Kyron Drones: Why I Chose Virginia Tech and Never Looked Back

Virginia Tech starting quarterback Kyron Drones joins Adam Breneman on Next Up for an in-depth conversation about his journey from Texas high school football to leading the Hokies. Growing up in Pearland, Texas, Drones won a state championship with his dad as head coach, a moment that solidified his love for the game.  After beginning his college career at Baylor and learning patience through a redshirt season, he transferred to Virginia Tech, where he quickly earned the starting job and began shaping the team’s identity. In this episode, Drones opens up about how he knew Virginia Tech was the right fit, what he learned from his first start, and how he’s battled through adversity, injuries, and outside noise. He shares how he balances being a playmaker with making smart decisions, the ways he’s grown as a leader, and the brotherhood that’s fueling the Hokies this season. Drones also talks about life off the field—from his approach to NIL opportunities and investing in real estate, to his commitment to mental health and the unwavering support of his family. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected] SUBSCRIBE HERE:  https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1 FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:  INSTAGRAM |  https://shorturl.at/d9IdQ X | https://x.com/NextUpWithAdam TIKTOK | https://shorturl.at/qasuc SPOTIFY | https://shorturl.at/5ZdaK APPLE PODCASTS | https://shorturl.at/mW49D CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro 1:33 - Transferring to Virginia Tech 3:26 - Growing up in Pearland, Texas 5:22 - Realizing Kyron was D1 bound 6:21 - Why Baylor out of high school 8:04 - Welcome to College Football moment  9:07 - Redshirting at Baylor 10:44 - First impression of Coach Pry 11:14 - First start at Virginia Tech 13:16 - Where Kyron’s toughness comes from 14:10 - Offseason improvements 15:56 - Kyron’s definition of leadership   17:20 - Winning games through the air and not running   18:49 - Best Coach Pry story  19:51 - Fall camp so far at Virginia Tech 20:43 - What makes Virginia Tech special 21:44 - Overcoming adversity 22:59 - Blocking out the outside noise  24:48 - Advice to 18-year-old Kyron 25:17 - Best advice a coach ever gave Kyron 25:43 - Family 26:57 - What the world doesn’t know about Kyron Drones 27:47 - Kyron as a teammate and leader 28:15 - How Kyron has changed in college 29:08 - Measuring success in 2025 29:33 - NIL as starting QB at Virginia Tech 32:46 - Goals for Virginia Tech in 2025 33:28 - Weekly routine 34:20 - Kyron’s why On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.  Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports.  Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.