After getting engaged to his longtime girlfriend earlier this summer, Jaylin Lane knows he’ll be getting a wedding ring in the future.
In the meantime, the senior Virginia Tech wide receiver wants to secure a different kind of ring — the one awarded to Atlantic Coast Conference champions.
Lane and the Hokies are excited to start their quest for that goal, which has been out of reach for this once-successful program for the past 13 seasons. Virginia Tech finished last season with a 7-6 record and ended the year with a 41-20 victory over Tulane in the Military Bowl — a game where Tulane played without its starting quarterback and with an interim coach.
Despite that, the Hokies believe their first bowl win in seven years can give them a boost for this season.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” said Lane, who had 41 receptions for 538 yards and six touchdowns last year.
The Hokies last won the ACC title in 2010, but there is a lot of optimism this year thanks to 20 returning starters and a relatively easy schedule. Coach Brent Pry, in his third season, is warning against having too high expectations.
“We’ve dealt with it in a couple of team meetings, just that it’s not important,” Pry said. “It’s great to have confidence. We deserve that. We earned that, but to remain humble, to remain hungry, those things are essential.”
