On Monday, the transfer portal officially opened for college football and Virginia Tech lost some key players in the portal. They lost some starters on both sides of the ball along the offensive line and in the secondary. One year after a ton of retention, it appears things are going the other way for the Hokies this winter portal session.
There is still time for players to enter the portal and until it closes, we won’t know who will and who won’t be at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota on Jan. 3. There is no doubt that head coach Brent Pry and his staff along with some other players are in recruiting mode to make sure that the number of remaining portal entries are limited. With that said, here are five players that the Hokies must convince to come back in 2025.
Dante Lovett - CB
Virginia Tech lost Mose Philips and Jalen Stroman, who missed the 2024 season after an injury in the season opener at Vanderbilt, to the portal and the secondary is going to look a lot different next season. One player who has impressed this year and is coming on and is a big part of the future is Dante Lovett.
The Georgia native had 14 tackles this season and four passes defended, but against Marshall back in September, he defended a pair of passes including breaking up a pass at the end zone against a bigger receiver. In 2023 he had 10 tackles and three passes defended and the 6-foot-0, 190-pound Lovett is a key piece of the secondary as early as next season.
Pop Watson - QB
This one goes without saying. Against Duke and Virginia, Pop Watson played very well and while he made some mistakes, he had his team in position to beat the Blue Devils. Against the Cavaliers, he threw a nice downfield touchdown pass to Jaylin Lane in stride and he scored on a touchdown run after a broken play at the snap.
BOMB VOYAGEEEEEEE 💣#ThisIsHome | 📺 on @accnetwork | @j_lane_2 pic.twitter.com/E2ts8pN3Kz
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) December 1, 2024
Kyron Drones has another year of eligibility, but you would think with the losses the offensive line suffered with graduation and the portal that he’ll eventually enter the portal himself. Watson is someone who could be QB1 as soon as next season.
Ayden Greene - WR
Virginia Tech’s wide receiver room is losing a lot of players this season to graduation and Ayden Greene has been utilized more and more. He has made some big catches for the Hokies and is someone who will be a big part of the offense next season.
Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen utilized Greene in both the passing game and running with misdirection plays, Against Duke, he scored on a 21-yard touchdown run and finished with seven rushes for 63 yards and 13 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Definitely a key receiver going forward.
Caleb Woodson - LB
The Hokies' linebacker group took a hit on Monday when Keli Lawson entered the portal and with Sam Brumfield using up his eligibility, getting retainment at that position is vital for next season. That includes Caleb Woodson who played well at the will spot.
The 6-foot-3, 227-pound Haymarket native finished with 67 tackles in 2024 with 25 of those solo and a pair of sacks. He made some big plays and sticks at his position this season and is someone who has a bright future.
Jaden Keller - LB
See above. The linebacking room is thin and retaining Jaden Keller is a must for the future. Like Woodson, Keller became a huge part of the unit in 2024 with 76 tackles, 32 solo playing a lot of the mike position. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior from Tennessee had a season-high 10 tackles against Boston College in October. He had nine tackles in a game twice and eight tackles in a game three times.
He saw a significant jump in his snaps this season and is a big part of the defense in 2025. With the losses along the defensive line, linebacker is going to be an important position for the Hokies going forward, and retaining both Woodson and Keller is a must.