Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones bettering in key areas can have Hokies rising as ACC menace in 2024 season

One of many nice offseason traditions in faculty soccer is looking for a crew that might exceed expectations through the upcoming season. The hunt for that squad is fixed, whether or not you wish to name them a sleeper crew or darkish horse contender.

In style standards for locating these groups has all the time been a robust end to the earlier season and a positive schedule within the subsequent. For this reason Virginia Tech is a program being thrown round in a whole lot of these conversations. After a 2-4 begin to the 2023 season that noticed the Hokies lose video games to Purdue, Rutgers and Marshall whereas getting spanked by Florida State, a nook was turned. Virginia Tech gained 5 of its remaining seven video games, together with comfy wins over Wake Forest, Syracuse, Boston School, Virginia and Tulane in a rain-soaked Army Bowl.

A peek on the 2024 schedule reveals promise. Whereas there are nonconference video games at Vanderbilt in addition to rematches with Marshall and Rutgers, solely the lean towards the Commodores is on the street. As for convention play, there is a street journey to Miami to start out and a house recreation towards Clemson, however there isn’t a Florida State. There is not any NC State. Notre Dame is nowhere to be discovered (it is not a convention recreation, however you’d nonetheless favor to keep away from the Preventing Irish). There are many winnable video games and alternatives to enhance on final 12 months’s 7-5 report and make a shock run to the ACC Championship Sport.

Whereas all that is necessary, there’s one more reason individuals are excessive on the Hokies. His title is Kyron Drones, and no matter how issues completed final season or what’s on the schedule in 2024, Drones’ growth and enchancment because the crew’s star quarterback will in the end resolve how far the Hokies go this coming season.

Who’s Kyron Drones?

Drones is considered one of my favourite archetypes of school quarterbacks. He is a tank. A four-star member of the 2021 recruiting class, Drones initially dedicated to Baylor and performed sparingly over two seasons with the Bears earlier than transferring to Blacksburg, Virginia, final season. When he confirmed up in Waco, Texas, as a freshman, he was listed at 6-2 and 195 kilos. He is now listed at 6-2 and 234 kilos; and, make no mistake, the 40 kilos he is added have not come from spending an excessive amount of time within the cafeteria.

It is no coincidence that Virginia Tech’s enchancment down the stretch final season got here as Drones performed higher. As a switch, Drones did not start final season as Tech’s beginning QB. That honor went to Grant Wells, who began the primary two video games and misplaced the job to Drones forward of the street journey to Rutgers. Contemplating he had simply transferred in, it is sensible that Drones would wish time to get comfy, which confirmed within the outcomes. Here is a breakdown of his numbers in his first 4 begins in comparison with the ultimate seven.

For readability, Whoopsy Daisy Price is the variety of interceptions and fumbles by a QB divided by snaps performed. The decrease the quantity, the higher. The column labeled Tremendous Cool New QB Metric is one other metric I’ve created modeled after passing effectivity, but it surely additionally features a quarterback’s dashing output. I’ve developed the metric however nonetheless have to create a reputation. A rating of 100 is common, and something increased than 150 is fairly dang good. Elite territory creeps in at about 175 (solely Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels crossed that threshold in 2023). Drones’ total mark of 103.11 ranked sixtieth of 130 certified QBs, so he was above common, however there’s loads of room to develop.

That is evident not solely when wanting on the numbers but additionally when wanting on the tape.

Drones the runner

As you’d count on with a 235-pound QB who can transfer, the Hokies used Drones often within the run recreation. His dimension is his best asset as a runner, as you not often noticed him introduced down by the primary defender to make contact with him, and he typically broke defensive linemen’s deal with makes an attempt. Drones shouldn’t be probably the most explosive open-field runner, although. In truth, whereas he improved because the season progressed, his instincts as a runner might use advantageous tuning. There are many situations the place Drones runs right into a deal with when he might have picked up extra yards.

This play towards Wake Forest is an effective instance. Drones follows his again and proper guard on a draw (a play the Hokies run often), and as he crosses the road of scrimmage, he has three blockers in entrance of him on three defenders. If Drones merely continues operating in a straight line, he is liable to choose up one other 10 yards and possibly extra if he breaks a deal with. As a substitute, he cuts left straight into an engaged defender and goes down for a brief achieve. What might’ve been a bit play ended with 5 yards.

That is probably the most obvious instance, and whereas there are different performs that includes a lot much less bewildering choices, this is not the one head-scratcher. In fact, there are good moments, too! Whilst you do not see most of the 59-yard runs he had towards Boston School, Drones successfully picks up yards in smaller chunks to assist hold the chains shifting.

He is unlikely to ever turn into former LSU QB and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels within the open area as a result of he lacks top-end velocity. If he positive factors a greater understanding of methods to learn blocks, nonetheless, he might grow to be an much more efficient runner, which might profit the Hokies offense.

Drones the passer

That is the world the place Drones wants to enhance probably the most and one that may have the best impression on the ceiling of Virginia Tech’s offense. Virginia Tech didn’t run probably the most complicated playbook final season. Whereas some new wrinkles had been added because the season went on, the Hokies primarily ran a whole lot of the identical performs repeatedly. The offense was tailor-made to Drones’ strengths, a logical resolution by Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen.

One factor they love to do is get Drones rolling to his proper; he reveals sturdy accuracy throwing on the transfer, and the specter of his legs can hold defenders from getting sufficient depth in protection. No play exemplifies this higher than a easy rollout flood idea Tech ran repeatedly. Within the play, one receiver runs a vertical filter whereas one other runs a deep out. Then, there is a crosser from the left — often the tight finish — and the low man operating a route nearer to the road of scrimmage.

On this instance towards Boston School, the receiver operating the bottom route will get caught up within the carnage on the line of scrimmage as he comes throughout from the left facet of the formation, however Drones nonetheless finds the crosser in tight finish Dae’Quan Wright for a giant achieve. That is the place Drones usually goes with the ball on this play, so I assume it is his first learn.

Development is one other side of Drones’ recreation that wants growth. For probably the most half, when Drones can go to the primary learn on a play, he is efficient. He shows good timing and accuracy. He is not almost as constant or dependable when the primary learn shouldn’t be there. This isn’t out of the strange for almost all of younger quarterbacks. Whereas Drones did not flip the ball over quite a bit final 12 months, based mostly on a number of the choices he made when the primary learn wasn’t there, you possibly can argue he was relatively fortunate.

Drones additionally struggled with the deep ball. He was solely 9 of 42 on passes of not less than 20 air yards final season, and quite a lot of of the misses had been by yards, not toes or inches. Whereas he is unlikely to grow to be a pinpoint passer down the sector, you wish to see higher accuracy on these performs to pressure defenses to cowl a bigger portion of the sector. It will make issues simpler for everyone, not simply Drones.