Virginia Tech football head coach Brent Pry and men’s basketball coach Mike Young joined Zach Mackey and Mike Burnop on Tech Talk Live on Thursday night.
Pry recapped the Hokies’ 37-17 win over Virginia, which secured bowl eligibility, while Young discussed his squad’s early-season struggles.
Brent Pry
Coach, how are you?
Good, just got out of practice with our guys. We took it to the indoor facility today. We went and got a good workout in today. Got some short meetings and a condensed practice.
When are you going to get some heat in there?
We’re working on it. Whit [Babcock] and a few others have been working on it. It’s a big project to do that.
Do you rest the older guys since you don’t know the bowl destination?
Yeah, there’s no scout team right now. We don’t know who we might be playing yet. We got them running around. Can’t get the guys too far from their techniques and fundamentals. We’ll have some guys opt out and enter the portal, which will give other guys opportunities to move up the depth chart, but it was a good day.
What were some things that stood out to you following that UVa win?
We tackled well. That group was much improved. They lost a close one at Louisville and beat Pitt. They made the switch at quarterback. The first guy [Anthony Colandrea] didn’t play very well against SMU and they thought the other guy [Tony Muskett] would give them a better chance in the game. I thought he did good. He ran it well and is more accurate. We tackled well though, getting Bhayshul [Tuten] going in the game, Pop [Watson] played well, his teammates supported him well, he moved around in and out of the pocket. It was good to see Jaylin Lane spring open and get behind people. There were a lot of good things. I thought we played well in all three phases, and when we do that, we win the football game. We did that on Saturday.
It probably helped Pop a lot getting those first team reps all week.
The continuity, the communication, the reps, the film, it was invaluable for him. I think it helped him play better.
Pop Watson is just the sixth Virginia Tech quarterback to make his first start against a conference opponent and he does it against a rival. It seems like he came out of the gates and was ready. Is that the kind of player he is?
It is. He’s confident and poised. That’s how he was as a highschool player, there were technical things that hemmed and hawed over when we evaluated him coming out. But when you watch that in-game performance, that’s what you saw out there, that’s the kind of quarterback he is.
Nothing like starting an opening drive at your own ten, then 11 plays later, you score. Had that big 42-yard pass to Da’Quan Felton that got them going. And Tuten, the best help for a quarterback is a good running back.
No doubt, having him healthy is big. I know everybody is excited about the game and season he had. I know he was banged up a couple of weeks, but man is he special.
What does Tuten’s fight to stay on the field say about a player in today’s day and age?
He’s a team guy. He’s been an awesome member of our football team, not just from a production standpoint. He’s very steady, he’s all in, he was on a mission to have a great year and for us to have a great year. Guys like that, it’s easy for them to bow out, but that’s not him. He wanted to play in that ball game, and he was pretty sore afterwards.
You’ve seen some trouble in the third quarter coming out of the locker room, not much of a problem this time.
We said in the locker room at half that the message was not to win the game; the message was to win the third quarter. We did that, I think it was 10-8. They had the touchdown and the two point conversion, we had the touchdown and the field goal. We won the quarter and that made the difference, that was important.What can you say about the season from John Love?
He’s been fantastic. Kicked the 57-yarder down at Miami. He’s been steady, consistent, confident, he’s gained leg strength too. I trust that guy.How about Jaylin Lane with all the big plays? He’s been dynamite.
He sure has. Seeing him get behind those guys just reminds you of how valuable he is. Route running getting down the field — we’ve used him a bunch, we’ve kinda had to. The reverse motions, the sweeps, the option plays, that’s what he’s good at. He’s a great young man and he’s going to be successful, whatever he does. I’m excited about his future. He’s got some running-back qualities about him, he’s electric with the ball in his hands.Caleb Woodson led the defense with nine tackles, it seems like he’s really come on really strong these last couple of weeks.
It’d be hard not to notice him in the back half of the season. His motor, he’s tackling better, he’s fitting better, he’s got a bright future. He’s got tremendous leadership qualities. I’m very proud of the year he’s had. When you move from outside backer, that overhand spot, into the box full time, it’s a big adjustment. I’ve done that with a bunch of guys over my career and it takes some time. I thought he came around pretty quickly on it.Talk about Jaden Keller a little bit.
I like to talk about them together. I think side by side, they’ve really started to feel comfortable with one another. Helping each other make calls and adjustments. He’s very athletic. He’s long, he can run, and he’s really starting to find his way as a linebacker. The back half of the season, both of those kids really came on.You came out of the tunnel to a sold-out crowd in one of the coldest games in Lane Stadium history. What does that say about this fanbase to show out for that and pack the stadium?
I couldn’t be more proud. All year long, our fans have been incredible. Big shout out to them. That’s a lot of the reason these guys come to Virginia Tech. There’s a lot of great things here, but let me tell you, as a player, you want to play in front of crowds like that. That doesn’t happen at every place. A lot of the time you’ll play in a stadium that’s three-fourths full and the weather scares a lot of those people off. I'm very proud of the students to come back when they’re on break to fill that student section. It was awesome, it’s an unbelievable environment and it impacts ball games. Our guys love playing in front of that crowd.You had a bunch of recruits in, too. They had to be impressed.
