National Analyst Names Kyron Drones as One of the Quarterbacks Who Will Determine The ACC Championship Race

Drones and Virginia Tech are hoping to compete for the ACC Championship this season

Dec 27, 2023; Annapolis, MD, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Kyron Drones (1) throws to tight end Harrison Saint Germain (87) for a second quarter touchdown against the Tulane Green Wave at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 season is set to be a big one for Virginia Tech Football. They are returning a lot of production and hope they can contend for a spot in the ACC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. One of the important players for Virginia Tech this season is going to be quarterback Kyron Drones, who took major strides toward the end of the season.

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

"The Hokies are one of the buzziest teams of the offseason thanks to Drones and an offense that ranks No. 1 nationally in returning production. Once Drones replaced Grant Wells in Week 3, Va. Tech’s offense went from the cellar-dweller of the ACC to the middle of the pack by the end of the season. Year 2 as the full-time starter provides even more potential for growth and ascension. With a fairly favorable schedule, the Hokies are eying a dark horse run back to ACC contention — but it likely hinges on their sophomore quarterback making another leap in 2024."

Simonton also listed FSU's D.J. 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 defined a x-factor as “one thing [or player] that will carry the greatest weight in determining whether the season will be great, good or a disappointment”. There were a few players that immediately came to mind for Virginia Tech, but here’s what ESPN had to say:

“QB. It is hard to call Drones an X-factor since he is the most well-known player on the team. But there is no question what happens with Virginia Tech this year depends on how well Drones plays after a second-half surge in 2023 sent expectations for this season soaring. The Hokies return a whopping 90% of their offensive production from a year ago, and it all starts with Drones, who threw for 2,084 yards and ran for another 818 last year. There is plenty of room for improvement, starting with his completion percentage (58.2%) and efficiency. If he lives up to the hype, Virginia Tech should absolutely be an ACC contender this season.”

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

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

Kyron Drones is an absolute beast, and he knows that he can succeed at the next level as well. When he addressed the media during the spring he was quoted as saying, “There’s no such thing as somebody being perfect, but I try to be the best I can be. I do hold myself to a certain standard and I’ve been like that all my life. Being hard on myself. I know sometimes it’s not as good as to be too hard on yourself, but that’s just the way I am. I hold myself to a certain standard that nobody else will hold me to.” 

That is definitely the mentality you want out of your starting quarterback. Drones carries himself with confidence, and will most certainly be a key factor in the offense for Brent Pry. This is the first time in a while that the trust of your quarterback is at an all-time high, you can trust Drones to do absolutely anything. The offense is run through Kyron Drones, and I think fans are absolutely fine with that."