2 weeks Ago
BLACKSBURG — Spring football games usually showcase college football teams giving a glimpse of a program that is still under construction. The Virginia Tech squad on display last weekend at Lane Stadium was more of a work in progress than what might be considered usual. Some of that can be chalked up to the challenges of resetting a roster in the era of the transfer portal and NIL deals.
That alone can test a program during the winter months. Couple that with some major changes in the coaching staff and you have a roster that still has a lot of work ahead before it heads to Atlanta to open the 2025 season against Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks on Aug. 31.
Hokies head coach Brent Pry did not deny that his players will be tested, but he likes the change in trajectory that began when he dismissed two high-profile assistants — defensive coordinator Chris Marve and offensive line coach Ron Crook — as well as strength and conditioning director Dwight Galt IV just days after the team had welcomed in its 2025 signing class and a few weeks before it headed to Charlotte to play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Former West Virginia offensive line coach Ron Moore was quickly added to the staff, but it was more than a month before the defense found out that Pry would entrust his defense to Arizona Cardinals assistant Sam Siefkes. Pry was not expecting he would have to replace his offensive coordinator, too, but that became necessary in early February when Tyler Bowen resigned to take a job with defending national champion Ohio State.
The new offensive chief, Philip Montgomery, arrived on Feb. 17. So, how is the melding of the new minds going? “I liked how the new staff is understanding how we do things and how we operate,” Pry said.
“You know, it’s not an easy transition. I thought we did a nice job with that.” Pry and his staff acknowledged that their team has just scratched the surface of the changes that come with new coordinators.
But the rules about coaches and players interacting between the conclusion of the spring game and the start of fall camp favor those who are learning new schemes. “We have got a long way to go with both systems, but we had some carryover,” Pry said. “But the (new coordinators) are smart.
They have a plan for what they want to do, want it to be and have a lot of confidence.” Montgomery was confident enough to throw a surprise into the Hokies’ offensive spring game plan, giving wide receiver Ayden Green a chance to show off his passing skills by connecting with a wide-open Cameron Seldon for a 57-yard touchdown pass. He also gave the offensive line a chance to show how they have progressed under Moore, leading the way for seven different ball carriers to pick up a combined 273 yards.
“I’m very, very pleased with what we’re doing up front,” Montgomery said. “I think those guys have really jelled. .
.. I think we have a good combination of guys that have the ability to come into the game.
We’re building depth in certain areas, and I think Coach Moore is probably the best offensive line coach in the country.” What Hokies fans will not know until Week 1 is what the offensive coordinator’s relationship with quarterback Kyron Drones is like. Drones sat out the spring game due to an undisclosed surgery he underwent last week, but did get a good amount of practice time before being shut down.
Montgomery said his plan when he arrived was to build an offensive scheme that complements Drones’ strengths. “I’ve been really pleased with Kyron,” Montgomery said. “I think he’s picked up our offense extremely well.
He sees what he can do in it and what the pieces around him can do in it. I thought he really read defenses extremely well throughout the spring.” As a defensive guy by trade, Pry probably has more in common with Siefkes and was impressed how quickly he took control of the unit when he got to town.
“He is very relatable to our guys,” Pry said. Siefkes said he came in with rather simple directives: He wants a defense that is always looking to force turnovers and that success begins with a dominating defensive line that is complemented by good linebacker and secondary play. “We put in a decent amount of playbook this spring,” Siefkes said.
“But a lot of it was concept and what I call ‘bucket teaching.’ I thought they did a good job of kind of learning what the techniques are in the front and back ends. “The major thing we were trying to accomplish was just having a general understanding of how to play football.
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