Virginia Tech football transfer lands on All-Transfer Portal Team

Virginia Tech head football coach Brent Pry knew when he was hired, that it would not be an overnight turnaround to get the Hokies back to their glory days. In the current state of college sports, the transfer portal has quickly become the fast way to improve things and the third-year head coach continues to find good players in the portal.

After adding some key offensive players last offseason, this offseason, Pry's focus was on the defensive side with some key additions along the line to a group that really turned things around over the final two-thirds of the season. One incoming transfer portal addition was recently named to the On3 2024 Preseason All-Transfer Portal Team.

Aeneas Peebles named to On3 2024 Preseason All-Transfer Portal Team

Virginia Tech added some transfer portal additions along the defensive line including Kemari Copeland from Iowa Western Community College, Khurtiss Perry from Alabama, and Kevin Gilliam from Oklahoma. The biggest addition came from ACC foe Duke in Aeneas Peebles who can be a big difference-maker.

"Peebles is an upper-echelon interior pass rusher, grading out as the second-best at his position (90.1) among all FBS linemen in 2023, per PFF. The Duke transfer had 5.5 tackles and 10 TFLs last season and will now get to play alongside one of the better edge rushers in the ACC in Va. Tech’s Antwaun Powell-Ryland."

- Jesse Simonton

Last season, Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who transferred from Florida, led the Hokies in sacks with 9.5, and adding Peebles should open things up more for him and if it doesn't, then Peebles can be a big impact player for defensive coordinator Chris Marve, and Pry. Virginia Tech has a chance to be one of the better defenses in the ACC in 2024 and a lot of it will have to do with the transfers they got, headlined by Peebles.