With just two months until the start of the college football season, preseason rankings are beginning to come in. Multiple publications have released their preseason teams, with Athlon Sports selecting 13 players from Virginia Tech to its ACC Football 2024 All-Conference Team.
Here’s a breakdown of the 13 nominations the Hokies received:
Defensive Lineman: Antwuan Powell Ryland
Cornerback: Dorian Strong
Punt Returner: Tucker Holloway
Defensive Lineman: Aeneas Peebles
Cornerback: Mansoor Dehlaine
Kick returner: Beischl Tuten
Running back: Beischl Tuten
Wide Receiver: Ali Jennings
Offensive Lineman: Caden Moore
Offensive Lineman: Parker Clements
Kicker: John Love
Wide Receiver: DaQuan Felton
Punter: Peter Moore
Tight End: Nick Gallo
It’s no surprise to see the Hawkeyes receive a number of preseason all-conference team selections ahead of a season with high expectations for the first time in a long time, with some players, such as Ali Jennings and Nick Gallo, returning this season from injuries that caused them to miss nearly the entire 2023 season.
Gallo was injured late in training camp last summer before the season opener against Old Dominion, while Jennings, a transfer from Old Dominion, was impressive in the season opener against his former team but injured his ankle in the first quarter of a home loss to Purdue in Week 2. This allowed Jennings to apply for a medical redshirt, allowing him to remain eligible to play.
The only name missing is quarterback Kyron Draughns, who may surprise many around the country who aren’t aware of him yet. Is he the top QB in the conference? No, he’s not. But if he approaches or exceeds last season’s performance, he’ll likely be a top-four playmaker in the conference when it’s all said and done. Keeping him is Pry’s biggest takeaway from last winter with an eye on 2024.
