Virginia Tech Hokies
Last year: 8-5 (5-3 ACC), lost to Kentucky, 37-30, in Belk Bowl Best win: vs. Pittsburgh, 28-0 Worst loss: vs. Duke, 45-10
Coach: Justin Fuente (fifth year, 33-20, 59-43 career)
Starters returning: 18 (8 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: QB Hendon Hooker. The Hokies offense took off last season after Hooker became the starter Oct. 5 at Miami. As a sophomore, he started eight of the final nine games of the season -- he was injured and out for the Notre Dame loss -- and Tech averaged 36.1 points and went 6-2 in those contests. Without him starting, the Hokies went 2-3 and averaged 22.6 points. Hooker finished the season with a 61.1 completion percentage, 1,555 yards, 13 TDs, and just two picks (both against UVa). He also ran for 356 yards and five scores.
Defensive player to watch: LB Rayshard Ashby. As a junior in 2019, Ashby led the Hokies and the ACC with 120 tackles, 17 for losses (third in ACC), five sacks, a breakup, and three forced fumbles. CB Caleb Farley — a first-team all-ACC performer in 2019 and a potential first-round NFL draft pick next year — would’ve been worth putting here as well, but he opted out of the season.
Special teams player to watch: K Brian Johnson. As a junior, Johnson made 19 of his 23 field goal attempts, including his last 12 and all 15 inside 40 yards.
Schedule: vs. N.C. State, at Duke, at North Carolina, vs. Boston College, at Wake Forest, at Louisville, vs. Liberty, vs. Miami, at Pittsburgh, bye, vs. Clemson, vs. Virginia.
Win-loss prediction: 8-3 or 9-2. Except for the addition of Clemson, which the Hokies were not supposed to face originally, Tech's schedule is set up for it to have a good year. Notre Dame is not listed. No doubt the focus is going to be on defeating Virginia after the Cavaliers snapped the Hokies' 15-game winning streak in the series. Focusing on the ’Hoos would’ve been easier had the game remained as the season opener. But now the schools have to wait all the way until Dec. 12 to rekindle their rivalry. Tech has a bye week before its final two games. The other matchup is with Clemson and frankly, Tech will have a slim shot against the Tigers. If I’m the Hokies, during that bye week, I’m putting in extra work on UVa.
In a normal season, the Hokies would have tough trips to North Carolina, Louisville, and Pitt. Those are strong foes for Tech, but with limited or no attendance for fans, the matchups aren't as difficult as they could be.
Coming off a 6-7 season in 2018, Tech was 2-2 last year and had just gotten crushed by Duke in Blacksburg. Morale was low, and fans were calling for Fuente's head. But then Hooker really sparked the Hokies, and they won six of seven before the tight losses to UVa and Kentucky to close the season. Fans are still antsy, but there's optimism in Blacksburg Fuente can get the team back to the level it was at in his first two seasons when it won 10 and then nine games. The loss of Farley hurts, but there are still a lot of pieces back on offense and defense, including the entire starting offensive line, wideout Tre Turner (34 catches, four TDs) and Jermaine Waller (three picks, 10 breakups) at the corner opposite Farley. The Hokies will have to get used to a new defensive coordinator, Justin Hamilton, calling the shots after the retirement of Bud Foster. But the unit has plenty of experience, and I doubt much changes on that side of the ball in terms of how it operates, since Hamilton worked under Foster and also played under him.
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