Virginia Tech vs Vanderbilt: PFF Grades For Every Virginia Tech Player on Offense
Virginia Tech couldn’t put it all together against Vanderbilt, putting up more total yards than Vanderbilt, but ultimately falling short. There were more questions that arose on Saturday than questions that were answered. The offense looked better in the second half, highlighted by four scoring drives out of Virginia Tech’s first five drives.
The rushing attack didn’t generate much yardage, finishing the game with 75 yards total on 2.5 yards per carry. Since Virginia Tech was trailing most of the game, Tuten didn’t get a large amount of carries, finishing the game with 9 carries for 34 yards. Malachi Thomas also didn’t get much action, finishing with four yards on one carry. The quarterback run, again—was disappointing. Collin Schlee finished the game with 9 yards, and Drones finished the game with 19 yards, on 16 rushes. Takye Heath and Jaylin Lane also got a carry, but not a ton of production from the Hokies’ run game.
That was a massive setback for the Hokies, as the run offense in 2023 was what Brent Pry relied on, Kyron Drones being able to scramble into open space, and Bhayshul Tuten being a great downfield runner.
The passing game was interesting as well. Drones finished with a less than desirable 58.1 QBR on 33 pass attempts. Kyron completed 22 passes for 322 yards, good for an average of 9.8. Drones threw one interception and had touchdowns to Jennings and Tuten, as Jennings led the team in receiving. Jennings had 91 yards, followed by Stephen Gosnell with 72, Jaylin Lane with 62, Benji Gosnell with 61, and Bhayshul Tuten with 18 receiving yards. Da’Quan Felton and Malachi Thomas also had receptions too, finishing with 13 yards and 5 yards respectively.
The game was ultimately a disappointment for Brent Pry on offense, as the Hokies weren’t able to take advantage of a Vanderbilt defense which wasn’t amazing in years past.
So how did Virginia Tech offensive players grade out on PFF (Pro Football Focus)? Here are the grades for each offensive player with their snap count in parentheses.
1.QB Kyron Drones- 81.7 (63)
2.G Braelin Moore- 75.0 (67)
3.WR Jaylin Lane- 74.6 (29)
4.WR Takye Heath- 70.5 (5)
5.HB Bhayshul Tuten- 67.9 (47)
6.T Xavier Chaplin- 67.7 (67)
7.WR Ali Jennings- 65.3 (50)
8.WR Stephen Gosnell- 64.1 (39)
9.TE Benji Gosnell- 61.8 (63)
10.C Kaden Moore- 61.3 (67)
11.TE Zeke Wimbush- 60.0 (1)
12.HB P.J. Prioleau- 59.7 (3)
13.QB Collin Schlee- 57.8 (6)
14.HB Malachi Thomas- 57.1 (21)
15.T/G Layth Ghannam- 54.7 (67)
16.WR Da’Quan Felton- 54.3 (50)
17.T Parker Clements- 49.9 (67)
18.TE Harrison Saint Germain- 48.7 (7)
19.WR Ayden Greene- 41.5 (18)
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.