With just a week remaining until the Transfer Portal officially opens for college football, Virginia Tech is facing significant changes in its quarterback lineup. Notably, backup quarterback Garret Rangel, who joined the Hokies from Oklahoma State last year, has made the decision to enter the portal.
This development is coupled with the departure of Kyron Drones, who has exhausted his eligibility after starting during the 2025 season. The situation has become even more precarious as fan-favorite Pop Watson is also set to enter the portal when it opens on January 2. With the exits of Drones, Rangel, and Watson, the Hokies’ quarterback depth has been considerably diminished, leaving true freshmen A.J. Brand and Kelden Ryan as the only remaining signal-callers on the roster.
Only Drones and Watson took snaps in the current season, which places urgent pressure on new head coach James Franklin to find experienced quarterbacks for the upcoming season. Franklin previously secured four-star Class of 2026 quarterback Troy Huhn from Penn State, but Watson’s departure means that the team will have to look beyond this commitment to fill the gaps left by the exiting players.
In a season where Watson showed promise, he completed two of his four passes, notably throwing a well-executed 39-yard pass to Ayden Greene against Miami, which resulted in a touchdown run by Watson on November 22. His standout performance came in 2024 when he thrived in a split role with Collin Schlee following an injury to Drones. Not only did Watson play a crucial role in securing a 37-17 victory against Virginia in the Commonwealth Cup, clinching bowl eligibility for Virginia Tech, but he also demonstrated his dual-threat capability—that day, he completed 14 of 21 passes for 254 yards and added a rushing touchdown.
While Watson’s decision will leave Hokies fans disappointed, it also opens the door for him to find a program where he can compete for a starting position in the 2026 season. Virginia Tech now stands at a critical juncture as it prepares for an intensive recruitment period to rebuild its quarterback roster and maintain competitiveness in the coming year. The Valentine of optimism lies in the opportunity for new talent to emerge, as the team gears up to navigate the challenges and potential of the upcoming transfer season.