Hokie ClubSo, are you ready for week one?
While there’s tremendous anticipation throughout the Hokie Nation for Virginia Tech’s season opener Saturday at Vanderbilt, it’s likely no player is more excited about running onto the field in Nashville than Tech wide receiver Ali Jennings.
The Richmond native missed most of last season after suffering a broken leg in the week two game against Purdue. Now, following lengthy rehab, Jennings is eager to show Tech fans—as well as NFL scouts—why he is one of the nation’s premier receivers.
This week, Jennings celebrates both his 23rd birthday on Tuesday and his return to the field on Saturday with a renewed perspective on football and on life. After starting his career at West Virginia and spending two seasons at ODU, Ali had huge goals as a Hokie last year before it came to a suddenly cruel end in the Purdue game.
Now, he’s back, healthy, mature, and better than ever as a player and as a person. I had the chance to visit with Ali for a conversation in the team’s wide receiver meeting room this week to discuss his return and the outlook for the ’24 Hokies.
BR: First of all, happy birthday to you. What’s it like to be 23?
AJ: Thank you very much. I feel old! We’ve got guys on the team who were born way after me. They make jokes about how old I am and try to make me feel like an “old head.” I’ve been in situations where I’ve had guys who were way older than me when I got to college, so I kind of know how it is. It's funny.
BR: Saturday, you make your return at Nashville when the Hokies battle Vanderbilt. What do you think your emotions will be? What will it be like for you to run onto the field after almost a year since you’ve played?
AJ: I think I’m going to be very emotional. I haven’t had to go through a situation like this before. But I know going into last year, I had a lot of hype built up around me, and I feel like it’s going to be my redemption year. I can finally show everybody what I’m capable of, and what better way to start off the year against an SEC school? I’m super excited. I’m super emotional about it, and I can’t wait.
BR: I think your teammates feel the same. How good do you think Hokies can be this year?
AJ: We can be really good. We have a lot of depth at each position, and our team is built from top to bottom. We have a great quarterback in the backfield who can attack teams by handing the ball off Bhayshul (Tuten), getting the ball outside to one of the receivers, or using his legs. He’s super smart.
From my perspective as an offensive guy, the defense is extremely good. Defensive backs can lock up in man and they’re very smart. They can jump zones and change directions really well. The defensive line is phenomenal. We have a lot of good pass rushers and run stoppers, and our linebacker room has played well this summer by filling gaps and playing sideline-to-sideline football. They are leading the entire defense. They’re going to have a super year.
BR: When you got hurt after so much preparation for the 2023 season, did you know right away it was as bad as it was? What was it like both physically and emotionally for you?
AJ: I definitely knew right away when I fell to the ground and tried to roll over. I tried to get up, and I felt something was off. It felt as if a bone had shifted. I’ve never felt that before. I’ve had sprained ankles before, and that’s no problem. With sprained ankles, you get some ice and you get back out there. This feeling was much different. I couldn’t put pressure on my leg. They were going to cart me off, but I didn’t want to go out that way. I tried to walk off the field as best as possible, even though I needed help.
When I got to the sideline and put my foot on the ground, I really couldn’t feel it. They were trying to ask me what was wrong, and Coach (Fontel) Mines came to me and was like, “Yo, are you good?” and I told him, “Nah, something's not right.” The doctors got me in the medical examining room, and the X-ray told me I had broken my leg. It crushed me.
Honestly, I had such high expectations for last year and finally getting closer to my dream. I had started the season super well (5 catches, 72 yds, 2 TDs vs. ODU), and I had high expectations for the season. My season to end like that was hard on me. My teammates, my coaches and my family helped me get through it. It was a lot to deal with, not just physically but mentally. Without them, I don’t know if I would still be here right now playing for Virginia Tech.
I was thinking about saying my farewells to pursue my NFL dream. Even though that wasn’t the best thing for me to do, I know I had the ability to take my talent to the next level. Yet I knew I had unfinished business in Blacksburg, and I wanted to go out and show Hokie Nation what I can do and how I can help them win games en route to a championship. I get another opportunity, and I’m super excited for it.
BR: Why did you come back, and why did all you receivers collectively announce that you’re coming back?
