What a difference a year makes. One year ago, we were talking about all the retainment that Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry got in the transfer portal. That was one of the talking points all off-season and one major reason why the Hokies were a national dark horse for the 12-team College Football Playoff. By now you know that never came close to being a reality.
On the first day the portal opened, Pry felt like Mike Young did last season with an exodus out of Blacksburg. This time, unlike last season, the Hokies saw several key players and starters exit to find a new home for 2025, and combine that with the number of players who used up their eligibility, the roster next fall is going to have a different look. Out of all the transfers that left, here are the three biggest losses for Virginia Tech.
Xavier Chaplin
This past season, arguably the Hokies’ best offensive lineman was Xavier Chaplin. He battled through some injuries to get on the field and his departure in the portal was just another blow to an offensive line that struggled and it cost their coach, Ron Crook, his job. New coordinator Matt Moore is tasked with rebuilding the line and so far, he’s bringing in former players from West Virginia to help rebuild it.
As for Chaplin, as expected, it didn’t take him long to find a new home for 2025, and will be one of a handful of former Hokies to play in the SEC next season, at Auburn. Out of all the portal losses this winter, this is the biggest for Pry.