Staff Predictions for the 2017 Virginia Tech Football Season

Whereas the theme of last year's fall camp was "transitions", this off-season has been focused squarely on "turnover". Gone are two of the top five receptions leaders in Virginia Tech history; the battering ram, nay gunslinging, starting quarterback; Sam Rogers; the hard-hitting leader of the secondary; and the right side of the offensive line (to name a few missing pieces). With so many fresh faces being relied on from the outset, the 2017 Virginia Tech football season will be filled with plenty of anxiousness and intrigue.

With that in mind, The Key Play's staff decided to once again indulge Hokie Nation with its predictions for the upcoming Hokies' campaign.

Joe Lanza

Season Prediction: Virginia Tech returns an impressive cast of characters on defense. There are depth issues (especially at d-line), but Bud Foster has a fine starting 11 which in the pre-Fuente era was more than enough to get Hokie Nation excited. On the other hand, the offense is woefully inexperienced, but there is certainly talent among the bunch. West Virginia, North Carolina, at Miami, at Georgia Tech, and Pitt are toss-up games. Clemson is the only anticipated loss. The Coastal is wide open. Expect great results if the offense gets up to speed quickly and the defense is as good as expected.

Final Regular Season Record: 9–3

Key Matchup: Virginia Tech at Miami

Breakout Player: Give me one-or-more of the true freshman wide receivers — Sean Savoy, Hezekiah Grimsley, or Kalil Pimpleton. Tech needs at least one of the lot to step up and help fill the hole at wideout. The opportunity is there. At times throughout August camp, Fuente and Cornelsen spoke highly of Pimpleton and Grimsley, but Savoy is no slouch either. Ultimately, I'll take Pimp because he was an early enrollee, has a decent mass for his height (5-8, 170), and Fuente handpicked a then relatively unknown recruit from well outside of Tech's normal recruiting footprint for this offense.

#Hokies commit Kalil Pimpleton = elusive. He was in our top ten: https://t.co/CeomWxTrgB @TheVTZone pic.twitter.com/kztL3AIreC— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) May 19, 2016

Alex Koma

Season Prediction: In the interest of transparency, I'll remind everyone that I predicted a 7-5 season last year, so I encourage everyone to ignore everything I have to say on this subject! With that out of the way, I'll attempt to justify why my prediction of 8-4 will be right this time around. The Hokies, once more, have a workable ACC schedule, but I worry that things are still so uncertain on offense that predicting a second straight 10-win season might be a bit optimistic. Bud Foster's defense should be exceptional, and I think that can go a long way toward keeping this team afloat as Josh Jackson figures things out. That being said, this squad will have quite the challenging month or so from Oct. 21 to Nov. 18, a stretch I expect will decide the team's season (and likely the ACC Coastal as well). Da U might not be all the way back and there's little in the way of certainty in the division writ large — Duke could win this thing, and I wouldn't be even a little bit surprised. But I just wonder if a brand new quarterback, devoid even of JUCO experience, and a largely new crop of skill position players can replicate last year's immediate success. That's not to say they won't in the future, but this year, 8-4 feels about right.

Final Regular Season Record: 8–4

Key Matchup: I wish I could pick a game other than the trip to Miami, but I just can't. That could very well decide who goes to the ACC title game, but keep an eye on the road trip to Georgia Tech the very next week, win or lose.

Breakout Player: DE Trevon Hill is my pick. He seems to fit the profile of a guy who's had time to learn and shown flashes in a limited role, and is now ready to step up and make a name for himself. He had a ton of hype coming out of high school, even after his big knee injury, and I expect this is the year we see what he's made of.

French

Season Prediction: There is so much mystery associated with this team that it makes the oncoming season exciting and incredibly difficult to predict. If the quarterback play improves (based on Justin Fuente's track record and Josh Jackson's near toppling of Jerod Evans in 2016, that isn't a stretch) and the inexperienced new receivers can replicate 70% of Isaiah Ford, Bucky Hodges, and Sam Rogers's production, this is an ACC championship caliber team. Fuente's teams in Memphis took a big leap forward in year two. His skill position players may be inexperienced, but they are better suited for the offense.

At the same time, Evans was a record setting quarterback because he had a unique skill set. Hodges and Ford were generational talents. Offensive line, defensive line depth, and corner depth are still issues.

There are numerous questions to consider. Can Jackson be more efficient than Evans? Can Dalton Keene and the young receivers block better and turn easy catches into big gains? Can the right side of the offensive line stay engaged on blocks? Can the defensive line depth hold up against HUHN teams? If the answers are "Yes," the Hokies will run away with the Coastal. If not, they will be a middle of the pack team. Either way, I believe the future is bright if Fuente can restock the offensive and defensive lines consistently.

