Everything From Brent Pry's Press Conference Ahead of Matchup vs Vanderbilt

Brent Pry coached at Vanderbilt from 2011 through 2013.

Sep 22, 2022; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry checks his charts during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Brent Pry addressed the media ahead of Virginia Tech's anticipated season opener against Vanderbilt. Coach Pry used to be an assistant coach and faced questions about his time at Vanderbilt, and the upcoming matchup against the Commodores.

Here's everything from Brent Pry's press conference ahead of the matchup against Vanderbilt:

Moderator: You good, Coach? Coach, make a quick opening statement and open up questions.

Brent Pry: Yeah, first of all, we came out of the Hokie pep rally with all the freshmen down in the stadium two nights ago. We took our freshman group, just super excited for the fall, all these fall sports kicking off. Wish them a ton of luck. A lot of, you know, just relationships, sportsmanship among the teams, and it was evident in the stadium the other night.

The other thing is, to just broadly speak on Vanderbilt and Clark Lee, I have tremendous respect for Coach Lee. A fellow defensive coordinator that has always done it the right way—he's earned everything he's gotten. He's very sound, hard-nosed. He knows Vanderbilt, similar to how I feel about Virginia Tech, knowing what you believe is right because of your experiences there. He feels that way about Vanderbilt, no doubt. He's doing a great job. Just a tremendous amount of respect there.

I was there when they were coming off back-to-back two-win seasons, and we go in, win six, and then win nine. The opportunity and potential are there, and I know they’ll be a much-improved football team. I'll take some questions.

Question: You mentioned those three years at Vandy. Any things stand out from turning that program around?

Brent Pry: Great kids, you know, great school. Football's important to that team, and they're invested right now in it. They're putting money into their program. We had to do some things differently that they hadn't done when we were there to get that thing rolling, but there's enough talent in their footprint. They have attractive education, obviously, and they compete in the SEC. Just hard-nosed guys that have something to prove, want to make their mark, and are willing to work. Again, I think with the staff he's put together and the input from the portal with the high school players they've developed, they're going to be a different-looking football team.

Question: You think you'll recognize the stadium?

Brent Pry: I'm not sure. It's been quite a while. I don't know that I've been back by the stadium. I've been in Nashville, but I hear they've done some good things, or some good things are ongoing. But really good people there, still some staff around the department that I think highly of.

Question: Brent, with Diego Pavia likely being the starting QB for Vandy, does the fact that Sam Brumfield played against him last year when he was at Middle, and Pavia was at New Mexico State, help in terms of scouting because Brumfield has seen him in person and not just on film?

Brent Pry: I think Sam's experience helps just to reaffirm what we all think when we watch him on film. This guy is an ultimate competitor. He's tough as nails, you know, he extends plays, and he's got no fear. He reminds me a little bit of a guy we had at Penn State named Trace McSorley, kind of the way he plays the game. Very determined quarterback, and Sam just has nothing but respect for Diego. He thinks he's a heck of a quarterback, knows he's going to play his guts out, and that those guys will play for him.

Question: That 2012 season you guys had at Vanderbilt, you won, I believe, the last seven straight that year. What do you remember about just turning that program around, and anytime in the last couple of years here, did you think back to moments like that when you were in those tough battles and eventually got to the other side?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I think it was the culture first and foremost. You can impact that the most with good people—you hire the right people, recruit the right people. Improving the talent level on the roster, slowly but surely, and gaining confidence. We were able to do those things. We kind of snuck in, got our sixth win, and lost a bowl game in year one, but really had momentum coming out of that season, and we were able to capitalize on it. We had a bunch of people trusting the process, to be quite honest.

Question: What do you remember about your first year? What do you remember about a young Chris Marve as a player, being able to coach him?

Brent Pry: Yeah, he was a lot like he is now. He was intense, a student of the game, and he was a leader. All the things that you see from him now, leading our defense and our defensive staff. A really impressive guy, three or four-time All-SEC, and a great student. I think everybody around that place respected Chris. I think people in the league respected Chris, and it was apparent to me coming out of that season that if Chris ever wanted to coach, I'd certainly want to give him an opportunity.

