2024 ACC Football Kickoff Virginia & Virginia Tech Recap (7-23-24)

By: Xavier Jones

Headline Photo Credit: Darrell Owens-LMS Network

On day 2 of the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff, more press conferences were held for the following teams: Pitt, Virginia Tech, Cal, Stanford, and Virginia. The University of Pittsburgh was the first team of the day to conduct interviews and answer some questions from the media. Once Pitt concluded their media obligations, Virginia Tech was next up to field some questions from the media members. 

Virginia Tech Hokies

There has been some growing belief that Virginia Tech is one of the favorites to win the ACC this year. Head coach Brent Pry talked about how Hokie Nation had sold out five of six home games last year in what was considered to be the middle of their rebuild. Coach Pry also talked about the atmosphere at Lane Stadium, and how energized he and the team gets when walking through the tunnel to get to the field. You can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s ready to experience that once again when the season starts. He spoke about bringing in the right people to fit the program. Coach Pry touched on wanting to know how his players truly felt about playing for Virginia Tech and being at Virginia Tech. He stated that his father was the greatest influence, especially as a coach, and mentioned that both coached in a Rose Bowl and both lost to the USC Trojans. When it came to talking about recruiting, Coach Pry said that the DMV is home turf for him when it comes to recruiting. He talked about some of the connections that he and his staff have in the DMV area, and being able to attract some of that talent to Virginia Tech. Coach Pry mentioned that he was looking forward to having a “heck of a camp.” Going into detail, he stated that he wants to address the team’s weaknesses while getting better and turning those weaknesses into strengths. 

Along with Coach Pry were QB Kyron Drones, DL Antwaun Powell-Ryland, and DB Dorian Strong. Kyron Drones spoke about how Tech felt at home when being recruited through the transfer portal. He also talked about Hokie Nation, and how those fans just love football and the team. Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Dorian Strong both stated that one of their goals this season is to score a touchdown. Strong emphasized that he wants a pick-6 in Lane Stadium to feel and hear the reaction from the crowd.

Virginia Cavaliers

With the season upon us, the Virginia Cavaliers will be looking to change people’s opinions about their football program. The person leading that charge is head coach Tony Elliott. With Coach Elliott was DL Chico Bennett, Jr., DL Kam Butler, and QB Tony Muskett. Coach Elliott talked about the importance of recruiting within the state, and wanting to with players from Virginia. He was asked about his return to Clemson and Death Valley. The coach’s response is to treat every game like it’s a one-game season. Coach Elliott talked about wanting to build UVA into the model program for the conference and throughout all of college football. Coach Elliott mentioned getting off to a good start at the beginning of the season, especially with their first four games. The coach was asked about the run game and how he plans on improving it to make the offense more balanced.

Day 3 of the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff will be at the following schools: Miami, Louisville, Boston College, Duke, and Wake Forest