It was an exciting day for Virginia Tech football: then the Hokies took the field. On Saturday morning, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on James Franklin’s negotiations with the Hokies. Newsflash: it was not
news. Everyone knows Franklin and the Hokies have been speaking for weeks. However, we appear to be getting close to the finish line — but it’s not done yet.
Then, on Saturday night, the Hokies were in Tallahassee to face the disappointing Florida State Seminoles. It was a close and competitive game for 30 minutes, but FSU, being the more talented team, ran away with it in the second half, defeating the Hokies 34-14.
Virginia Tech falls to 3-7 on the season and 2-4 in ACC play.
Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s loss to the Seminoles.
Passing game nonexistent
Kyron Drones plays hard. There’s no doubting that. But every week, his inability to operate in the passing game severerly limits Virginia Tech’s offense. Philip Montgomery realized pretty early that his best chance at offensive success this season was to use Drones as the battering ram. It has worked with mixed success. Against the Seminoles, Drones carried the ball 18 times for 79 yards and a touchdown.
There was a stretch in this game where the Hokies couldn’t complete a pass. If receivers won downfield, Drones couldn’t get them the ball. There’s plenty of blame to go around this season, but Drones’ inability to grow from his promising 2023 season until now tells you a lot about who he is as a prospect. Now, in Drones’ defense, Tyler Bowen should have never been allowed to coach quarterbacks. It would have been interesting to see Montgomery coach him for three years. Tech’s receivers haven’t always helped him this year, and the pass protection has been an issue at times, but Drones is not accurate.
Marcellous Hawkins is a priority to retain
The Hokies rotated Marcellous Hawkins for much of the season. We got to see Terion Stewart, who was outstanding at times. However, since Hawkins has emerged as the primary back, it’s clear he is a starting-caliber back. He is also not a liability in the passing game, as he will pass protect and is good catching passes out of the backfield. But Hawkins is an excellent runner, with great vision and patience. He can break long runs, too. Against FSU’s solid run defense, Hawkins carried the ball 12 times for 101 yards. For the season, he’s averaging over six yards per rushing attempt.
In looking ahead to next season, Hawkins is a player that the Hokies should prioritize. We will get into the other players that the Hokies should prioritize retaining once the season ends, but Hawkins is atop that list.
Freshman RB Jeff Overton flashes
Freshman running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. was one of Virginia Tech’s top 2025 recruits. Unfortunately, an injury before he arrived essentially meant he wouldn’t get to contribute as a freshman. However, since the Hokies didn’t play Overton until the Louisville game two weeks ago, he can play the remainder of the season and is still eligible for a redshirt. He made his debut against the Cardinals, carrying the ball four times. In the loss to FSU, Overton carried the ball three times for 15 yards, but really displayed his big-play ability with this 36-yard catch-and-run.
Overton should be a big part of the Hokies’ offensive plans in 2026 and beyond. It was fun to see him finally have a chance to get involved and show how dangerous he is in the open field.
The Franklin watch coming to an end soon?
There is a ton of excitement surrounding the Hokies. It appears to be a foregone conclusion that James Franklin will be Virginia Tech’s next head coach. Franklin is a program-builder and ace recruiter. He demands a lot, which should excite fans because he would not take this job without a significant financial commitment. And I don’t mean just salary. Franklin will hire a top-notch staff, have several analysts and recruiting assistants, plus have enough cash to compete at the top of the ACC in NIL. Good players who would not come to Blacksburg before, the Hokies will now have a chance with because of Franklin. Most fans want to see the Hokies win the remainder of their games, but are much more focused on the coaching search. There was no better candidate for Virginia Tech and the Hokies appear close to landing him. So, while these losses mount, there are better days ahead — we think.
As for the remainder of the season, keep supporing these players and coaches. The players have given it their all this year for Coach Montgomery. While everyone would love to shock Miami next week, defeating Virginia in the season finale would be the grand prize. This is the one year where UVA is better than Virginia Tech on the gridiron, so the pressure is completely on the Hoos to win. The Hokies have nothing to lose.
At least we have basketball and wrestling
How fun is it to say that? Tech’s mens and women’s teams are poised to have a good year. Neoklis Avdalas has changed everything for the men’s team. The Greek superstar is must-see TV and a future NBA Lottery pick. While you can’t expect Neo to score over 30 every night, just watch him, he does everything well. He’s an elite passer, who sees the floor like a 10-year NBA veteran point guard. His offensive game is still improving. The great thing about the 2025-26 Hokies is that this team isn’t just Neo. Amani Hansberry, Tobi Lawal, Jaden Schutt, Tyler Johnson and Ben Hammond are all good players. Lawal and Hansberry have been dominant at times. A fun season ahead. Pack Cassell.
Megan Duffy has the women’s program headed in the right direction after Kenny Brooks disappeared in the middle of the night. And the wrestling team is always good, but the commitment of Bo Bassett for 2026 could have the Virginia Tech wrestling team as the nation’s best.
For now, we will go back to the James Franklin watch. As these final football games are more about what’s ahead after the current season.
