Virginia Tech a “dark-horse” candidate in Early 2025 ACC Championship Odds

The Hokies are not favorites to win the conference.
Jan 29, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team running back Bhayshul Tuten of Virginia Tech (33) runs the ball during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team running back Bhayshul Tuten of Virginia Tech (33) runs the ball during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
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The 2024 Virginia Tech Hokies fell short of their preseason expectations, but the 2025 season presents an entirely new challenge for the transfer-heavy Hokies.

Virginia Tech lost plenty of talent to a strong graduating class and a strong transfer portal outgoing class. Mansoor Delane and Braelin Moore were some of the most pursued players in the portal. Losing top portal players will always be detrimental, but Virginia Tech did a fair job of recouping.

After considering the schedule, Virginia Tech is +3500 at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the ACC Championship. At FanDuel Sportsbook, Clemson, Miami, SMU, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Florida State, North Carolina, and Duke have shorter odds than the Hokies to win the conference title.

Virginia Tech has been fairly inconsistent throughout the past couple of years, but they could be much better in the upcoming year. The Hokies signed 19 transfers, and some of them could be very high impact players. Ben Bell from Texas State fits the mold of a Virginia Tech pass rusher. Braydon Bennett, Terion Stewart, and Marcellous Hawkins add to one of the most stacked running back rooms in the conference. Cam Seldon is a dynamic playmaker who adds upside at many positions. Sherrod Covil Jr. is a high upside safety who adds experience at a CFP-level team. The list goes on and on.

Even though there’s some growth in some categories, the Hokies have to be better. Being a perennial six-win team is not the desired brand of Virginia Tech football, and after Coach Fuente’s tenure, the Hokies have not been as big of a success as program history suggests.

Recruiting has gone fairly well, again the Hokies are not separated from the back, but they are not heavily lacking. The Hokies finished 41st overall in 247Sports recruiting rankings, 39th overall in 247Sports Composite rankings, and 33rd overall in 247Sports Transfer Rankings.

The other main thing that Brent Pry has going for him is the recent signing of Sam Siefkes as the Hokies’ new defensive coordinator. If the hire works out, this could buy Brent Pry a seat away from the hot seat. If the hire doesn’t? Pry will definitely remain on the hot seat. Siefkes is the definition of a risky hire. He doesn’t have experience as a coordinator at the Power Four level, but he has extreme upside, being praised as one of the best defensive minds in all of football by Dave Aranda and Mike Zimmer. This is the big determinant for Brent Pry in 2025. He needs to lean on his staff in this upcoming year, and the Hokies could be much better if Eveeything starts to click with Kyron Drones behind center.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Additional Links:

Former Hokie Star joins Michael Vick’s Coaching Staff at Norfolk State

"Situational football" leads way in hiring of Sam Siefkes As Virginia Tech's New Defensive Coordinator

Virginia Tech Football: Grading the Hokies’ Hire of Sam Siefkes as Defensive Coordinator


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RJ Schafer
RJ SCHAFER

RJ Schafer joined the On SI team in 2024, contributing to the coverage of Major League Baseball, Collegiate Basketball, and Collegiate Football at https://www.si.com/college/virginiatech/. Prior to this, RJ built a strong portfolio covering Georgia Tech and the Tigers for the Bleav Network. With a solid background in sports journalism, RJ has conducted interviews with both collegiate and professional athletes, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his reporting. RJ's extensive experience in the sports industry has equipped him with a keen understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of both collegiate and professional sports. His work is focused on providing insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage, making him a trusted voice in the sports community.