Sunday was NFL cutdown day, and it is always a day when some tough decisions are made and some surprising ones. That was the case for a couple of former Virginia Tech players.
Four former Hokies players were cut: quarterback Hendon Hooker was released by the Tennessee Titans, defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland was let go by the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Buffalo Bills cut a pair of former Virginia Tech players, linebacker Keonta Jenkins and wide receiver Stephen Gosnell. Out of all of those cuts, the biggest surprise was Jenkins.
Buffalo Bills surprisingly cut LB Keonta Jenkins
Truth be told, Jenkins was the biggest surprise cut. Now, this happened last season, and he still found himself elevated from the practice squad to play in a couple of games on defense and on special teams. However, he had a very good training camp for Buffalo, and there were indications that he was going to make the roster as a linebacker. However, that didn't happen, and now he will weigh his options if he doesn't get claimed.
On the flip side of the cuts, defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles made the Baltimore Ravens after a very good training camp and impressing in preseason games, mainly against the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago. Last season, John Harbuagh cut him from camp, but new coach Jesse Minter is giving the former Duke and Virginia Tech star an opportunity to begin the season on the 53-man roster.
Hooker has bounced around with a few teams in training camps and has been signed late in the season after injuries hit different teams' quarterbacks' rooms, but one player who feels like he is getting a tough deal is Powell-Ryland. He was someone coming out of Virginia Tech in 2024 who had a tremendous senior season and was on a lot of teams' radars. You get the feeling that sooner or later he'll get a chance either with the Bengals or someone else.
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