After a bye week, the Virginia Tech football team is back on the field, gearing up for this weekend’s matchup at Duke as they aim to become bowl-eligible. With injuries starting to accumulate, it’s uncertain who will be available for the game. We’ll kick off this edition of Virginia Tech Football News with a major snub for a defensive lineman who was passed over for a prestigious award.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland is not a finalist for the Lombardi Award
File this under, “Are you kidding me?” On Wednesday, the finalists for the prestigious Lombardi Award were announced, and Hokies defensive edge Antwaun Powell-Ryland was notably left off the list. This is a significant oversight.
Powell-Ryland, who is bound for the NFL with 13 sacks this season, wasn’t even a finalist for an award recognizing the most outstanding college football lineman. He has delivered two dominant performances with four sacks each against Old Dominion and Boston College in 2024, yet he was passed over for this honor.
Injury updates
According to Kolby Crawford of 247Sports, running back Bhayshul Tuten was back at practice for the Hokies after suffering an injury against Georgia Tech on October 26. He missed the Syracuse game the following week but played against Clemson on November 9, though he struggled to move well.
Meanwhile, fellow running back Malachi Thomas was not practicing, still wearing a boot and ruled out for this week. Also donning blue limited/non-contact jerseys were Stephen Gosnell, Tucker Holloway, Jaden Keller, and Jaylen Jones. Keller and Jones being in these jerseys is concerning with the game just days away in Durham.
Kyron Drones still questionable for Duke
After stating on Tuesday that Kyron Drones was still questionable for the Duke game, Brent Pry updated the situation on Wednesday, mentioning that Drones has been alternating between practice and the trainer’s room. At Wednesday’s practice, UCLA transfer Collin Schlee and Pop Watson took reps as QB1 and QB2, respectively.
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