Question: Coach, you said earlier that Nick Gallo had about a 50-50 shot at playing this Saturday. Do you feel better or worse about his odds of playing now?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I'd say it's about the same right now. We'll see how this week goes. It's not just about being healthy; it's also about whether you have enough work and reps to feel good about going out there and playing well. So, we'll see how the week goes.

Question: I know you say not to take too much stock of the unofficial depth charts, but with Benji Gosnell being listed as the starting tight end, even if Nick were 100%, do you like Benji at that starting tight end position?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I'll tell you, Benji is—if there were three or four guys I would name as having an outstanding camp, he'd be one of them. He's put on a bunch of good weight—he's 255, 258. He's really making the contested catches consistently, which is necessary at that position, and he's improved on getting pad-on-pad in the run game. I'm very proud of the progress and development in Benji right now.

Question: At least on the depth chart, you went with Ganam at left guard and the Moore brothers. What did you ultimately like more about that lineup than what you finished last season with?

Brent Pry: I think it's, you know, that combination. We like that the best. It wasn't one person; it was what Brailin can bring us, and as he gets better at that position—a very bright player, very composed player, very poised player at center—great at identifying things and a good communicator. You know, Kaden has good experience at the guard spot. He's physical, he's big, he's strong, he moves well. And then Layth's athleticism, you know, kind of in the end, we wanted to get that out there. You know, sometimes you're going to get beat off the ball, sometimes you're going to get behind on the rep, you're in a defeated position, and Layth's athleticism and movement give him a chance to recover, you know, give the play a chance to get something out of it. I think he gives us a little bit there. We'll have a healthy rotation, unlike last year. We've got some depth there now with Brody and his experience, with Bob and his experience. Kaden Moore, you know, is the next center in the game if something should happen with Braelin, and we feel good about Brody and Bob coming along. And then on the outside with Montavious working at tackle now and Johnny Garrett working at the other one, just in a better position from a depth standpoint as well.

Question: At the other spot, safety, you kind of hinted that Mo might be the starter there last week. What have you liked about his development in this offseason in August to make the leap up to a starting spot for him?

Brent Pry: I think as a freshman, Mose played with great intensity. He was aggressive, he was a good tackler. You know, he's executing and functioning in the defense much better, he's communicating much better, plays with better fundamentals and technique. He's just grown as a second-year player the way you hope that he would. And, you know, like I said earlier, I think he's outplayed everybody in that boundary spot.

Question: Hey Coach, happy game week.

Brent Pry: Thank you.

Question: Is there a unit that you're feeling the most confident about, that you don't really feel like you have to worry too much about this week?

Brent Pry: I don't know if I ever want to say that. I mean, I feel good about most areas on our team, but you know, we have to go do it. We have to go play the way we're capable. That's half the battle sometimes. You know, you can get to a point where you love the depth on our defensive line. We've got some talented guys that have proven production, and we have depth on top of that. You know, to be able to apply pressure and strain and play physical for four quarters on the defensive line is, you know, most years when we've been able to do that, it's bode well for our defense. You know, it starts up front, and we've got a group that Coach Price has led that, you know, I'm anxious to see them play.

Question: At linebacker, do you feel like Keli Lawson and Caleb Woodson are interchangeable at Will and Star as the backups there? Do you feel like Caleb needs a little bit more seasoning before you have him play a lot more at Will?

Brent Pry: No, I think you're probably right with where you started your statement. You know, as I've always said, we believe in those guys training at two positions. You know, occasionally your Mike won't do that, which Sam hasn't—not in the time he's been with us. But Caleb's, you know, gotten good work at both spots, and Keli's gotten really good work at both spots. So, you know, you could easily see those guys at either spot in this football game.

Question: McDonald played really strong at Will at the end of last year. Do you feel like he's grown into that Mike position, especially with having Sam there in the fold?

Brent Pry: Yeah, he's a nice complement to Sam. You know, he's physical, he's big and strong, he's good in the tackle box. You know, Jaden Keller is also playing a lot of Mike linebacker right now, and you could easily see him in the game at some point running the defense as well.

Question: Hey Coach, I'm Nels Williams with ESPN Blacksburg.