Final Regular Season Record: 9–3

Key Matchup: I don't think the key matchup is against a team. Syracuse created a blueprint for how to attack Bud Foster's defense with a spread offense. The Orange put triple receivers to the wide side of the field. That forced Foster to either play zero coverage with his free safety on the inside slot, or leverage man with Andrew Motuapuaka on the inside slot. Syracuse ran RPO against both looks. If the slot was on Motuapuaka, Syracuse would throw quick stick routes on him and if he wasn't open, the quarterback would run.

West Virginia, Clemson, UNC, and Duke have personnel that can exploit this scheme. Rather than having five corners in the secondary like the Hokies did last year, there is no Chuck Clark. Terrell Edmunds looks like a monster, but with 20 additional pounds, he has struggled in coverage on quick slot receivers in the Hokies social media clips from fall camp. Reggie Floyd and Devon Hunter are more traditional rovers, and Mook Reynolds is better around the line of scrimmage than in coverage. The Hokies ability to lock down receivers allows Foster to play more defenders in the box. I am not worried about the Hokies' corners. However, if they can't take away the slot receivers, Foster's ability to get extra defenders in the box is compromised. I believe four games hinge on it, and those four games can significantly change the trajectory of the season.

Breakout Player: Dalton Keene is my pick for the breakout player. He brings a combination of size, speed, strength, and attitude that makes him an ideal fit at H-Back. Keene isn't a finished product. Few freshmen are. However, if Keene can reach his potential, it makes every other aspect of the offense better.

I also think Trevon Hill is primed for a huge year. But, it is difficult to call him a breakout player as he delivered some stellar performances last year.

Brian Marcolini

Season Prediction: The defense will be great. They have depth at corner, playmakers at linebacker, and serious beef on the line. In terms of pure ability, this could be one of the most talented units Bud Foster's had in 10 years.

The season, as per usual, will come down to the offense. 2017 is actually a fascinating test case for the Fuente/Foster partnership. For the last two decades, Bud's presence has guaranteed a defense that was at least well above average. Though he's often fielded elite groups, his system and his coaching alone can promise good.

Like Foster, Fuente also relies on a system. Yes, it's a system made better by talented players, but he simply wants to put his guys in positions to make plays (regardless of ability). Losing Bucky Hodges, Isaiah Ford, and Jerod Evans hurts. But if this group can put up similar numbers without the star talent, wouldn't Fuente and Cornelsen show a similar consistency to Bud? And if so — and the absolute floor every year is above average production on both sides of the ball — isn't that a recipe for a program that'll win at least eight games a year?

West Virginia will be tough just because it's the first game of the season (I predict a sloppy showing similar to what we saw against Tennessee). Clemson will be tough because they're extremely talented, and Tech's just not there yet. But everything else? Winnable.

Final Regular Season Record: 9–3

Key Matchup: Let's envision a pessimistic, if not realistic scenario: age and inexperience show in the season opener against West Virginia. Though it'd feel like a kick in the Hokie stones, a loss Week 1 to the Mountaineers is inconsequential to larger season goals. Even the most optimistic among us don't think this team is a playoff contender (though I wrote this before TheFifthFuller wrote his preview, so I could be wrong).

After the loss, Josh Jackson improves, the defense sharpens, and the Hokies roll Delaware, ECU and ODU. And there, in Week 5 sits Clemson. The Tigers come back to Lane Stadium for the first time since Andre Branch perpetually squished Logan Thomas in 2011. This has to be the most important game of the 2017 season, right?

In the words of Pastor Lee, not so fast my friend. The Hokies can still lose to Clemson and win the Coastal. But on Saturday, October 21, Tech will play their most important contest. It's Week 8, Fuente and company will be fresh off a bye week, and host North Carolina in Blacksburg. If they want to head back to the ACC Championship Game, they can't start their conference schedule 1-2, which means beating the Tar Heels borders on must-win.

Breakout Player: It's going to be a receiver not named Cam Phillips (who's already great). I don't know how I feel about Henri Murphy and James Clark, but I'm also hesitant to pick a true freshman to break out — which is foolish considering the work Phillips and Ford did in 2013. So what about Sean Savoy? The dude played receiver in high school, unlike Khalil Pimpleton or Caleb Farley (RIP his knee), and had an impressive offer list. He fits perfectly as a slot receiver who can make things happen after the catch, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him have 40-50 receptions and a few big time plays over the middle.

