Three Players Virginia Tech Football Needed To Keep From Hitting The Transfer Portal

Roster retention is arsenic captious arsenic acquiring talent successful nan modern transportation portal era, and Virginia Tech entered this offseason facing unit connected some fronts. The Hokies had respective players whose departures would person created contiguous holes, whether owed to on-field production, positional extent aliases semipermanent developmental value. As Virginia Tech looks to build connected caller progress, 3 players stood retired to maine arsenic particularly important to support retired of nan transportation portal, preserving stableness crossed aggregate position groups heading into nan adjacent cycle.

No. 1: RB Marcellous Hawkins

Before nan season, it was expected that tailback Terion Stewart, described arsenic a "bowling ball" of a back, would presume nan lion's stock of snaps. Instead, it was Hawkins, who transferred from Division II Central Missouri, who stole nan show. Hawkins played successful each but 1 crippled and made 9 starts. Across nan play arsenic a whole, he rolled up 749 rushing yards and a touchdown connected 118 carries for an elite 6.3 yards per carry. Moreover, he gained 562 yards aft contact. Hawkins was possibly nan astir effective subordinate for Virginia Tech successful an different comparatively barren 2025 campaign, frankincense rendering his committedness for nan 2026 run crucial.

No. 2: RB Jeffrey Overton Jr.

Staying successful nan moving backmost room, we'll pivot to Overton. Overton suited up for conscionable 4 games aft rehabbing from a knee wounded sustained successful vessel prep for Tech's Duke's Mayo Bowl bout pinch Minnesota successful 2024. The rising redshirt freshman was a revelation, logging 146 yards and a rushing touchdown connected 25 (5.8 yards/carry) totes. Though he'll still request to adhd much weight successful nan training room to amended sorb interaction — Overton clocks successful astatine 178 pounds, per his HokieSports floor plan — his first 4 games offered a tantalizing glimpse astatine nan backmost he could become.

No. 3: DL Kemari Copeland

Copeland was a stalwart portion of a stellar protect line. Starting each 12 games, nan redshirt inferior logged 48 tackles, pinch 7.5 tackles for loss. In addition, Copeland registered 4 and a half sacks. Three came agaisnt California, which made Copeland nan first protect tackle successful nan programme since his then-position coach J.C. Price to notch 3 sacks successful a game. Copeland was named ACC Defensive Lineman for that week and was named Third Team All-ACC, nan only Hokie to ace immoderate of nan apical 3 teams. Copeland besides registered an interception against Wofford. Going forward, pinch Kody Huisman and Kelvin Gilliam having exhausted their eligibility, Copeland moving it backmost for 1 last twelvemonth is simply a awesome triumph for a Hokies protect portion that will request to retool successful nan trenches. Copeland will person a caller position coach, arsenic well: Sean Spencer, nan erstwhile protect statement coach for Texas A&M, which qualified for nan College Football Playoff this season.

Virginia Tech's adjacent title is its outpouring game, which will beryllium connected Saturday, April 18. Admission for fans will beryllium free.

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