When all eyes were on the Virginia Tech football team in 2024, it was largely in part due to the retention that the Hokies got on both sides of the ball. There was a lot of talent retained for a team that was expected to take the next step in the rebuild under Brent Pry.
The next step was never taken, and a team that was once seen as a dark horse for the 12-team College Football Playoff struggled to finish 6-6 and needed to win on Thanksgiving Weekend just to become bowl-eligible. After that game, the Hokies had a mass exodus out of Blacksburg through the Transfer Portal. One player who left rather than going the NFL route was cornerback Mansoor Delane.
He transferred to LSU, and despite the Tigers sturggling head coach Brian Kelly was fired before the end of the season. Delane raised his draft stock and did so much so that he's not projected to be a high first-round pick in April's NFL Draft.
Former Virginia Tech star Mansoor Delane is a projected high first-round pick in April
The 6-foot-0 Silver Springs, Maryland native had 45 tackles for LSU in 2025 and two interceptions. He was often thrown away from, but when he was picked on, he usually had a lot of success, including a game-winning interception against Clemson in a Week 1 win on the road. Garrett Podell of CBS Sports released his latest mock draft, and he has Delane going at No. 11 to the Miami Dolphins to join former Boston College coach Jeff Hafley in South Florida.
"New Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley would love nothing more than to have a true No. 1 corner. That's why Delane, a unanimous 2025 All-American, is the pick here. Delane led the SEC with a 24.1 passer rating allowed when targeted, the best in the conference among 82 players with at least 30 targets. He's a smooth operator who can change direction with ease, and he has no issues in press-man coverage thanks to his ability to reroute receivers at the line of scrimmage before going step for step with them. No matter what style of receiver he's facing, Delane can hang,'' wrote Podell.
Delane got away from Virginia Tech after the 2024 season, and he is now on pace to be a first-round draft pick in April.