Heading into the 2024 college football season, Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry has brought high expectations to Blacksburg. The third-year head coach has earned plenty of retention on both sides of the ball and on the defensive side, the Hokies have secured several key commitments from the transfer portal.
When thinking about who could be an X-factor for Virginia Tech, there are several choices where you probably won’t go wrong. Offensively, take your pick from players who could be considered, as well as on the defensive side of the ball from players who were on last season’s roster. According to one national college football writer, he would like a transfer from this winter to be the Hokies’ X-factor in 2024.
Ari Wasserman and Manny Navarro of The Athletic gave their X-factors for each ACC team heading into the 2024 season. Wasserman believes Duke transfer Aeneas Peebles will end up being the Virginia Tech transfer.
“The Hokies have perhaps the best cornerback duo in the ACC in Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane. And they hope to help their defensive backs by getting better play from the defensive line. That’s where D-tackle Aeneas Peebles, a transfer from Duke who had 8.5 tackles for loss and earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2023, comes in.”
– Ari Wasserman
Virginia Tech’s defensive line was good over the last two months of the season and in the Military Bowl against Tulane. They added more depth in the gate, including Peebles. Iowa Western Community College’s Kemari Copeland, Oklahoma’s Kelvin Gilliam and Alabama’s Khurtiss Perry will also join Blacksburg.
Another solid, solid defensive line will go a long way in ensuring the Hokies’ defensive secondary, led by Strong and Delane, has another strong season. Peebles has already caught the attention of some NFL scouts for the 2025 draft, and it’s no surprise that he’s an X-factor for the 2024 campaign.
