Virginia Tech Football: Why Hokies need to monitor Texas A&M situation

Sunday morning, Texas A&M fired head football coach Jimbo Fisher, just hours after his Aggies blasted Mississippi State in an SEC game by 41 points. The firing of Fisher doesn’t come as a surprise as much as the timing does. Usually, a firing like this happens after the season.

Fisher underachieved as head coach in College Station, but in this day and age of college football, when a coach gets fired, all eyes turn to that program as generally a lot of players see the writing on the wall and enter the transfer portal. It didn’t take long for an Aggie to announce that they were leaving Texas A&M and entering the portal as wide receiver Raymond Cottrell announced on X late Sunday morning he was seeking a new school for next season and beyond.

Virginia Tech needs to monitor Jimbo Fisher’s firing for portal purposes

Cottrell’s announcement is likely one of many more to come in the coming days and weeks of Aggies looking for a new home next season. Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry and his staff should pay close attention to who is entering the portal from Texas A&M as the transfer portal now in college football is becoming a bigger way to improve yourself quicker than recruiting.

Pry hit the transfer portal last offseason and it’s paying off big time this season and is one of the reasons why the Hokies have been able to turn a 1-3 start into a 5-5 record with two games remaining and need one win to become bowl-eligible.

When starting quarterback Grant Wells went down in Week 2 against Purdue, Baylor transfer Kyron Drones was inserted and he has been getting better and better each week. Running back Bhayshul Tuten has turned into a good Power 5 back after transferring from North Carolina A&T, while wide receiver Jaylin Lane came to Blacksburg from Middle Tennessee State are just a few transfers who are making an impact this season. The Hokies also have had luck with an SEC transfer, Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who transferred from Florida, is one of the best defensive ends in the ACC.

Transfer portal success this season should provide Pry and his staff the opportunity to add good talent from the portal and College Station. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s worth keeping a close eye on.