Since the Virginia Tech football team became bowl-eligible with a win over Virginia at home Thanksgiving Weekend, there has been a massive roster turnover for head coach Brent Pry. Between the transfer portal and players declaring for the NFL Draft, the Hokies will have a different look in 2025.
Some of the players who are leaving are going to be difficult to replace. Pry has gone into the portal and got commitments from some players who have played a lot of football at their previous stops. In the current state of college football, that’s how teams have to reload each season to be competitive and for Pry, 2025 is a big season in his fourth year in Blacksburg. With that said, who are the three biggest losses of the 2024 team?
Virginia Tech football’s 3 biggest losses from their 2024 roster
Jaylin Lane
When the Hokies lost punt returner Tucker Holloway to an injury long before the season started, forced Pry and his staff to find someone to take his place. They had the perfect replacement on the roster with wide receiver Jaylin Lane. He more than filled the role, returning 24 punts for 245 yards and a touchdown against Marshall.
On offense, Lane was second in receiving yards behind Stephen Gosnell with 466 yards on 38 catches and two touchdowns. His biggest touchdown came in his final game as a Hokie when he hauled in a 66-yard catch and run behind the Virginia secondary from Pop Watson. He was also used by offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen with jet sweeps, but his overall 711 yards between punt returns and catches will be sorely missed in 2025.
Bhayshul Tuten
What a two years Bhayshul Tuten had in Blacksburg. This season he rushed for 1,197 yards on 183 carries in 11 games and 15 touchdowns. He injured his ankle in the final minutes of a win over Georgia Tech in October, which forced him to miss the game the following weekend at Syracuse.
He averaged 6.3 yards a carry and had a career night against Boston College on Oct. 17 when he rushed for 266 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-21 victory. In his final game, he had two touchdowns and 124 yards rushing in a win over Virginia. His shoes in 2025 will need to be filled by multiple backs and it won’t be easy replacing him.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland
You didn’t think that we would go anywhere else with the last key loss, did you? Edge Antwaun-Powell Ryland had a monster final season of college football and along with Duke transfer Aeneas Peebles, they caused nightmares for opposing quarterbacks.
Powell-Ryland had 16 sacks, including two four-sack performances against Old Dominion and Boston College and he had three against Virginia in the Commonwealth Cup. He finished with 43 tackles and three forced fumbles and if there was anyone who saw their draft stock rise this past season, it was Powell-Ryland.