Brent Pry describes how Virginia Tech is handling heightened expectations entering 2024

The Virginia Tech Hokies have become a trendy pick in the ACC as a sleeper team that has potential to build on their 7-6 finish last season ahead of their third season under head coach Brent Pry. Who has done an excellent job this offseason of recruiting and retaining talent on a Hokies’ roster that looks as strong as ever heading into the season.

A stronger roster this season and a stronger record last season comes with higher expectations, which Virginia Tech faces this year. Expectations that Pry joked about on ACC Football Kickoff during media days on Tuesday when Eddie Royal declared that they were high this season.

“Are they?” Pry asked getting a laugh out of the desk.

Pry was asked about how he and the team are managing those new expectations throughout the offseason as Week 1 gets closer and closer. Revealing that finding a balance seems to be pivotal in the mindset of the Hokies ahead of a highly anticipated year.

“No, I don’t embrace it, but we talk about it. I want them to get pats on the back, I want him to feel good about what people are saying because there were some good accomplishments,” Pry said. “But they also need to understand in the same breath that has no bearing on the team that we’ll be when we go to Nashville, has no bearing on it. It’s the same type of noise, it just sounds different when we were 1-3.”

Virginia Tech had a disappointing 1-3 start to last season following four non-conference matchups but turned things around with a 5-3 record in conference play. Starting this season in the same fashion with a road matchup against Vanderbilt that they’re currently 13.5-point favorites in.

But when it comes to expectations, Pry thinks it’s best to keep them in house where they’re understood best.

“It has no bearing on who we are as a team. Only in that team room do we know what we have to do, and who we need to be, where we gotta get better. The folks in that room. Nobody else really knows, no disrespect, but nobody knows like we know in that room,” Pry concluded.

According to FanDuel, the Hokies’ season win total line currently sits at 8.5. But in house, Virginia Tech likely has even higher expectations for themselves ahead of a season where they’ll look to make some serious noise in the ACC and potentially beyond nationally.