Pierson Booher

Season Prediction: Despite a number of key departures, the 2017 Hokies have the makings of a formidable group. Each August, we simultaneously gush and fret over how well first-time starters will fare in Week 1. This year is no different. The wide receiver group, which is in dire need of fresh playmakers after the departures of Isaiah Ford and Bucky Hodges, is flush with talented (albeit inexperienced) options. The quarterback position appears to be settled at the moment, but questions surrounding Josh Jackson's running ability could cause fans and coaches alike to get antsy if even baseline expectations are not met early on. The right side of the offensive line is a bit green. A few guys need to step up along the defensive line to provide rotational depth. And how consistent can Aussie punter Oscar Bradburn be in front of tens of thousands of people?

Given the prevalence of high-octane offenses in today's game, I doubt we will see the utter domination from Bud Foster's group that typified the Aughts. They're going to give up some points. Thus, the offense's ability to adjust to their new (elevated) roles is the most critical factor in determining whether this season ends in success or failure. After last year's run to the ACC Championship, Justin Fuente has got all of Hokie Nation drinking the Kool-Aid. Those clad in maroon and orange believe in his system.

So long as the lights aren't too bright for the fresh faces, it's hard not to imagine this team pulling down at least 9 wins. But if things go awry early against the Mountaineers, it could feel like the 2013 season all over again.

Final Regular Season Record: 9–3

Key Matchup: At Miami. Everyone thinks The U is back (again). All of the pre-season hype focuses on their uber-talented defense, but the offense's ability to pull their weight remains to be seen. Sound familiar? By the time these two teams square off in early November, the Canes will have already endured road trips to Tallahassee, Durham and Chapel Hill (plus challenging defensive match-ups against Georgia Tech and Syracuse). They could easily be on the verge of elimination from the Coastal Division race. Past Miami teams withered against that level of adversity, but maybe Mark Richt has figured out a way to enact change. Games at this point in the season often come down to whose roster is healthiest. If the offseason strength-and-conditioning results are any indication, Ben Hilgart could prove to be this season's real MVP.

Breakout Player: I seriously debated Khalil Pimpleton in this spot, but I'm going to go with freshman H-Back Dalton Keene. I immediately fell in love with Pimp's high school film — don't be surprised if I drop a love letter to the jitterbug sometime this season — but I'm not presently convinced that he will have a big enough role to be the breakout player this fall. Enter Keene, the Hokies' new Swiss Army Knife. The dude is a beast and has shown exceptional athleticism for someone his size. If he becomes a reliable blocker, he could really open things up for this offense. If he shows solid hands and an ability to surprise between the tackles, he could really open things up for this offense.

I have been pretty terrible at picking Tech's regular season record over the years, but I'll hang my hat on my breakout player selection history. Isaiah Ford (2014), Travon McMillian (2015), and Tremaine Edmunds (2016) have come through for me thus far. Here's hoping Keene makes it four straight.

TheFifthFuller

Season Prediction: A Bud Foster defense, highlighted by two brothers, a large, punt returning defensive tackle, and an honorary Fuller in Mook Reynolds? Check. A savvy offensive coordinator who figures out how to succeed with the tools he has, like Cam Phillips, Steven Peoples and Superstar-Freshman-Wide-Receiver-to-be-Identified-Sometime-During-September? Check. A quarterback good enough to seize the starting role as a freshman? CHECK.

All I'm saying is, Michael Vick was the last redshirt freshman to be named starting quarterback for game one. Now, I'm not saying (yet) that Pacey is the second coming of MV7, but how'd that season work out for the Hokies? Tech won every game that didn't feature Peter Warrick, and I'm sure he's out of eligibility.

Final Regular Season Record: All three losses last year happened away from Lane Stadium against teams that wear orange jerseys. This year? Tech's only orange jersey opponent is Clemson, and they're coming to the Terror Dome. Like Marcolini didn't know where I was going with this; 15–0, unreasonable expectations are a GOOOOOOOOO.

Key Matchup: West Virginia. HEAR ME OUT. Every time Tech's opened the season at FedEx, a raging inferno of torment and grief, the Hokies ended up in a BCS Bowl. But why stop there? Aim for the stars, because Tech went to BCS bowls ONLY BECAUSE the playoffs didn't exist yet. And the last time the Hokies played WVU while starting a freshman quarterback with an undefeated record on the line? THE STARS ARE ALIGNING. If the Hokies can shake the curse of Dan Snyder's pit of despair and send the Mountaineers home crying, I believe the momentum will be unstoppable for the remainder of the season.

Breakout Player: Vinny Mihota. With the defense behind him as fearsome as ever, a wildman is needed to step up and wreak unmitigated havoc in opponents' backfield. If he can do a passable impersonation of Corey Moore's crazy eyes, that's just ice cream on the cookie.

