The hype was real for the Virginia Tech football team entering the 2024 season, but the pain after the season was real. Expected to be a big-time player in the ACC and even a dark horse for the new 12-team College Football Playoff, the Hokies went into the season with a ton of retention.
However, when all was said and done, the Hokies needed a Thanksgiving Weekend win over Virginia in the annual Commonwealth Clash just to become bowl-eligible. Not what many, if any, were hoping for. Following the season and before the Duke's Mayo Bowl against Minnesota, there was a mass exodus out of Blacksburg through the Transfer Portal.
One of those players who left was offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin, who has one of, if not the best, offensive linemen Virginia Tech had in 2024. After bolting in the portal, he finds out that things aren't always what they might be on the other side.
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Chaplin ended up landing at Auburn and the SEC in the portal two cycles ago. It didn't go as Chaplin and the Tigers hoped. Head coach Hugh Freeze was fired and Auburn stumbled to a 5-7 record and missed out on a bowl. For the second straight season, Chaplin entered the portal again and he is heading back to the ACC with Florida State. Shehan Jeyahajah of CBS Sports listed him as a bounce-back candidate for the upcoming season.
"Before landing at Auburn, Xavier Chaplin started 25 games at Virginia Tech and emerged as a standout. Like many others, his Auburn career was inconsistent at best, but he has a chance for a fresh start in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have been looking for consistency along the offensive line, and betting on Chaplin's experience is a smart move,'' wrote Jeyahajah.
There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Virginia Tech at the time of his departure, and Pry ultimately fired offensive line coach Ron Crook. He hired West Virginia's Matt Moore as his offensive line coach, and new coach James Franklin has retained him. Chaplin wanted to get paid, most likely, and at the time, Virginia Tech wasn't in the position to pay him as they could be now, but leaving Blacksburg and hitting the portal for a second straight season shows that things aren't always greener on the other side than what they are in front of you. Who knows, maybe Moore was the coach he needed to take his game to the next level.