Yeah if we knew this kid was getting into UVA or indeed VT, certainly the pressure would be off to consider a lot of the other colleges we are now suggesting. Might still be worth it if they just want some different options to consider (possibly with merit), but it would be very optional.
But I’ve heard the same things about both those schools (they are pretty popular in my feederish HS). And for what it is worth, VT demonstrably waitlists a LOT of applicants–like over 26% according to their 2023-24 CDS. At Pitt, say, it was only 14%. UVA in fact was also under 16%–their reputation in my feederish HS is they are a hard admit, but not necessarily in really unpredictable ways.
This is not conclusive proof VT is yield protecting and such, but it is the sort of thing that makes me think having some alternative Likely plans to UVA and VT, just in case, is not such a bad idea.