College Football Top 25 projections after 2018 spring practices
By Zach Bigalke
Two years ago, Justin Fuente led Virginia Tech to the ACC Coastal crown and a spot in the conference title game. Last year, the Hokies were overtaken by Miami in the division race. But Virginia Tech has the tools on offense to remain in contention in the ACC this year, beginning with quarterback Josh Jackson.
The dual-threat star was overshadowed by Kansas transfer Ryan Willis at the spring game, but Jackson is indisputably the starter in Blacksburg. When they keep the ball on the ground, Virginia Tech will employ a committee approach to running the ball. They should improve on their 69th-ranked scoring offense from last season.
Success and failure in 2018 will depend on how well the defense rebuilds. The Hokies lost a large quantity of talent on that side of the ball, including the Edmunds brothers who both went in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Until the defense proves itself back to vintage level, they won’t jump higher than the mid-teens of the AP Top 25.