BREAKING: Virginia Tech Confirms More Bad News after HBCU excellence
Virginia Tech’s defense might be dealing with a significant loss for the rest of the season, as senior safety Jalen Stroman remains sidelined after an offseason shoulder surgery and an injury in the season opener against Vanderbilt. Head coach Brent Pry indicated that Stroman’s return is unlikely, though there’s a small chance he could be cleared late in the season. Even if cleared, the concern is whether Stroman could return in a capacity where he’d be fully effective.
The good news for Stroman and the Hokies is that he still has the option to redshirt, which would allow him to return for another season if he chooses. This could give Virginia Tech some much-needed depth and experience in their secondary for 2025.
Virginia Tech heads into their bye week at 3-3, and their next challenge will be a Thursday night showdown against Boston College at Lane Stadium. The Hokies will aim to build on their momentum from their dominant 31-7 win over Stanford.
Virginia Tech is facing another injury setback with redshirt junior running back P.J. Prioleau expected to miss significant time after injuring his ankle in the win over Stanford. Prioleau, who is the son of safeties coach and former Hokie standout Pierson Prioleau, had recently earned more playing time behind Bhayshul Tuten and Malachi Thomas. This injury is a tough blow, as Prioleau had been a valuable contributor both on special teams in prior seasons and now in the backfield. His hard work and production had set him up for a bigger role in the second half of the season.
Prioleau’s absence may create opportunities for other players, like freshman running back Tyler Mason, to step up. Additionally, wide receivers like Takye Heath and Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw might see more action as the Hokies look to fill the gap left in their offensive depth.
Virginia Tech’s next challenge will be against a 4-2 Boston College team, which will be looking to bounce back after a surprising loss to Virginia. With both teams coming off mixed results, the upcoming Thursday night game could be a pivotal moment in the Hokies’ season.