Game 1 Preview: Scouting the Virginia Tech Hokies

South Carolina football is finally back.

The Gamecocks last appeared in a game on the final afternoon of 2024. 243 days later, they will take on Virginia Tech in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

South Carolina's season opener is littered with connections between both teams, especially for head coach Shane Beamer. Beamer's father, Frank, coached the Hokies from 1987 to 2015; Shane walked on to the Virginia Tech football team and spent five seasons in Blacksburg as a player from 1995 to 1999, before later working as a running backs coach there from 2011 to 2015. The latter will face his alma mater (and former employer) for the first time as a head coach on Sunday.

But before the game kicks off at 3 p.m. on ESPN, here’s what the Hokies bring to the table.

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How they got here

Many media members pegged Virginia Tech to be a dark horse candidate to win the ACC last year. Those titl hopes were subsequently dashed in the Hokies' season opener — a 34-27 overtime loss to Vanderbilt. At the time, the Commodores were believed to be an SEC bottom-feeder. No one could have predicted that Vanderbilt would finish the season 6-6 and Clark Lea would be the conference's Coach of the Year. That loss, however, still stunted Virginia Tech's upward trajectory.

The Hokies finished the regular season with a similar 6-6 record and went 4-4 against conference opponents. Those marks could have been 7-5 and 5-3, respectively, had it not been for a controversial, overturned Hail Mary call late in what would be a 38-34 loss to Miami midway through the campaign.

Virginia Tech flirted with bowl ineligibility in November, as a 31-28 defeat to Duke dropped it to 5-6. A dominant 37-17 Commonwealth Clash win over in-state rivals Virginia, though, gave it a shot at postseason glory.

The Hokies drew Minnesota in a Duke's Mayo Bowl matchup on Jan. 3. But a roster grappling with a slew of transfer portal departures and NFL Draft-related drop-outs proved to be little match for that of the Golden Gophers, as the Big Ten's eighth-place finishers won by a 24-10 score.

Last time out

Virginia Tech is a team that doesn't frequently appear on the Gamecocks' schedule, as South Carolina has played the Hokies just 20 times in its football program's history. Matchups between the two teams were much more frequent from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, when the last South Carolina-Virginia Tech game took place.

On September 21, 1991, the Gamecocks and Hokies faced off at Williams-Brice Stadium in front of 68,200 fans. South Carolina had earned a tie and a loss in its first two games of the season and was looking to claim its first victory of the season. It did exactly that, as a run of 21 unanswered points after Virginia Tech scored on its opening possession helped the Gamecocks win 28-21.

Where they sit in the rankings

The Hokies are not ranked in either the AP or USA Today Coaches polls. They also did not receive any votes in either poll, even though Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry is a voter for the latter ranking.

In ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI), the Hokies are ranked No. 32 with an 8.1 FPI. Their projected record is 8.0-4.2. The team has a 95.1 percent chance of winning six games, an 8.3 percent chance of winning the ACC and a 10.4 percent chance of reaching the College Football Playoff this season.

In ESPN’s SP+ rankings, Virginia Tech checks in at No. 42 with a score of 6.9.

The Hokies sit 45th in the Massey Ratings. They rank 47th in offense and 48th in defense.

ESPN gives Virginia Tech a 29.1% percent chance to win this weekend. The Hokies head into the contest as 7.5-point underdogs, according to ESPN BET Sportsbook.

Players to watch

Kyron Drones (Redshirt senior, quarterback) – Drones, who transferred to Virginia Tech from Baylor after the 2022 season, is the leader of the Hokies' offense and one of the nation's premier dual-threat signal callers. Drones missed four games due to injury in 2025, but he still provided plenty of production in the pocket and on the ground. He completed 60.7% (136-of-224) of his pass attempts for 1,526 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. Drones also ran the ball 98 times for an additional 336 yards and three scores.

Ben Bell (Fifth-year, defensive lineman) – One of Virginia Tech's most notable transfer portal additions this offseason, Bell was among college football's top edge rushers in 2024. He appeared in 11 games (starting seven) for Texas State last year, logging 57 tackles (including 32 solo stops), 16.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, six quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Bell landed on the All-Sun Belt Second Team for his efforts.

Terion Stewart (Graduate student, running back) – With last year's starter Bhayshul Tuten now playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL, Stewart is expected to play a big role in the Hokies' offense. He spent the 2024 campaign with Bowling Green, where he was an All-MAC First Team selection. Stewart gained a team-high 898 yards and scored six touchdowns on 166 carries last year.

Path to victory

Season openers are supposed to set the tone for the upcoming campaign. But, for whatever reason, they've been a struggle for South Carolina in recent years. Take its near-upset loss to Old Dominion in 2024 as an example.

LaNorris Sellers, now with a full season of starting experience under his belt, shouldn't experience the same growing pains he did against the Monarchs. But scoring points quickly will, hopefully, lead the Gamecocks to a more stress-free Week 1 this time around.

Sellers won't be the only dual-threat quarterback on the field, though. Drones has shown over the past two seasons that he can inflict damage on opposing defenses with both his arm and legs. Defensive coordinator Clayton White believes Drones could even be "one of the top quarterbacks" the Gamecocks will face in 2025. South Carolina's new-look defensive line, specifically, should be prepared for planned quarterback keepers and scrambles when the pocket collapses.

Special teams could also play a big factor in Sunday's game. "Beamer Ball" is now more closely related to the Gamecocks, but it has its origins at Virginia Tech. The Hokies forced multiple blocked kicks in 2024, while South Carolina's special teams unit still appears to be working itself out. Minimizing mistakes and capitalizing on those of Virginia Tech should swing the game further in the Gamecocks' favor.

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