Joel Smith

Season Prediction: Fuente's first season certainly set the bar high for the program, but there are reasons to doubt season two will build on that success. Aside from the talent that departed the program, especially at skill positions, the Hokies landed on the winning side of all three one-score games during the regular season. Replacing QB is less of a concern to me; that choice is a balance of making sure you pick the right guy, and getting whoever the guy is enough reps. Last season that balance pushed the decision later and this season seems like it was an easier choice. Whether the RB and WR positions step up enough remains to be seen. I see a successful season that may not be enough to win the Coastal again.

Final Regular Season Record: 9–3

Key Matchup: This feels a little too obvious, but Miami. The Hokies would send a big statement by repeating as Coastal champs, and Miami seems to be the obvious challenger, although Duke seems to be flying way under the radar.

Breakout Player: Chris Cunningham. With question marks at wide receiver, I expect the tight end position to get more involved in the passing game this season. And Cunningham demonstrated he was, at the very least, a red zone threat last season.

Billy Berlin (BilldozerVT)

Season Prediction: I want so badly to temper my expectations and be happy to win 8 or 9 games this season, but of course that is impossible. In the past, a Bud Foster defense of this caliber paired with a lackluster offense had me thinking about 10+ wins and a NY6 bowl. I believe that even with so much talent to replace, a rebuilding Fuente offense is still going to put up points. At least, enough points to keep Tech in, or win, every game on the schedule. This team is probably still a couple years out from a playoff berth so what I am hoping for is another season like the last that shows us how excited we need to be about the future.

Final Regular Season Record: 10–2

Key Matchup: It has to be Clemson. I fully expect the Hokies to beat WVU in the opener, and then cruise to a 4-0 record. I envision a night game at Lane with College GameDay in attendance. The nation's eyes will be upon Virginia Tech. Excuse me while I go take a cold shower now.

Breakout Player: I think I'll go with Dalton Keene here. He already looks the part and will be put in various roles to create mismatches. He will be one of a handful of true freshman who will be difference makers this year.

Joey Coogan

Season Prediction: This is surely redundant by now, but any thoughts I have on the Hokies' chances this season ultimately circle back to the question marks under center. If Tech manages to find a quarterback — not necessarily a replacement for Jerod Evans, but a serviceable quarterback — they've got a chance to be scary good. If not? Well, Fuente and Co. could be staring 6-6 straight in the face.

As usual, I have the utmost confidence in Bud Foster's defense. The secondary is once again loaded with playmakers, and smart money may be on Tremaine Edmunds as the best pure football player in the state of Virginia. If Vinny Mihota and Trevon Hill can stay healthy up-front, this promises to be a vintage Virginia Tech defense.

But with so much unknown until the Hokies take the field in Landover, I'll hedge my bets for now, reserving the right to proclaim this team a playoff contender if Josh Jackson somehow lives up to the seemingly optimistic Marcus Mariota comparisons.

Final Regular Season Record: 9–3

Key Matchup: A few different routes to go here, but I'll stick with the return of the Black Diamond Trophy. So much hinges on the season opener at FedExField, with the remainder of Tech's September schedule prior to Clemson appearing mostly manageable. Point being, if the Hokies find a way to squeak past the Mountaineers, it could be a clash of unbeatens on Saturday night in Lane Stadium come September 30.

*Goosebumps*

Breakout Player: I'm probably not allowed to pick Tremaine Edmunds, but that's never stopped me before...so Edmunds it is. Before collectively rolling your eyes, hear me out. The youngest of the Edmunds trio garnered Second Team All-ACC honors a year ago, but I see no reason that his ascension to stardom should stop there. I've got Edmunds bursting onto the national scene this year, leaping directly into the first-round draft pick conversation by Thanksgiving. That qualifies as breaking out, right?

Mark Umansky

Season Prediction: I think this year's Hokies will be about the same as last year's, on average. A strong Bud Foster defense should hide some freshmen-sized holes on the offense, but Virginia Tech is replacing way too much firepower on that side of the ball for there to not be a hiccup, especially with the usual craziness that the ACC Coastal tends to produce lately. I fully expect Virginia Tech to give away a game due to the offense still finding their footing.

I don't think this team gets blown out by anyone this year, but a redshirt-freshman QB and offense only in year two (Remember! Only year two!) with a whole year of tape for opposing ACC coaches to study will likely give us a couple headaches for games (Pitt? Probably Pitt. Stupid Pitt.)

Final Regular Season Record: 9–3

Key Matchup: West Virginia. The Hokies have a fantastic chance to stop the early season out-of-conference primetime TV matchup loss streak AND get a win at Dan Snyder's House of Pain, while keeping their hands on the Black Diamond Trophy all at once. Win at FedEx, and it's probably an undefeated Virginia Tech when Clemson rolls into Blacksburg a few weeks later. I'm thinking 8:00 Saturday Night Kickoff.

Breakout Player: Tim Settle for Heisman (and Piesman).