BREAKING: America First Football Surprise Ranking — Hokies Shock Nation with Unexpected Rise in ESPN’s Preseason FPI
In a twist that few predicted but many in Blacksburg are celebrating, the Virginia Tech Hokies have soared higher than expected in ESPN’s Preseason Football Power Index (FPI) — landing at No. 14 nationally in a shocking but intriguing projection. It’s the highest preseason FPI ranking for the Hokies since their ACC title-contending days in the mid-2000s and a clear sign that the college football world is starting to believe again in Brent Pry’s rebuild.
The FPI, a data-driven projection system used to forecast team strength and performance, uses advanced metrics like returning production, recruiting rankings, quarterback value, and schedule strength. For the Hokies to crack the Top 15 — ahead of teams like Florida, USC, and even Notre Dame — marks a potential turning point in their climb back to national relevance.
> “It’s not a fluke,” a fictional ESPN analyst, Marcus Belton, said. “Virginia Tech checks more boxes than people realize: a seasoned quarterback, a scary-good front seven, elite returning production, and a schedule that opens doors.”
Indeed, a closer look at the roster reveals why the algorithm might favor the Hokies. Returning starter Kyron Drones, a dual-threat quarterback with poise and deep-ball accuracy, is coming off a 3,000-total-yard season with 26 touchdowns. Drones has reportedly added muscle and sharpened his short-game mechanics in the offseason, setting the stage for a breakout campaign in 2025.
More importantly, Tech returns 18 of 22 starters, including every member of a ferocious defensive line anchored by Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Josh Fuga. Their ability to control the trenches, combined with a revamped secondary featuring incoming transfer K.J. Winston Jr. from Penn State, gives Pry a defensive unit capable of frustrating even the best ACC offenses.
Offensively, rising sophomore Xavier Bradshaw and veteran target Da’Quan Felton give Tech a reliable 1-2 punch at wide receiver. Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen has emphasized tempo and spacing this offseason, hinting at a more aggressive and unpredictable scheme in 2025.
Still, the Hokies’ schedule may be the greatest factor behind their lofty FPI rise. With no Clemson, no Florida State, and a favorable home slate including Pitt, Syracuse, and Georgia Tech, Tech could realistically start 6-1 or better. A pivotal Thursday night matchup in Lane Stadium against Miami is already being billed as a statement game.
> “It’s a program built on toughness,” Coach Pry said at ACC Media Days (fictionally). “We’re not sneaking up on anyone anymore. We expect to win now.”
The reaction from the college football community has been mixed — some analysts calling it a “computational overreach,” while others see it as the start of a Hokie resurgence. But inside the Virginia Tech locker room, there’s no doubt: respect is back on the table.
For a fan base that’s endured over a decade of mediocrity and coaching turnover, the surprise rise in the America First Football FPI Rankings feels less like a statistical anomaly and more like validation. Whether they live up to the hype or not, one thing is clear — Virginia Tech is back in the national conversation.
Enter Sandman. Cue the noise. The Hokies are rising.