AJ: That’s just how close we are. We all talked about it. At the time, Kyron was trying to convince me to stay, saying things like “Don’t leave! Give it one more shot. I’m the guy now. You’re going to get the ball. You’re not leaving. I’m not letting you leave.” And then me, Quan (Felton), Jaylin (Lane), and Steve (Gosnell), we talked about it like, “What’s our plan for next year?”
As the season went on and we started winning more games, we started talking about the possibilities of another year. We talked about what we could do next year, how much production we can have, how many more wins we could get next year if we all just stuck together, and things of that nature. We all came to the decision that we were going to stay. We’re going to come back and win games and go for this championship.
When they announced they’re going to do a 12-team college football playoff, we collectively agreed that we could make it. 12 teams? We are easily one of the top 12 teams in the country, and we have to play like it. We have the roster to do it, which played a part in all of us coming back.
BR: I want to ask you this: It’s your birthday. You’re 23 now. You’re one of the older guys around. What is the 2024 Ali Jennings like as a person and player compared to the 17-year-old Ali Jennings who walked into WVU’s facility six years ago?
AJ: I’m much more appreciative of the opportunities that I have. As a young freshman, you’re naïve and confident, but you don’t really know how limited your opportunities are. Being an older guy now and having gone through so many different things, I can see that now. I try not to take every day for granted. I try to maximize my day and my opportunities, and I’m much more confident now in my abilities. My work ethic has multiplied tenfold because I know what’s at stake. I know the opportunities that I have can be instrumental or detrimental to the next step in my career. It’s also humbling because you think you have time as a young guy. When you’re older, you realize how much time you really didn’t have.
I feel like a grown man. Coming into college, I was skinny and kind of slow. Now, I feel like a well-put-together player. I took advantage of the weight room and the treatment—cold tubs and cryotherapy. I utilize everything I can get my hands on. I feel like I’m a better player and person now, but I am appreciative of the guy I used to be. He showed me what not to do in the journey that he’s had to get me where I am now.
BR: Ali, that answer was fantastic, and I think it shows why a lot of people talk about how football is a microcosm of life. The lessons you learn in football translate to the rest of your life, in your career, and in your family. Challenges happen in life, and what’s important is how we respond to them.
AJ: I feel like people who don’t play football don’t realize what football teaches you. It teaches you a lot of life lessons like teamwork, accountability, punctuality, and how to get through adversity. If I were a father, I would want my child to be part of something like this because it’s made me who I am.
BR: I’d like to shift gears a bit and talk about the transfers on this team. You, Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Kelvin Gilliam, Sam Brumfield, Aeneas Peebles, and so many of the other guys have come in and seamlessly fit into the culture that coach Pry and the staff have built. What have you done as a leader on this team to ensure that the newcomers fit so well?
AJ: I hosted a lot of the transfer guys who came in on their visits, like Kelvin, Montavious, and Sam Brumfield. One thing I always tell them is they’re going to get accepted here. When transfers come in, they’re coming in for a reason. The coaches brought them here to compete for jobs, and we know it’s a competition. You want to be the best guy out there, so you have to perform. The competition level is high on the field, but we’re all best friends off it. As long as we’re a tight-knit group and support each other, it’s going to make the team even better.
Look at my situation. When I went down last year, Ayden Greene needed to step up. Steve Gosnell had to step up. They were ready for that moment. We need everyone to be ready for when their time comes.
BR: And finally, when Virginia Tech fans hear the receiver group chant “SOB” every time you guys break, what is that? Fill us in on that.
AJ: It doesn’t stand for what you may think. It means “Stand on Business.” Anytime we’re on the field, we want to handle business. That means us winning our routes, one-on-one matchups, making plays, and scoring touchdowns. That’s being great in the perimeter blocking game and being dominant on the field. The only way we can do that is by handling our business. That’s what it means, and that’s our motto for this season. That’s why we break on “SOB.”
If you’d like to hear more of my conversation with Ali, please check out this week’s edition of Level Seven wherever you get your podcasts. Ali and Tech assistant head coach and defensive line coach J.C. Price joined Mike Burnop and me on this week’s show. You can find it here.