Author: Rich Luttenberger

With the transfer portal closing last week, let’s look at the Virginia Tech transfer portal activity and see who will make an immediate impact for the Hokies next fall.  Hokie Nation voiced disappointment last season when head coach Brent Pry and his staff only signed five players out of the portal, but that was because Pry put maximum priority in rebuilding relationships with the in-state high school coaches and others in the footprint. One year later, Pry and Company have already begun to see the fruits of their labor, as they closed on a lot of high targets on signing…

There is a reason the Rose Bowl is called the Granddaddy of Them All. Not only is it the oldest college bowl game, but it comes with the most prestige and pageantry of any post-season college football game. Growing up on the East Coast, I never appreciated the Rose Bowl. Like most Easterners, particularly New York area natives, I thought this bowl game was overrated. After all, it was a Big Ten vs. Pac 10 game for decades. Why would a Jersey guy be drawn to a game that has such deep regional roots – that are nowhere close to…

Bowl season is heating up as we face the final weekend of college football, leading to the Rose Bowl on Monday.  The playoff games will draw everyone’s attention Saturday, but let’s not forget the Grandaddy of them All!  The Rose Bowl is arguably the most prestigious of all bowl games, and this year’s matchup features a top Big Ten team in 9th ranked Penn State and the PAC-12 champion and  7th ranked Utah.  While this is not your father’s Rose Bowl matchup, it should prove a worthy game to watch. The Teams Penn State – The Nittany Lions finished the…

As we head full steam into the Virginia Tech football offseason, there are many questions on the minds of the fan base.  In his post-season press conference, head coach Brent Pry already said that there will be no coaching changes – as it should be.  But after a historically bad offensive year, will any schematic changes be made?  How can Tech build – and maintain – the roster? What personnel changes are in store, particularly through the transfer portal? These are three particular issues of urgency for the program.  Let’s take a deeper dive into each: Offensive Scheme Overhaul Much…

Now that it is officially over, it is time to hand out some Virginia Tech Football Awards for the 2022 campaign.  Yes, it was a season to forget.  The 3-8 record was the fewest wins since that 1992 team went 2-8-1.  But still, the young men on this team never quit, they did show a lot of resilience, and let’s be real – they are football players, and that alone is laudable.  These kids are definitely worthy of recognition. Not Your Typical Virginia Tech Football Awards This was the worst win-loss outcome in the last 30 years of the program. …

Recently, there has been a lot of social media buzz in Hokie Nation about the Justin Fuente podcast.  The former Virginia Tech head coach appeared on the podcast All Ball with Doug Gottlieb and they spoke for a very long time.  It was such a comprehensive interview that it was released as a three-part podcast. Just the mention of the name “Justin Fuente” grinds the gears of many Hokie faithful.  There is a lot of resentment among the members of Hokie Nation, as they blame Fuente for the current state of Virginia Tech football, which is not good at all. …

Going into the Virginia Tech Liberty game, most Hokie fans were probably expecting to lose.  And why not?  The team had lost seven in a row for the first time in 70 years and had dropped four one-score games.  To make matters worse, the Virginia Tech offense was ranked in the bottom ten percent in all of FBS in most categories, and they were facing a Liberty team that scores a lot and was nationally ranked the week prior. But the Hokies flipped the script and walked out of Lynchburg with a win! In an almost poetic turn of events,…

Gridiron Heroics partners with Draft Scout to give each school’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects in the Big Ten. Welcome to a list of the Penn State Top 5 NFL Draft prospects for 2023, as seen by Draft Scout. Each week brings us closer and closer to one of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar — the NFL Draft. This year’s draft will be held in Kansas City, Missouri from April 27-29. Starting today? We take a look at the Big Ten seniors, the class of 2023. Since we don’t know yet which underclassmen will declare, we will…

As broken by Andy Bitter earlier today, redshirt senior linebacker Alan Tisdale intends to play college football in 2023! This is fantastic news for a team that has had very little to cheer about this year.  Tisdale’s return means that the Hokies will only lose one of their three starting linebackers, giving more time for the younger guys to grow and develop.  Tisdale and Keonta Jenkins will return as starters, and Jaden Keller, Keli Lawson, Jayden McDonald, J.R. Walker, and Will Johnson will return as backups. And Alan Tisdale is fast and has a nose for the ball.  Prior to…

Wait, shoutouts for Virginia Tech football after they were dominated by Duke this past weekend? Yes! Am I joking? No!  This is not satirical.  Like the guy in the bleachers in Sixteen Candles, I am totally serious. I could easily write about the continued Virginia Tech football struggles, but why keep going down that oft-traveled road?  I mean, if I did, the article would look something like this… The Tech defense did not put pressure on the quarterback, had several missed tackles in space, and could not get off the field. The Tech offense could not move the chains with…