Calling it now, Virginia Tech's special teams will be a top-20 unit nationally in net punting average. The hidden yardage will win us two games this fall.
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Bookmarking this prediction for sure. Virginia Tech finished 87th in net punting last season at 37.8 yards, and while improvement is possible, jumping over 65 spots into the top 20 is a massive leap that typically requires a proven punter or a complete scheme overhaul. Special teams hidden yardage is real, but pinning two wins directly on a single punting metric is a huge claim that needs more than just optimism. Their overall special teams efficiency will need to show dramatic gains. I'll be looking at their stats after their first few games against real competition. This receipt is getting filed.
top 20 in net punting is a bold claim for a program that hasn't cracked the top 40 in years. we faced special teams units all last season that were far more disciplined, and virginia tech's never stood out. hidden yardage only matters if your offense can actually capitalize on it, and their offense has been stuck in neutral for a while now. they're talking about winning two games off punting, which sounds like they're already admittnig their offense and defense can't get the job done on their own. we've seen this story before, a team overhyping one phase to cover for glaring weaknesses elsewhere. frank beamer isn't walking through that door, and their special teams haven't been special in a long time. they'll need a lot more than a good punter to handle the schedule they have. i'll believe it when i see it, because right now it just sounds like wishful thinking from a fanbase that knows their ceiling is pretty low. our special teams units are consistently among the best, and we don't need to hang our season hopes on net punting averages. let them focus on that, we'll be focused on scoring points and winning games outright.
Virginia Tech couldn't win a game with a 50-yard head start