Kyron Drones injury update: Brent Pry explains decision to shut down QB

Virginia Tech decided to shut down QB Kyron Drones for the remainder of spring practice last week as he deals with an undisclosed injury. That’s what the Hokies felt was best in order for him to be fully healthy in time for his final season of eligibility as a redshirt senior.

Brent Pry explained the program’s decision on Drones during his media availability on Tuesday amidst spring practice. He said he was dealing with some soreness that led them to look for outside opinions on it, which determined he needed a minor procedure. Virginia Tech wanted to go about it that way in hopes that he’ll be able to play for the duration of when they’ll need him from this summer through the fall.

“Yeah, he, uh, he got a little bit sore and, uh. You know, I said let’s reach out, let’s ask the experts, you know, what, what can we do to, to get this guy where he can be 100% for a full season and, you know, and some of the, the answers we got said, hey, let’s, let’s shut him down, let’s do this procedure,” said Pry. “He’ll be back rolling pretty quick. It gives him a better chance to stay healthy, which is what we all want. Had a great winter. He had a great first half of spring. You know, we could have rested him a couple days and brought him back and we might’ve been dealing with the same thing in the summer and again in the fall.”

“We reached out, like we should do, talked to a specialist or two and got some good, sound advice and some experiences with some other athletes around the country with a similar issue. And, uh, so we decided to, to shut him down and, and, you know, see if we can’t help him, you know, be 100%, you know, for the entirety. You know, let’s – we need him through the summer, we need him in camp, we need him all season long. As tough as Kyron is? You know, one of his greatest strengths is being able to run the ball and do things. So we need him 100% and he deserves that,” Pry said. “This is the right thing.”

Pry wouldn’t go any further into what the actual diagnosis was on Drones. What he did reveal, though, is that the Hokes hope to have him back in a month and a half to two months time around June.

“I’m not going to go into it anymore than that,” Pry said. “Yeah, I mean, I’ve said enough on it. I mean, it’s, it’s personal for him.

“Yeah, I think, uh, you know, possibly early June but, by mid-June he should be rocking and rolling at 100%” said Pry.

Drones has been Virginia Tech’s QB1 over the past two seasons. He has, in 22 games, thrown for 165.8 yards per game on 59.3% completion with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s posting 217 yards per game in total with the 52.5 he’s running for as well with eleven scores on the ground.

However, Drones would miss four of their final five games, including their last two in the regular season and their bowl game a month later, with a foot injury that may or may not be related to this now. He came into this portion of the year healthier but, just under three weeks later, he’s sidelined again and set to rehab for the next two months going into the summertime.

This is a disappointment for Drones considering he’d “looked great” through the winter and into the spring in during the install of their new offense per Pry. Still, whatever surgery he’s undergoing is what they felt was their best course of action of keeping him on the field throughout his final season in Blacksburg.

“We’re trying to be proactive. That’s probably the best way to say it,” said Pry. “You know, we got good work. He got a good feel for the offense. He’s in a good place. It just, it was the right thing to do.”