This roster has talent.  And freaks.  Kemari Copeland, Da’Quan Felton, and Bhayshul Tuten were all named to Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List for 2024.  Kelly Lawson made the list last year.  All four should have solid seasons.

If your investment portfolio was comprised of Virginia Tech football players, then the guys above would be your blue-chip stocks that must be included.  But as we know, investment strategies need growth, too, so where are the value stocks? Who are the guys without high expectations but could also have high ceilings?

Below are my choices for the Virginia Tech football team members whose stocks have high growth potential.  Last year, my picks were pretty solid.  Like most investors, I had a few misses, but there were also a few bullseyes that would have made Jim Cramer scream, “Booyah!”

So here goes…if you are investing in stock in Virginia Tech football, buy these…their values could soar.

Virginia Tech’s wide receiver trio of Ali Jennings, Jaylin Lane, and Da’Quan Felton are going to terrorize defensive coordinators this fall.  But they are all so good that it is hard to predict who will lead the team in receiving yards.  On any given day, any one of the three could have a 100-yard output.  So let's group them together like a mutual fund and buy those shares, because they should combine for 2000 yards this year.  Or more. 

We know from last season that Jennings and Felton are deep ball threats.  Lane is more likely to generate significant yards after the catch.  With opposing defenses having to scheme to stop Tuten and Drones on the ground, the passing lanes for this trio of veteran playmakers will open and they will have opportunities for big plays every week.

Because of the depth of talent at all skill positions, defenses will be stressed.  Load up the box to stop the run?  Ok, Jennings and Felton can beat their corners in one-on-one coverage.  Bracket the outside to take away Felton and Jennings?  Ok, just dump one short to Lane in space and let him use his breakaway speed.  Secondaries will have their hands full for sure this year, especially the ones who lack the talent to cover the Tech receivers - which will be most of the opponents on the 2024 schedule.

The Hokies have not been this deep at receiver since 2018, when three players amassed over 500 yards each (Damon Hazelton led the way with 802).  2016 was the last season with a 1,000-yard receiver (Isaiah Ford with 1094 yards). The top three receivers that year - Ford, Cam Phillips (983), and Bucky Hodges (691) – combined for 2768 yards. This year’s trio can make a serious push at those kinds of numbers.

The position is so deep that even if there are early injuries to any of these seniors, I think that by year’s end, the top three receivers will still make a run at 2,000 yards, regardless of who they are.  Stephen Gosnell is a solid possession receiver, and Ayden Green, Takye Heath, Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw, and a few other youngsters have high ceilings, so if these guys get their chance this year, look for them to produce.

Buy your stock in the Virginia Tech receivers’ room now!

Lately, the linebacker position has not quite been what Hokie fans are used to.  There has been injury and inconsistency recently, but that can change this year. New mike linebacker Sam Brumfield, a 5’11” 225-pound transfer from Middle Tennessee State, has an opportunity to be the run-stopper.  He is a player who former defensive coordinator Bud Foster recently compared to Rayshard Ashby, which bodes well for the middle of the defense.

In his previous three years (two at Northwest Mississippi Community College), Brumfield gathered 81, 115, and 93 tackles.  If he hits those kinds of numbers for Tech, he will be among the top tacklers on the team (the Hokies have not had a 100-tackle player since Ashby in 2019).  There are still a lot of questions surrounding the linebacker group in general, but the mike position should be Brumfield’s to lose.  I don’t expect that to happen.  Look for him to be among the top two tacklers on the team.

Virginia Tech bolstered its defensive line this offseason with key portal additions to complement its returning players.  With defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland (9.5 sacks in 2024) and All-ACC tackle Aeneas Peebles (4 sacks from the interior) likely drawing double teams and attention from running backs in pass protection, the other down linemen stand to benefit with more one-on-one matchups. Factor in Cole Nelson, who ended last year with four sacks in the last four games and 7.5 tackles for loss (TFL) on the season, and opposing coaches will have to account for a lot of Hokies in their blocking schemes. 

This will open the door for defensive end Keyshawn Burgos, a 6’5” 253 lb. specimen of an athlete.  He has the size and length and twitch to be a disruptive force, which he showed in the spring game where he three sacks, four solo tackles, and a pass breakup. He even caught the eyes of ESPN writers, who named him to their Post-Spring Sleeper Pick Watchlist.  With the potential for so many one-on-one blocks this year, Burgos could rack up decent sack and TFL totals while making a lot of plays in opposing teams’ backfields.

