It’s been nearly five weeks since Virginia Tech’s football team ended its regular season with a 37-17 victory over archrival Virginia. When the Hokies return to action Friday night against the Gophers in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Damien Sordelett will see an entirely new version of the team he covers for the Roanoke (Va.) Times.
When asked by a Minnesota reporter about a list of those missing, Sordelett quipped, “Do you want all of them, or just the scholarship players?”
It’s a substantial list.
Since the season ended, the Hokies have had 21 players enter the transfer portal and five leave early to prepare for the NFL draft or accept Senior Bowl invitations. On offense, Sordelett expects them to be missing leading rusher Bhayshul Tuten (1,159 yards, 15 TDs), two starting linemen and a key reserve, and their second-leading wide receiver. On defense, Virginia Tech will be without two third-team All-American performers in edge rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland and tackle Aeneas Pebbles, three starters in the secondary and a depth player along the line and at linebacker.
Not surprisingly, the Hokies are 7½-point underdogs to the Gophers after opening as 4½-point dogs.
Sordelett covered a handful of subjects regarding the Hokies:
Kyron Drones started nine games, passing for 1,562 yards and 10 TDs and rushing for 336 yards and six TDs, but the redshirt junior missed time late in the season because of knee, ankle and turf toe injuries. Coach Brent Pry hasn’t ruled him out, but Sordelett expects either redshirt freshman William “Pop” Watson III or senior Collin Schlee to start. “He’s tried to gut it out,” Sordelett said of Drones, “but he just couldn’t go.”
Watson started the 31-28 loss to Duke and the finale against Virginia, going a combined 26-for-46 for 254 yards and a touchdown with an interception. He also rushed for 48 yards and a TD against Virginia.
The Virginia Tech Hokies are gearing up to face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in an exciting clash, but fans may be wondering what happened to their roster leading up to the big game.
Injuries have unfortunately plagued the Hokies, with key players such as star quarterback Braxton Burmeister and top receiver Tre Turner both sidelined. This has forced the team to rely on backup players to step up and fill in the gaps.
Additionally, there have been some unexpected departures from the team, including defensive standout Amare Barno who recently declared for the NFL draft. This has put even more pressure on the remaining players to perform at their best.
Despite these challenges, the Hokies are determined to put up a strong fight against the Golden Gophers and come out on top. Fans can expect to see a resilient and determined team take the field, ready to give it their all in this crucial matchup. Stay tuned to see how Virginia Tech’s roster adapts and rises to the occasion in this exciting clash.
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