Transfer Additions at Wide Receiver Elevate Virginia Tech's Offensive Ceiling
There was an obvious difference in Virginia Tech's offense on Saturday and it can be traced directly to the Hokies' new wide receivers.
Maybe it really is about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s.
Virginia Tech displayed a little bit of everything in their 36-17 win over Old Dominion on Saturday. We saw some broken tackles from running backs, improved play from Grant Wells, flashes of an impactful pass rush and lock-down coverage in the secondary. But most importantly, we saw plays made in the passing game.
Judging from the Hokies’ transfer portal activity this offseason, Brent Pry’s No.1 priority was adding talent to the wide receiver room. As much as Wells struggled in 2022, some of those issues were directly related to a lack of talent and athleticism at receiver.
Ali Jennings, Jaylin Lane and Da’Quan Felton all put their stamp on Saturday’s win. The trio combined for 10 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns, giving Wells something he lacked for most, if not all, of 2022.
Lane successfully served as a safety blanket in the first half while Jennings’ two second-half scores allowed Virginia Tech to break the game open. It was a needed breath of fresh air.
While Virginia Tech struggled to run the football on Saturday, moving the ball through the air was a completely different story. Wells put on his best performance in the maroon and orange, throwing for 251 yards and three scores.
Successfully throwing the football was a foreign concept last season, but adding quality receivers makes it possible.
It brought the Hokies’ offense to heights never seen in the Brent Pry area. Saturday was the first time under Pry’s leadership that Tech scored 30 or more points.
For the first time in a long time, it looked like the ceiling of Virginia Tech’s offense was higher than the first floor. Even if it came against a poor team, we now know that the Hokies can get the job done on offense.
The Hokies are far from a complete team, but Saturday confirmed that there’s a level of talent at receiver we didn’t see in 2022. And regardless of the X’s and the O’s, the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s can make a visible and decisive difference.
Other Notes
To further drive home the point about the Hokies’ transfer receivers, Ali Jennings and Jaylin Lane graded out at a respectable 80.8 and 72, respectively, per Pro Football Focus.
Virginia Tech registered five sacks on Saturday, their most in a single game since the 2021 season opener against North Carolina. Antwaun Powell-Ryland had two of those sacks, which is exactly what you’d like to see against this level of competition.
Old Dominion wasn’t expected to challenge the Hokies very much through the air, but Tech’s defensive backs did an exceptional job locking down the opposing receiving corps. Grant Wilson did throw for two touchdowns, but he completed just 52 percent of his passes and threw an interception to Dorian Strong.
Turnovers and penalties plagued Virginia Tech all of last season, but not on Saturday. The Hokies were tagged with just four flags for 39 yards and won the turnover battle by three. We saw almost zero operational issues and the Hokies didn’t have to waste any timeouts.
Tucker Holloway needs to start at punt returner. Holloway showed us all a glimpse of what he could do last season and he nearly scored on another return Saturday. As dynamic as Jaylin Lane may be, Holloway seems to be the best returner on the roster.