Aside from wide receiver, the Virginia Tech football team will replace a fair amount of their secondary in 2025. Between the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, the Hokies are going through turnover on the back end under new defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes.
As usual, head coach Brent Pry has done some transfer portal work bringing in some players for next season, but there is one returning player who should see a much bigger role and is a breakout candidate for the defense next season. He showed some flashes this past season, but he is in store for a potential breakout 2025 campaign.
Dante Lovett is a breakout candidate for Virginia Tech’s defense in 2025
Through the portal, Pry made up for Mansoor Delane (LSU) and Mose Phillips (Missouri) leaving through the portal and other losses by adding Sherrod Covil (Clemson), Isaiah Brown-Murray (East Carolina), Tyson Flowers (Rice), Joseph Reddish (Wingate) and Isaiah Cash (Sam Houston State). Then there’s cornerback Dante Lovett who announced in December he was coming back for his junior year.
𝓘’𝓶 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓵𝓮𝓽’𝓼 𝓻𝓸𝓬𝓴 ! @HokiesFB @Triumph_NIL pic.twitter.com/5eYVcV0zll
— Dante Lovett (@dante_lovett) December 31, 2024
Last season he got limited time and impressed, but in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota in Charlotte, with a limited roster because of opt-outs and the portal, the Hokies called on the Crofton, Maryland athlete and he had six tackles and his first career interception in the loss to the Golden Gophers.
Considering all that was lost on the defense as a unit, this is going to be a big spring practice for the unit with all the new players in the secondary, as well as some of the younger players battling for a position. The 6-foot-0 Lovett has been noticeable when he does play and that was more evident against Minnesota.
Virginia Tech’s secondary is going to get tested early and often in the first two weeks against LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina in Week 1 and Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt in Week 2. It’s a good opportunity for Lovett to prove that his time is now for the Hokies. He always seems to be around the ball and ready for every challenge and it’s clear that he’s ready for a bigger and more expanded role in 2025.