Author: Rich Luttenberger

The 2024 Virginia Tech Pro Day is upon us!  On Wednesday, March 27, eight former Hokies are expected to work out in front of representatives from NFL organizations in hopes of improving their draft stock.  The players will be measured for official heights and weights, and then they will participate in various drills to test speed, strength, and agility. Hoping to Catch Some Eyes The NFL hosted its annual combine a few weeks ago, and unfortunately no Hokies were invited.  That makes this Pro Day extremely important, as it is now the best opportunity for these eight former players to…

The NFL Combine is next week, so it is time to look at the top Virginia Tech NFL Draft prospects of 2024.  With so many draft-eligible players opting to return to Blacksburg next season, coupled with a seismic roster turnover since Brent Pry arrived, this year’s list of Hokie draft hopefuls is short. Pheldarius Payne tops the list of prospects, but he is a late round projection at best.  A few other Hokies have the chance to hear their name called, so let’s look closely at who those players are and what they bring to the table: NO. 1 PROSPECT…

The recent Florida State ACC battle just intensified.  On Thursday, Blue Bloods Bias (@bluebloodsbias) broke news via “X” that Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has requested that the ACC release public copies of their Grant of Rights, agreements between the Conference & ESPN, and ALL official bylaws. This demand follows the legal action launched one month ago, when Moody and the state of Florida filed a lawsuit against the ACC following FSU’s snub from the playoffs.  The Seminoles were the first undefeated Power 5  conference champion to be left out of the four-team playoff.  Moody said, “We are launching an…

College football realignment talk is sure to heat up once the national championship is over.  Florida State’s legal battle to leave the ACC will only heighten the narrative of where college football is headed.  With conversations still fresh from the circus of the bowl season opt-outs, transfer portal entries, and NIL demands, there is no better time for me to stand on my own soapbox and cry out for change. The current trajectory of college football realignment is one that appears to be headed toward a widening of the gap between the haves and have-nots.  My plan will corral and…

After the whirlwind of controversy last week, many are saying they cannot wait until next year and the 12 team College Football Playoff expansion.  A lot has been said that when the post-season is extended to include the top twelve teams (or top eleven plus one from the Group of 5), the controversy will end and the system will work itself out. But will it? The crowning of a national champion in college football has a history of questionable decision making amidst a process that was sometimes arbitrary and often rewarded perception over play. Will that change? The blue bloods…

The regular season is over, so let’s talk about two NCAA rule changes that need to go into effect as soon as possible. No, I’m not talking about expanding the playoff.  That is already happening – although, with the chaos of this year’s playoff selection, I’m sure there are many (especially in Florida and Georgia) who wish that change had already gone into effect. There are other aspects of the college football season that are causing chaos even after the season has ended.  The Wild West that is the transfer portal opened yesterday, and all last week players were announcing…

When the announcement finally made its way to ESPN on Sunday afternoon, most pigskin fans were bracing for a college football playoff snub.  After all, there were only four spots open, with three undefeated teams, all of whom were conference champions, and four one-loss teams.  Of those one-loss teams, two were conference champions. So any way we sliced it, someone worthy was going to be left out of the college football playoff. Prior to this season, no undefeated Power-5 conference champion had failed to be selected for the four-team playoff, which expanded from two teams in the 2014 season. Also…

Coming into the Virginia Tech Virginia game to end the season, the Hokies needed a win to reach .500 and gain bowl eligibility.  Tech did exactly that and more in putting the beatdown on the Cavaliers, 55-17. It was quite a rollercoaster season for Hokie Nation, but here we are, waiting for the official bowl invitations to be handed out, and honestly, I feel pretty darned good about where head coach Brent Pry and the Hokies are right now. Here are the reasons why (and a few other afterthoughts from the rivalry game): Make No Bones About It – This…

This is the second of a two-part series chronicling the journey of Shyrone Stith Virginia Tech running back from 1996-1999.  This is the link to the part one of this series.   After a successful 1998 season, Shyrone Stith and his Virginia Tech teammates went through an inspired spring practice with a lot of returning weapons and a full line on offense, and they had playmakers and disruptors on the defense.  There was also the added benefit of having two guys named Michael Vick and Corey Moore. With Lamont Pegues gone, Shyrone Stith was poised to break out as he…

This is the first of a two-part series chronicling the journey of Shyrone Stith Virginia Tech running back from 1996-1999.  The link to Part II is at the bottom of this article. If you are a Virginia Tech football fan and you engage in a debate about the best running backs in school history, then Shyrone Stith must be in your conversation. Stith was part of an incredible stable of running backs during Frank Beamer’s years, the “Stallions” as they liked to call themselves.  He should long be remembered for what he did in Blacksburg, especially during that magical…