As the start of the college football season draws ever closer, everyone has a list of teams and players from each conference they’re excited to watch. Today is no different, as Pat McAfee has named the Virginia Tech Hokies as his team to “WATCH FOR” in the ACC:

“In the ACC, it’s the old faithful and you mentioned Florida State, Clemson and NC State, which are in the top twenty-five. Watch for Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech has twenty starters back. OK, twenty starters. Five offensive linemen, all returning. Quarterbacks, drones, running options, guys, they can move the ball and when you’re playing Blacksburg in a big game, that’s a tough place to play. I think the ACC is going to step up massively this year.”

The returners mentioned by Pat McAfee are an important consideration, as the Hokies have the most returners in the ACC on offense and defense. The Hokies had one of the best records in the conference last year, finishing the season 7-6 and winning three of their last five games, including a 41-20 win in the Military Bowl against Tulane.

Virginia Tech has also been praised by other analysts on ESPN as a potential threat in the ACC as they gain more experience, Matt Barrie explained:

“Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech has a great young quarterback in Kyron Drones. They also have a very favorable schedule. They open the season on Aug. 31 and travel to Vanderbilt. (They) begin ACC play Sept. 27 at Miami. According to the analysis, the Hokies have the second-easiest schedule in the ACC. Give me the Hokies as a surprise contender for the College Football Playoff.”

Based on these analysts’ predictions, the Hokies should be a very entertaining team to watch for a playoff spot.