Brent Pry: Hey man.

Question: With this being your third summer session finally in the books and the season just a few days away, how did this summer session compare to the last in the past? Did you do anything differently this summer that you didn't do prior? Is there anything you tinkered with and changed, and overall, just how are you feeling out of this summer compared to summers in the past?

Brent Pry: Yeah, we came out of it very healthy and much improved from a weight gain, a strength gain, a speed, and agility standpoint. And we did it while, you know, for the most part, being healthy, and it set us up for a good camp, most importantly. And that's what you want from the summer. We were able to, I think it was, we tagged like 18 practices, the first 18. The amount of volume in the practice, the amount of high-velocity running, and short-area quickness in those 18 practices—16 of them were more than last year's camp, and some of them significantly. And we had fewer injuries, so we were a better team going into camp, better able to do some things we needed to do. The workload was larger, was stronger, was better. We had more high-speed running, we were just able to get more done in camp because of the summer we had, so I feel good about that.

Question: And how much of a weight off your shoulders was it knowing that heading into the summer, many of your units and many of the guys in your positions were already penciled in and already starred? Did you not have to worry about certain controversies in any positions? And with that, were you able to allocate any resources that you previously would have had to in figuring out who those guys were in any other areas?

Brent Pry: No, I don't think so. You always have things you worry about, and even with a veteran group, you're looking for complacency, you're looking for entitlement—those types of things. There are always things that you're monitoring, whether it's improvement, development, or young guys figuring out if they can do it or not. We've got more guys that we know more about, that have done it in ball games, and that's a good feeling, right? There's some confidence in that, there's comfort in that. But at the same time, I've been around veteran teams that haven't gone out and played to their potential, and we've got to make sure that doesn't happen. That starts in practice—they need to be practicing the way they need to every day. The practice habits are where they need to be, and we've been a good group that way.

Question: Obviously, on offense, the person wearing the helmet communication is probably going to be the quarterback. On the defensive side, is that going to be Sam in the middle?

Brent Pry: Yeah, we've got two linebackers in it, and we've got a safety in one.

Question: What happens when, say, Kyron has to come off the field for a play because his helmet comes off? Is it like all quarterbacks have it? How does that work?

Brent Pry: Yeah, the first three have it.

Question: What has impressed you the most about a guy like Quinton Reddish? He's the only true freshman in the two-deep, and for him to be able to come in and have a chance to challenge for playing time—do you feel confident if you had to throw him into the fire on Saturday?

Brent Pry: I do. He's going to play; he'll be in the rotation, and he'll play a good number of reps on special teams. He's got a good football IQ for a young guy, and he's got what you'd call a corner-slash-safety skill set. He's got length, he's physical, but he's got foot speed and true speed to cover. I've been impressed with Q and how he's worked, how he's approached things. I'm not sure if you came out to practice that you would say that's a true freshman. He's a little on the thin side still, but he's doing a lot of things like a second-year player.

Question: This is a follow-up to last week. I was not trying to trick you into telling me about a kid in an area you're trying to recruit. Who has caught your eye? I want you to tell me about a kid on the team this summer who's local and who you feel has kind of stood out to you, who has been part of your recruitment over the last three years.

Brent Pry: Yeah, you know the guy that jumps out first is P.J. Prioleau. He had a good spring game that people saw, but that's continued through camp. He lines up at running back, he lines up at wide receiver, and he's on a bunch of special teams. He's earned everybody's respect. I told him there's one thing left to do: that's to go do it on Saturday—do it in a ball game and put the icing on the cake. Go help us win a game. He's an awesome young man. He's got a lot better ability and skill set than his dad, so we're excited to see what he can do.

Question: Last one before we go, Coach. Tell me a little about your thoughts on just kind of opening up on the road in Week 1 and the expectations for the team going out there and playing.