It was awesome, almost 100 guys. A lot of them across the Commonwealth. It was a big game for bowl eligibility for both teams. It was impactful for us, the crowd, the way we won, all of it.You had 34 seniors too, all of their families. A cool moment to pay tribute to those guys who have put a lot on for the program.
No question, those guys deserve so much credit. Especially the guys who have done five and six years. They’ve been through COVID, they’ve been through a coaching change, they’ve been through so much adversity. Cole Nelson, Josh Fuga, Peter Moore, my hats off to them. They’ve done a great job, they’ve persevered, they’ve been great team members at Virginia Tech.
You talk about Peter Moore, what a year he had in a league so deep with punters. Good to see him get some recognition, he had a great year.
He sure did. He was super reliable, he came through in big moments and he played a big part in the games that we won. He’s been a leader too, this guy is a three-time captain. Ton of maturity, very smart, I’d think he’ll kick at the next level. He’s a proud Hokie.There were some miscues early on, but in these last few weeks, there’s been a lot of good things in the special teams unit as a whole.
I thought it came together nicely. We played some young guys early there. Some guys who were in their redshirt freshman year. We were young on teams. As the year went on, they matured, had a better way about them and how they approached the game. They were confident. You saw [Jonathan] Pennix and Dante [Lovett] start to make plays, Thomas Williams. Guys start to show up, but it takes some time. I thought we made a lot of progress there.Walk us through what you know about bowl selection. Pecking order, what you hear, rumors, expectations.
I really don’t know at this point. I know that we’re an attractive team because of the way we travel and because of our fanbase. I know the Hokies will show out in support and have a great time doing it. We’ll know on Sunday. Players, coaches, my wife, everybody is anxious to know what’s happening and where we’re going to be for Christmas.How soon do you know on that Sunday? Is it pretty early?
I think so. We have a team banquet on Sunday. If I recall correctly, last year we knew around the end of the banquet. Somewhere in that neighborhood on Sunday afternoon.That’s got to be exciting for the players. But you’re meeting with them now to figure out if they’re going to stay or go. Touch base on all of that.
First and foremost, it was great to get that signing class in. I’m so proud of the group that inked with us yesterday. The kids, the talent, the families, the relationships. We had a lot of guys trying to poach several of those kids down the stretch. It’s been two years for some of those guys that we’ve been building those relationships. Great group to get in to solidify the roster. Now it’s about the guys on our team. Who wants to transfer down for opportunities, who's going to transfer because they feel like they deserve a better contract, who’s going to the NFL?There’s so many conversations to be had. I have 10-12 meetings a day with our current roster. That’s been happening since Sunday and that’ll continue through the weekend. We’re very transparent and honest with these guys. We try to give them as much information as we can so that they can make an educated decision on what they’re going to do. I think, in today’s college football, you’re just gonna see more and more fluidity. Our transfer portal board for guys that we’re evaluating, that have already entered or that we’ve heard are going to enter, is gigantic already. You measure your needs based on attrition, who’s leaving, who’s staying, what are we going to do? Now a part of it is finding out how much money we have to spend at that spot. We have a good staff working hard on it, and that’s something that we’re focused on each and every day.
What are your initial thoughts on that signing class?
I love them, I’m so proud and excited about each and every one of them. Great families, great talent, great kids. If anybody had the opportunity to watch the live stream and watch the zooms with all of these families, it’s really special. A big day for them. To have those guys want to be here with us, a lot of programs trying to poach those guys down the stretch, and they hung in there with us and believe in what we’re doing, sticking to the vision of the program. They see the progress. Some of those guys will come in here and impact the team as freshmen.
Talk a little bit about the class, some captains, championship guys, give us the rundown.
One of the big things for me is, “Are you a captain?” Have your coaches or your peers elected you as a captain?” There’s 12, maybe 13 captains in the group, a bunch of them coming from winning programs. Four guys are still playing for state championships. A good group. Eighteen of the 19 are from our footprint. We went out to Dallas to get Kelden Ryan, which was certainly worth the trip. With quarterbacks, you go outside the footprint, but to have 18 in the footprint and 12 from the Commonwealth of Virginia. We continue to invest there and it pays dividends.Eleven of these guys are early enrollees. That’s the big talking point that in one month, they’ll be here with us. We’ve answered a lot of questions at receiver, losing four guys there, veterans, so we’ve helped ourselves there. I think our two late pickups, JoJo Crim and Jahmari DeLoatch, we needed to do that to feel good about where we’re at in the secondary. Some other questions can be answered in the portal.
Talk about Micah Matthews’ recruitment and what that’s been like.
It was a joint effort. Coach [John] Szefc was instrumental in it. He and I have a preexisting relationship, both being assistant coaches at Louisiana-Lafayette many moons ago (from 2003-06). It was easy for us to come together and have the discussions about what the calendar looks like for him.
