During a player-led receiving drill the walk-on flanker from Martinsville, Va. sustained an injury that will take him out of the spotlight for four the six months.
Dillard, who was projected to be the Hokies' top receiver for the upcoming season, will undergo surgery to correct the injury later this week or early next week and begin the long recovery process.
"It was a freak accident," said wide receiving coach Kevin Sherman.
A torn Achilles' tendon is an injury that is typically seen in older athletes or basketball players. The last time Virginia Tech has seen injury of this sort was fifteen years ago according to offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring.
Dillard had watched and learned as Eddie Royal, Justin Harper, Josh Hyman, and Josh Morgan dominated the football field with their game winning catches and outstanding leadership skills.
"He's waited his time, he's worked himself into a position that when the opportunity arose he would be prepared to step up and fill the void," Stinespring said.
Over the past two years Dillard has worked hard to achieve a strong leadership role within Virginia Tech's football program and successfully accomplished this goal through his performance in the 2008 Maroon-White spring game.
"Something like this to occur really tugs at our hearts," Stinespring said.
Stinespring felt that Dillard not only had an opportunity to serve the Hokies on the field as a player and an experienced athlete, but also "to be out there as a comfort and a teacher."
Dillard was expected to be a role model for young receivers that will be playing around him, just as David Clowney had been an influence upon Royal, Hyman, Harper, and Morgan.
"He wanted to show us (the coaches) and his teammates he's ready to step up and be a leader," Sherman said.
Coaches return to the office this week and will begin to deal with the imposing situation.
"We'll sit down and look at the depth chart and go from there on who we feel like can fill some voids, but the rest of the guys have to step up and contribute," said Sherman
"We're pulling for Brandon because of the type of person he is, but we're also pulling for him because, obviously, he's going to help our football team," said Stinespring.
Dillard will not only be a loss from an offensive standpoint or from a receiving standpoint, but he is an enormous loss for the whole football team said Stinespring.
"He's going to be missed, but we'll have to pull ranks in together and see who's going to step up over the next month or so," said Sherman.
Among players suspected to step in and fill Dillard's absence are redshirt senior Cory Holt and redshirt freshmen Ervin Garner, Patrick Terry and Jacob Sykes.
It is undecided whether Dillard will apply for a medical redshirt, a concept in which he would regain this one year of his four year eligibility since his injury will have kept him inactive for more than 20 percent of the season.
The waiver is still a possibility, said Stinespring. As of right now, the main priority is to prepare him for surgery to correct the torn tendon and the recovery.
Sherman feels that Dillard should not have any problems getting back his speed and mobility once the injury has healed and will make the best of his remaining year at Virginia Tech.
"If anyone can do it, it'll certainly be him." Stinespring said.
Because of his injury, Dillard was unavailable for interview.
He did give the following comment to hokiesports.com: "I'm going to try to get this surgery done, start rehabbing and slowly start trying to work my way back."
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