Josh Pate Calls Virginia Tech a “Sleeping Giant”

Pate labeled Tech as a team who could return to its better days.

Dec 27, 2023; Annapolis, MD, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry walks onto the field during the first half against the Tulane Green Wave at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Perennial national championship contenders, ACC Champions, and one of the best programs in college football. That was the Frank Beamer era at Virginia Tech, when the Hokies were considered a giant in college football.

It’s been a while since that has been true now. The 2023 season was the first season since 2016, the first year without Beamer as head coach, where the Hokies won a bowl game.

Virginia Tech is looking to ride that high. Justin Fuente is now gone, and Brent Pry has now stepped in, looking to return the program to its past success. He’s done pretty well, in fact Pry has built a team which is looked at by many as a “dark horse” to make the new 12-team playoff.

That expectation makes sense too, especially when a player like Kyron Drones is at the helm. He’s surrounded by a ton of talent, deep running back room, multiple playable tight ends, and a revamped wide receiver room. Most of this production is returned from last year, with a ton of big play players coming back from injury, like Nick Gallo and Ali Jennings.

Out of the past few years, this is the first year that feels like Virginia Tech really has a shot to get back to the program they once were. On the latest episode of the Late Kick with Josh Pate, he agreed in this and called Virginia Tech a “sleeping giant”:

”Here’s a what-if for you, what if a former sleeping giant, or I guess a current sleeping giant in college football awakens this year? [Whom] would that be? I think Virginia Tech counts. Now kids — kids, some of you in my college-age audience are laughing right now, but you shouldn’t be. You don’t know what you don’t know. You don’t know about Virginia Tech, the National Championship contender, but Virginia Tech used to be a National Championship contender. You don’t know about an entire generation — including me, who grew up, not Virginia Tech fans, but when we knew there was going to be a Thursday night game in Blacksburg, or even a Saturday night game in Blacksburg, didn’t matter who you rooted for, you would make sure to tune in. You’d make sure to tune in ten minutes before the game starts, because you get to see ‘Enter Sandman’ and you get to see this incredible spectacle, up in the mountains, the hills of Virginia, it’s awesome. We haven’t seen that as a national spectacle for a while. What if they wake up? They’ve got a shot this year. They’ve got a shot, they’ve got a workable schedule, they’ve got a team that’s totally in touch with their identity, [and] they could have a high-level run game with Kyron Drones at quarterback— contributing to that. I was up there this spring, and sat down with Brent Pry, he’s really excited up there… There’s a game, [that’s] a long way away, so I’m not saying let’s talk about it now, but there’s a game in early November, where if they navigate the early portion of their schedule, even if they have one loss, they can afford to drop one. But if they’re a one loss or better team in early November, that’s when Clemson comes to town. November 9th. [When] Clemson comes to town, if we have a one loss or better Virginia Tech on that day or night, you will see Lane Stadium like some of us remember it being, maybe a generation ago. “

Could Virginia Tech be back this year? Certainly — no question. It’s very plausible too, the three hardest games on the schedule before Clemson are Vanderbilt, Rutgers, and Miami. There is certainly a path for the Hokies to finally have a resurgence in college football, and bring back the environment of Lane Stadium in past years. If Brent Pry and this entire coaching staff can help man this turnaround, the whole ACC should be on watch.