When Caleb Woodson entered the Transfer Portal, it left a hole at linebacker for Virginia Tech and new football coach James Franklin. Woodson ended up committing to Alabama in the portal to play his final year in the SEC.
That made the need for another linebacker through the portal a must for Franklin and new defensive coordinator Brent Pry. As expected, there have been some former Penn State players who have followed Franklin to Virginia Tech in recent days, mostly on offense. However, the Penn State to Virginia Tech pipeline wasn't expected to slow down anytime soon. That was the case on Thursday morning when a fourth former Nittany Lions player committed to the Hokies.
Penn State transfer linebacker Keon Wylie commits to Virginia Tech
Looking to add some depth at linebacker, Franklin picked up a commitment from former Penn State linebacker Keon Wylie. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound redshirt junior will fill a big need at the second level for Virginia Tech.
The Philadelphia native registered 28 tackles and one sack for Penn State in 2025. He had a season-high six in Franklin's last game as head coach in State College in a 22-21 loss to Northwestern on Oct. 11. He had three tackles in Penn State's 22-10 Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson last month at Yankee Stadium.
Wylie comes to Blacksburg with 47 career tackles, 30 solo, and 4.5 sacks in three years for the Nittany Lions. He played the third-most snaps last season among Penn State linebackers. He is exactly the addition to the linebacking group that the Hokies need.
Wylie joins former Penn State teammates Daniel Jennings (a defensive lineman), Matt Henderson (tight end), and Jeff Exinor (wide receiver). Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer is also expected to come to Virginia Tech, but nothing has officially been announced. Keep track of all the Transfer Portal happenings with the Hokies here.