Marshall football 2023 opponents: Is Wells' time up as Hokies starter?

Editor’s note: This is the third installment of a 12-part series previewing Marshall’s football opponents for the 2023 season. After an early bye week, Marshall resumes in Week 4 and hosts Virginia Tech. Perhaps one of the more intriguing story lines of Virginia Tech’s trip to Huntington on Sept. 23 won’t be one at all. When two-year starting quarterback Grant Wells transferred from the Herd to the Hokies following the 2021 season, many eyes went straight to this scheduled game and presumed Wells might be in line to start against his former squad with his new colors. While it remains a possibility, there’s someone ready to challenge Wells, who started all 11 games for Virginia Tech last season, for the starting job this year: Baylor transfer Kyron Drones. After Wells threw four interceptions in a 20-17 loss to Old Dominion in the 2022 season opener, first-year coach Brent Pry stuck with him and he finished the year with an even nine touchdowns to nine interceptions, tossing for 2,171 yards and hitting 59% of his throws. An impressive spring game in which Wells completed 12 of 16 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown left a better taste for himself and Pry as they head down the home stretch of the offseason, but Drones stands ready to challenge. Pry has referred to Drones as a “triple-threat” quarterback, and his explosiveness will create a competition that will likely last deep into the summer months before Pry names a starter between the two. Whomever starts will do so with an experienced wideout group that features two quality transfers in Ali Jennings (formerly of West Virginia and Old Dominion) and Jaylin Lane (formerly at Middle Tennessee), who each had at least 900 yards receiving last season. Jennings was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection with the Monarchs after tallying 1,066 yards in just nine games, missing the last three due to injury. That duo joins tight end Nick Gallo, who was second on the Hokies in receiving yards and receptions last year, as well as wide receivers Da’Wain Lofton (254 yards, two TDs) and Dae’Quinn Wright, forming a group that more than replaces the production lost when Kaleb Smith graduated. Wells’ struggles last year weren’t the only culprit for a 3-8 finish that included a seven-game losing streak after a 2-1 start, the longest Virginia Tech skid since 1951. But the Hokies failed to execute late in games and blew fourth-quarter leads against Old Dominion, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. Without a true threat in the backfield after Malachi Thomas, who missed eight games with an injury, Wells led the Hokies in rushing touchdowns (six) and finished as the third-leading rusher. Keshawn King and Jalen Holston were the top two rushers in their final season with the Hokies. Thomas figures to come back strong and, if he stays healthy, the running back crew has more depth with the addition of Bhayshul Tuten, who rushed for 1,363 yards with North Carolina A&T last season before transferring to Virginia Tech. Defensively, the Hokies return four experienced bodies on the defensive line, but will need more explosive plays to increase the win total from a year ago. Depth is a concern on the offensive line after losing two starters of a group that allowed 33 sacks, but Virginia Tech picked up a transfer from Gardner-Webb, Clayton Frady, who was a three-time All-Big South player for the Bulldogs and serves as a solid replacement at one of those spots. Former Georgia Southern defensive back Derrick Canteen joined a formidable group of returning players in the Hokies secondary, which includes Jalen Stroman and Mansoor Delane, who flashed potential in 2022. The Hokies have won nine straight games in the series against Marshall, with the Herd’s only wins coming in 1939 and 1940. The two last met in 2018, a 41-20 victory for the Hokies in Blacksburg, Virginia.