National analyst names Kyron Drones as one of the quarterbacks who will decide the ACC championship race

The 2024 season is going to be a big one for Virginia Tech Football. They are going to produce a lot and hope to compete for a spot in the ACC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. One of the key players for Virginia Tech this season is quarterback Kyron Drones, who has made big strides towards the end of the season.

Jesse Simonton of On3Sports named Drones as one of the quarterbacks who will determine the ACC Championship race this season:

“The Hokies have been one of the most talked-about teams of the midseason thanks to Drones and an offense that ranks No. 1 nationally in returning production. After Drones replaced Grant Wells in Week 3, Va. Tech’s offense went from cellar-dweller in the ACC to middle-of-the-pack by season’s end. Year 2 as the full-time starter offers even more potential for growth and emergence. With a relatively favorable schedule, the Hokies have their sights set on an outsider’s run back to ACC contention — but it likely depends on their second-year quarterback making another leap in 2024.”

Simonton also named FSU’s DJ Uiagalelei, SMU’s Preston Stone, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Miami’s Cam Ward, NC State’s Grayson McCall, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Georgia Tech’s Haynes King as other quarterbacks who will determine the ACC race.

ESPN recently debuted their X-Factors list for every top 25 college team in the country. ESPN defines an X-Factor as “the one thing (or player) that carries the most weight in determining whether the season will be great, good, or disappointing.” There were a few players that immediately came to mind for Virginia Tech, but here’s what ESPN had to say:

“QB. It’s hard to call Drones an X-factor, considering he’s the team’s most recognizable player. But there’s no question that what happens to Virginia Tech this year will depend on how well Drones plays after a second half of 2023 that blew expectations for this season out of the water. The Hokies have returned 90% of their offensive production from a year ago, and it all starts with Drones, who threw for 2,084 yards and ran for 818 yards last year. There’s plenty of room for improvement, starting with his yards completion percentage (58.2%) and efficiency. If he lives up to expectations, Virginia Tech should be an ACC contender this season.”

Our own RJ Schafer had this to say about Drones for the upcoming season:

“Drones is absolutely the most important player for Virginia Tech’s success in the upcoming season. Drones is well on their way to a very solid season. Drones started only fourteen games last year, but still accounted for almost 3,000 total yards.

Kyron Drones is an absolute beast and he knows he can succeed at the next level. Speaking to the media in the spring, he was quoted as saying, “There’s no such thing as perfect, but I try to be the best that I can be. I hold myself to a certain standard and I’ve been my whole life. Being hard on myself. I know sometimes it’s not a good thing to be too hard on yourself, but that’s just the way I am. I hold myself to a certain standard that no one else will hold me to.”

That’s absolutely the mentality you want from your starting quarterback. Drones exudes confidence and will definitely be a big part of the offense for Brent Pry. This is the first time in a while that the confidence in your quarterback is so high that you can trust Drones to do absolutely everything. The offense is run by Kyron Drones and I think the fans are absolutely fine with that.”