The NCAA Tournament has reached the Final Four, and after Monday night's championship game, the Transfer Portal will open on Tuesday. That means the craziness begins when players bolt their current program for a bigger payday somewhere else. Ah, yes, the current state of college athletics.
It's going to be a busy time again for Virginia Tech coach Mike Young and his staff. He'll be losing some players and hopefully replace them with some incoming players. The last couple of years have ended with a mass exodus out of Blacksburg, and this spring should be no different. Here is a look at how some former Hokeis players fared who have transferred in 2025-26.
Jaydon Young, North Carolina
2025-26 stats:Â 1.8 points, 0.4 assists, 0.9 rebounds, 30.0% FG, 28.3% 3FG in 7.2 minutes
Sometimes the grass isn't greener somewhere else. Guard Jaydon Young was a bench player for the Tar Heels and saw limited action in 31 games. All of his numbers took a step back from what they were at Virginia Tech, but that's not surprising at UNC. With the coaching change going on in Chapel Hill, it wouldn't be surprising to see him enter the portal again this cycle.
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt
2025-26 stats:Â 16 points, 1.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 38.5% FG, 41.7% 3FG in 33 minutes
It was another good season with the Commodores for Tyler Nickel. The Virginia native played a lot of meaningful minutes for a team that went to the NCAA Tournament for a second season in a row. They came a half-court shot away from advancing to the Sweet 16. The senior forward saw his college career take off after leaving Blacksburg.
MJ Collins, Utah State
2025-26 stats:Â 17.5 points, 1.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 48.7% FG, 36.1% 3FG in 30.8 minutes
After spending last season at Vanderbilt with Nickel, MJ Collins transferred to the Mountain West Conference at Utah State. What s enior season the South Carolina native had for the Aggies. In the NCAA Tournament, he had 20 points in 36 minutes in a win over Villanova, before having 12 in a second-round loss to Arizona in 38 minutes. This loss hurt two years ago when he left the Hokies.
Brandon Rechsteiner, Colorado State
2025-26 stats:Â 12.0 points, 2.5 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 45.1% FG, 40.0% 3FG in 27.8 minutes
Last year, Brandon Rechsteiner hit the portal after a second season in Blacksburg, and like Collins, he landed in the Mountain West Conference, but with Colorado State. He saw a bigger role with the Rams, but in his one matchup against his former team in the Battle 4 Atlantis, he went scoreless, the only game in which he didn't score. Rechsteiner was a scrappy player who made things difficult for opponents at times.
Patrick Wessler, UNC Wilmington
2025-26 stats:Â 13.6 points, 0 assists, 7 rebounds, 59.9% FG, 0% 3FG in 26.8 minutes
Last season, Patrick Wessler showed some signs of being a productive player, but given who the Hokies had coming in and returning, he entered the Transfer Portal and landed with the Seahawks. The 7-foot-1 South Carolina native had a good season for a team that was eliminated in the second round of the NIT by Dayton.