You signed two quarterbacks, and Kyron Drones walked on senior day. Of course, we’ve seen guys walk before and come back. Walk us through your thought process around that situation.
We want as many good quarterbacks as we can have. As you saw this year, we ended up at No. 3. When you put three out there playing, No. 4 is a play away from being out there and having to go win the game. Really excited about AJ [Brand] and Kelden. You go watch their film, they’re two very talented high school quarterbacks. We had all kinds of folks down the stretch here, the quarterback carousel is crazy. Somebody decommits and all of the sudden they’re looking for the next one. We were pretty fortunate to get both those guys across the finish line. They’re both athletic guys that can run and throw the ball. They’re both early enrollees, so they’ll have the advantage of learning in the spring.
Kyron walked with some other guys. I want those guys to have the opportunity to do that should they opt out for the NFL. I want them to do that, I don’t want you to miss the opportunity for you and your family to celebrate your graduation and walk out as a senior. We had guys walk last year that came back and played this here. Steve Gosnell, J Lane, Ali [Jennings]. To me, they deserve to do that. Kyron walked and hopefully he’s here next year. Kelvin Gilliam walked, he’s gonna be back with us. Once these guys reach graduation, they have the opportunity to walk with us. Whether that continues to be the platform in what we do is all up for debate right now. This game is changing and evolving so much in how you do things, but at this point, it’s what we’ve done in the last couple of years.
How do you advise high school kids about early enrollment?
First, it has to make sense for them. Like Snook [Peterkin], he’s a heck of a basketball player and I don’t want him to miss out on that. Some schools just don’t allow it either. We usually have about half the class early and the other half in the summer. In this day and age, everything you can do in the spring, you can do in the summer. I don’t advise them, I want them to do what’s best for them. We’ve got some of those guys that — if you’re going to be one of those guys that’s going to class from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and you’re not playing a spring sport, it doesn’t make sense to stay. You might as well leave early. It involves an extra class or two at times, to get the extra English or math for Virginia Tech. It’s good to get those guys in there.
You’ll take a hit on the line with guys like Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Josh Fuga leaving, but you signed a couple of guys there.
I feel good about the ones that we’ve signed. We’ve also done a nice job in the transfer portal here. We’ve been able to go out, be aggressive, get quality, productive guys who can come in and help our football team win. I have no doubt that we’ll be able to do that again.
How do you like the change of signing day coming before the portal opens?
I think it’s been a good change. It’s helped us to get that class solidified and done with to know what the numbers look like. To have the class set is helpful.
How about getting a couple of legacy players?
That’s just awesome. Peanut Johnson is a heck of a linebacker, can’t wait to have him here with his brother. It was great to Zoom with them. It was like Deja Vu, we just zoomed with them two years ago. It’s awesome to get these guys in there. Virginia Tech is family, it’s lineage, it’s legacy. It’s awesome.Stuewe is the other one.
Yeah, you talk about a good athlete. He’s a better athlete than his dad, not afraid to say that. He can play either side of the ball. He’s 6-2, 195 pounds. He’s not filled out whatsoever. He’ll be 205, 210 one day. Came here to a camp for us and absolutely crushed it. Live performance was very impressive for him.Zooming with some of those guys, for some of those who watched, that’s an incredible production. Kevin Juszynski, he does a great job running that thing. They do a great job with it all.
Some of those guys here tonight were there. It’s a first-class operation and I’m very proud of what the guys put on for us and for those families. That deserves to be celebrated. To think about what those families have poured into those kids' athletic experiences for 16, 17, 18 years, it’s unbelievable. Let’s celebrate it like crazy and give them an opportunity to make it really special.That’s got to feel rewarding for you and the staff who have worked for several years to get that class.
Most of those guys, it’s been multiple years recruiting them and building those relationships. A lot of hard conversations, a lot of good times, some of those folks have been to Virginia Tech six, eight, 10 times. Some of them a few more. I’m very excited about that class.How important are those extra classes leading up to a bowl?
What we did today, what we’ll do tomorrow, it’s all good. Getting those young guys some more reps is crucial and this gives us the opportunity to do that.Good to see the awards for some of the guys. APR didn’t win ACC Defensive Player of the Year, but you can see the stats that Donovan Ezeiraku had from Boston College.
I don’t see it. APR was clearly the best defensive player in the league. And no disrespect, but you notice APR each and every week. There are very few games where you think, “Where was he?” I think he was worthy, maybe even share it, something like that. He had a tremendous year for us.A guy we haven’t mentioned yet, Aeneas Peebles was a First Team All-ACC pick.
Quietly had a great year for us. I think APR should buy him lunch. When you get that push up the middle, it flushes those guys and APR benefitted from that.That was quite the locker room scene after the game.
My goodness, the cigars, I hate that. I turn the corner and John Love and Kyle Lowe have some big ole Cigars in their mouths. I’m like, “You guys are going to kill yourself on those, you have no idea what you’re doing.” Everything, the locker room reeked like cigar smoke. It’s a great tradition, don’t get me wrong. Of course, Coach [J.C.] Price had his Cigar. They certainly celebrate that win, and they should.