If the O-Line is the most important squad on the offense, and maybe the team as a whole, almost every team putting a football uniform on must have a quarterback to succeed. The Hokie quarterback room is also pretty thin this season, with only 5 players listed. The irony of the list is that three of the quarterbacks are from Texas, and none of them are from Virginia. We have a player from Massachusetts and one from North Carolina, but Virginia remains in a quality quarterback drought.
Having More Arm and Less Need for Leg
The high school
offenses in the VHSL (Virginia High School League) have, for decades now, been completely non-dependent on pocket quarterback skills. It’s been nearly imperative that the coaching staffs paint a very broad circle for that sort of talent. There have been a few dual-threat possibilities over the years, but when they are really good, they have tended to go to SEC or B1G programs.
The reality is that of the QB depth chart is that among the five players, two are true freshmen, and that leaves the real competition for #2 position on the depth chart between Oklahoma State transfer Garret Rangel (Redshirt Junior) and William “Pop” Watson. Watson was last season’s #3 and ended up finishing out the year by playing a pretty good game against the Hoos and then having a not-so-great performance in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota.
Of course, that hot comp is really for the #2 slot. Unless a disaster strikes in practice, the Hokies have their starting quarterback, and no grape in the vine is ripe enough to squeeze. Kyron Drones (Redshirt Senior) is set to start in Atlanta, and there have been repeated assurances all around that he is healthy and healed up from his three pretty disabling injuries last season.
The big issue this season will be keeping the starting quarterback(s) healthy. As we have noted before, Read/Option – Power Spread style offenses are brutally tough on quarterbacks unless the plays called are specifically designed to keep them out of heavy traffic and only run them when they are on the edge or standing in a hole the size of a semi-truck. That allows them to either run out of bounds or slide it in to avoid the big hits. Whether or not Rangel or Watson play #2, will depend wholly on the type of play calling and base offense that Philip Montgomery executes.
Neither backup has played more than a few games in each of their eligible seasons. Both are runners, but neither are over 200 pounds which means that an offense that could depend on Drones (in the old days, anyway) to run the ball is not going to fare well with neither backup pushing the scales to be big enough for a QB power, or credible threat to run up the middle on the merge.
The rumors persist that Montgomery has changed the offense but changed it to what and changed it in more than just terminology will be the question. This team is in desperate need of an intermediate passing game, and a two-minute offense. It had neither for the past three seasons, and the record in one score games tells you all you need to know about those missing pieces.
So, let’s look at what we have in the room and see how things could shake out.
2025 Hokie Quarterback Room
| Number | Name | Class | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyron Drones | Redshirt Senior | 6-2 | 235 lbs | Houston TX | Shadow Creek | Baylor |
| 19 | Garret Rangel | Redshirt Junior | 6-2 | 198 lbs | Frisco TX | Lone Star | Oklahoma State |
| 5 | “William “”Pop”” Watson III” | Redshirt Sophomore | 5-11 | 201 lbs | Springfield MA | Springfield Central | |
| 12 | Kelden Ryan | Freshman | 6-2 | 195 lbs | Fort Worth TX | DeSoto | |
| 18 | A.J. Brand | Freshman | 6-2 | 210 lbs | Charlotte NC | Irmo |
*Table courtesy of Hokie Sports
It’s a 3-Star List of Talent
For the people looking to push their dreams of talent levels in high school far beyond the realm of real hard numbers, the only mixed score 4/3-star talent on this roster is Kyron Drones. Rangel and Watson might be legitimate high 3’s, but Rangel, in three active seasons with Oklahoma State never played in more than four games in a season. His numbers were not particularly bad, it’s just that he had better talent in front of him that gave the Cowboys a better chance to win. Last season he played in four, started one, and was 17 of 33 for 192 yards with 2 TDs and a pick. The year before he came in at about the same percentage with a 17 of 32 for and 2 TDs. He can run but it’s been nothing dominant.
Watson, of course, started two games for the Hokies last season with a 1 and 1 record, and did accumulate playing time in three other games. His UVA start was a near miracle of good fortune. He was 14 of 21 for 254 yards and a TD in an offense (bloody finger pointing at the OC of the time) that really didn’t trust any of its quarterbacks to pass all that much. He did have a bit of a melt off in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and had two picks added to his stats. Given the reality that the DC and O-Line coaches were on the way out, and the OC was probably mentally not even interested. since he was undoubtedly negotiating to get out of Blacksburg to go anywhere that he didn’t have to be blamed for being subpar. His 1 and 1 start wasn’t too horrible.
It would not surprise me to see Watson solidly bubble up as the #2, but given the history of Kyron Drones’s fragility, and with no real knowledge of how successful Philip Montgomery is going to be in changing the offense to protect the position; both backups are functionally #2s and will have to be ready to go.
Three’s the Limit
With no slight intended to the remaining guys in the QB room, one would hope that we don’t have to see them take to the field as true freshmen. A.J Brand played some snaps in the Spring Game because he matriculated early, and Kelden Ryan is a total noobie with only Summer conditioning and Fall practice under his belt. If Tech is down to starting either of them, a disaster has occurred and winning might be a non-happening thing for their appearances. Let us hope that they do get some quality “garbage time” for a couple of games (ODU and Wofford) but the truth is that they probably won’t be doing more than dressing out, warming up, cheering from the sideline, and carrying clipboards.
Folks, that’s some seriously thin gruel for the 2025 season. That means if the Hokies lose QB1 and QB2 like they did last season, at whatever point that event happens the Hokies aren’t looking at much success after the personnel loss.
Tech is Three Injuries Away from a Wipeout
There are just no two ways about it. Between the lack of any sort of viable depth on the offensive line, and a similar situation in the quarterback room, the Hokies season hinges on the health of the starters. Tech is three injuries away from disaster in 2025.
