When it comes to roster turnover for the Virginia Tech football team under James Franklin going into the 2026 season, there have been some big additions made to the Hokies' roster. A lot of focus has been on the offensive side of the ball, especially with quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and tight end Luke Reynolds following Franklin from Penn State to Blacksburg. Also getting a lot of hype is wide receiver Que'Sean Brown from Duke.
Not to be overlooked, the Hokies got some rather big additions on the defensive side of the ball for first-year defensive coordinator Brent Pry. Yes, that's right, by now, you all know that Pry, who was fired at Virginia Tech as the head coach back in September, is back as Franklin's DC, a position he thrived in under Franklin at Penn State before coming to Virginia Tech.
On the defensive side of the ball, one big pickup was cornerback Jaquez White from Troy. Pro Football Focus listed the Top 5 ball hawks returning, and White made the list, according to Daire Carragher of PFF.
Virginia Tech CB Jaquez White tabbed one of the top returning ball haeks for 2026
"White led all Sun Belt defensive backs in overall PFF grade last season at Troy, finishing with an 87.4 mark. He made the decision to test himself against higher competition by transferring to Virginia Tech this offseason,'' Carragher wrote. "White is one of just three returning defensive backs nationally who recorded both three or more interceptions and 10 or more pass breakups last season.''
A ball hawk would be an understatement when it comes to White. In 2025, for the Trojans, he had 53 solo tackles, 11 passes defended, and 51 yards on interception returns, one for a touchdown against Louisiana. The 6-foot-1 Blackshear, Georgia native had three tackles in an early-season loss at Clemson, a place Virginia Tech will visit this fall.
White had a very good spring for Franklin and Virginia Tech, but Hokies' fans held their breath during the spring game after White was injured. However, he posted on social media that he was going to be ok. That's good news as he's going to be a big part of Tech's secondary in 2026 for Pry.
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