Brent Pry: Yeah, I think it's a great question. Opening up on the road is always a little different. You'd love to be at home in your routine and have that extra day, but everything's sped up when you're leaving. You know, you're going to practice Friday morning early, and then shower up and get on the road. It heightens things, it quickens things. You're going on the road to play an SEC opponent at their place to kick the season off. There's a ton of hype—they're fired up about their team and the promise of the year they can have, just like we are. So, it's challenging being on the road—11:00 a.m. kick, it's going to be hot. Hopefully, there'll be a bunch of Hokies in the stands. Our guys are anxious to play, just like everybody. Camp gets long—you compete against each other, and our guys did a great job of that, but at some point, enough is enough, and you just want to play somebody else.

Moderator: You got time for a few questions on Zoom? Please use the raise hand feature to ask your questions and also state your name and affiliation as well.

Moderator: We'll start with Mike.

Question: Hey Brent, it's Mike Barber from the Times Dispatch in Richmond.

Brent Pry: Hey Mike, how are you?

Question: I wanted to ask you about Takye Heath. Kyren and Tyler mentioned the idea that you guys are going to use receivers in different roles—inside, outside, move them around. I know Takye is valuable in that slot. Is he a guy that can play multiple spots, and what do you expect his impact to be this season?

Brent Pry: Yeah, I think he can help us. He has to stay healthy; that's the biggest issue with Takye right now. I'd say this camp, he played his best football since he's been with us—made plays, had consistent stacking days. But, you know, he's certainly coming along, learning the position. I think the next step is to be able to line up at more than one spot, which most of those guys can do. A couple of them can play all the spots, but I would love for Takye to help us this fall. I think on special teams and at wide receiver, and he's shown in moments he can do that. But he's got to be healthy, he's got to prepare, and then, just like PJ, he's got to go do it in a ball game.

Question: What about Bergos? I know you guys are going to rotate at that end spot, so maybe who starts doesn't matter, but what's been his progress? You've talked before about his maturation—what did you need to see from him this year?

Brent Pry: Yeah, a couple of things. He's starting to fill out; he's got a great frame, but he was struggling to put weight on to really be the size and strength that he could. I think he's done that. He plays with a tremendous motor, so when you couple that with a strong guy that's got some weight on him, it's hard to block. We had the incident with inside run early in camp, but he's gained poise and composure. He's a more mature football player than he was last fall—all that's going to help him.

Moderator: We'll go to David next.

Question: Brent, David Teel from the Times Dispatch. In an era of rampant roster turnover with the portal and such, how much more challenging are openers, especially to prepare for?

Brent Pry: Yeah, it's always tough. Vanderbilt, for example, they've got an influx of coaches on the offensive side of the ball primarily, and an influx of players. You're watching film from six different schools last year to get a sense of the unit that they're going to put out there, and it's challenging. There are teams at the Group of Five level with 50 or 60 new players, and then you look at even a team like Vanderbilt—I believe their number is 20 to 25 new players. It makes our job tougher to vet the new players—what do they look like, what are their strengths, their weaknesses? Potential with coaching changes—how does that affect the system, the scheme? There's a lot that goes into it, certainly.

Question: Given all that, how important will it be for you and your staff to adjust quickly in-game?

Brent Pry: It's going to be very important. I think the iPads are game changers in that regard. You don't have to guess as much; you can go back and look at it right after the series and make sure you have it right—what you thought was happening. Something new, a wrinkle, something that maybe you haven't practiced—you want to make sure you get covered with your guys. I think you can get to those things more quickly now because of the iPads on the sideline and in the booth.

Moderator: We'll go to Steve next.

Question: Steve Hempel from the Virginia Pilot and Daily Press. Was there anything that reflected on Week Zero and some of the other ACC schools and how that went down? Any lessons to be learned from that?

Brent Pry: It just reinforced our message that the preseason hype, the preseason predictions, they really don't mean anything. It's just noise. It can affect the way we practice, the way we work, the way we trust the process. We got to remain humble, we got to remain hungry. I pointed out—no disrespect—but Pat McAfee talks about us winning the league, and in the same breath, he's talking about Florida State and the playoffs. Then there's an upset. It's just too early to talk about all those things, to worry about those things. We just got to control what we can control, and for the most part, our guys have done a good job of that.

Moderator: Any final questions on Zoom? K? Travis, anything in the room for Coach? Thanks, Coach.

Brent Pry: All right, thanks guys.