This is the third straight year I am writing this article, and it is the third straight year that I am buying Brent Pry stock.  At first it was because he understood what Blacksburg and Virginia Tech football were all about.  He came in saying all the right things and doing all the right things. He spent his first winter and spring rebuilding relationships with the in-state high schools and refocusing the program's trajectory.

In his second year, Pry gained some ground recruiting the footprint and started to rebuild the roster.  Despite the 6-6 record, the team was significantly improved in terms of talent at the skill positions and then won their bowl game.  Pry is also recruiting depth in the trenches.  Perhaps his greatest recruiting win is in the transfer portal – he has had success bringing Virginia natives back home.  And this year, he is pulling in more portal players from the power conferences than in the past.

Pry is now reaping those rewards from the work he put in a few years ago.  He has rebuilt relationships and more Virginia kids are coming to Tech.  But his work is not even close to finished.  As Pry said to me last summer, “We’ve got to stack good classes on top of good classes.”  This is why I am still buying stock in Brent Pry – because I think he will reach that goal, and I think he will bring Virginia Tech back to a competitive level that it has not seen in quite some time.

So buy more stock in the head ball coach.  Since he first stepped on campus, Pry has done everything Tech fans want off the field.  The only things left for him are to win on the field and to continue to improve in recruiting top talent in the state.  I think the winning happens this year.  And when it does, the recruiting bump will follow.  That is when his stock will soar.

Here are a few other players with the potential to have breakout seasons.  They have greater obstacles to overcome than those named above, but they are guys with high ceilings.

It is well-known that the safety position was a bit of an issue last year in Blacksburg (which I know is an understatement). Jalen Stroman missed a lot of time due to injury and targeting penalties.  Jaylen Jones was a converted receiver and Mose Phillips was a true freshman, so they experienced growing pains.  Since Virginia Tech’s defensive backfield includes question marks at safety but two cornerbacks that are absolute lock down players , opposing teams are likely to attack the middle of the field.  As mentioned above, the Tech a defensive line should pressure quarterbacks, which will create opportunities for the safeties to make plays.  As the senior and the leader of this position group, look for the very athletic Stroman not just to make tackles but also to break up passes and even get some interceptions if he can stay healthy.

A kicker on this list?  You betcha!  In 2023, Love was 20 of 22 on his field goal attempts. He made 6 of 7 attempts that were over 40 yards. And he was a perfect 44 of 44 on extra points.  He scored 110 points, tied for 24th most in the country.

Love has the kind of reliability you want.  He can be that guy who makes a season-saving game-winning field goal this year, much like Shayne Graham at West Virginia in 1999 or Chris Kinzer at the Peach Bowl in 1986.  With a few big games on the slate (Miami, Clemson, etc. - see my season preview), the potential is there for Love to be a difference-maker

And he’s only a redshirt-sophomore!  Buy his stock now!

The Virginia Tech offensive line is quietly building inventory in Blacksburg.  Pry and Company have done a nice job stocking the cupboard for the future.  Of the twenty linemen on the roster, only three are seniors and three are juniors (two of whom are not in the two-deep). Because of this youth, Tech is entering this season with a starting line that could include multi-year starters at every position.  And it is likely that backups will see more time this fall, allowing for better development.  With 2024 being the second year in O-line coach Ron Crook’s system, there is potential for depth and lots of returning experience, so look for improved line play. This could be the key to a ten-win season.

With so many returning players and such high expectations, an eight-win season appears to be the floor for the 2024 Virginia Tech football team.  If the skill position guys identified in the opening paragraphs come through with All-ACC caliber seasons, then the push toward ten wins becomes real.

And if some under-the-radar guys can break out, that will only add to the likelihood of nine or ten wins – or possibly more.

Making the ACC championship game and earning a spot in the twelve-team playoff are realistic goals for the 2024 Hokies. They need players to step up. They need to execute at a high level. They need to be consistent – or better yet, consistently good. 

I’m banking on the Hokies.  Their stock will continue to rise.

It’s finally game week!  Let’s Gooooo!