The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced that Virginia Tech football student-athletes Braxton Burmeister, Chamarri Conner, and James Mitchell will accompany head coach Justin Fuente to the 2021 ACC Football Kickoff held at the Westin in downtown Charlotte on Wednesday, July 21.
The Hokies embark on their sixth season under Fuente, who has compiled a 38-26 record in Blacksburg. Tech returns 21 players on offense and defense in 2021 who started four or more games a year ago. The Hokies concluded the 2020 season with a convincing 33-15 victory over Virginia, marking Fuente’s fourth win in five games against the Cavaliers.
Braxton Burmeister (6-1, 205) – The La Jolla, Calif., native owns a 3-1 record as Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback after throwing for 687 yards with two touchdowns while rushing for 182 rushing yards with two touchdowns. The Oregon transfer ran for a pair of scores and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell in a 38-31 win at Duke. He completed 15 of 22 passes for a career-high 212 yards with a 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tayvion Robinson vs. Virginia. Prior to Tech, Burmeister played in 11 games (five starts) for the Ducks during the 2017-18 seasons.
Chamarri Conner (6-0, 211) – A defensive back, the Jacksonville, Fla., native started all 11 games for Tech in 2020 and led the Hokies with 81 total tackles (60 solo). An All-ACC honorable mention pick a year ago, he had 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, four breakups, four quarterback hurries and also forced a fumble. Conner was recognized twice as the ACC Defensive Back of the Week last season. He has played in 37 career games with 24 starts for the Hokies, totaling 162 tackles (113 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and three interceptions.
James Mitchell (6-3, 242) – The Big Stone Gap, Va., tight end enters his fourth season with the Hokies after leading the team with four receiving touchdowns in 2020. He hauled in 26 catches for 435 yards in 10 games (nine starts) a year ago. In his 36 career games (18 starts) for Tech, Mitchell has accumulated 796 receiving yards on 47 receptions with six touchdowns and has also scored five touchdowns rushing.
Virginia Tech opens the 2021 season on Friday, Sept. 3, vs. North Carolina in an ACC contest that will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN. It will mark the first time Tech has faced North Carolina in the season’s initial game since 1946. The two teams also opened the 1898 and 1945 seasons against one another.
In a series that dates back to 1895, the Hokies own a 24-13-6 all-time advantage against the Tar Heels. Tech has won its last two home meetings against North Carolina, including the longest game in ACC history, a six-OT, 43-41 victory in 2019. The Hokies are 4-1 against the Tar Heels under Fuente.
