One area where the Virginia Tech football team is losing several key players for 2025 is along the defensive line. Once a strong point and a position that landed some portal additions last winter with Aeneas Peebles from Duke, Kemari Copeland of Iowa Western Community College, and Kelvin Gilliam of Oklahoma.
On top of losing Peebles, Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Wilfried Pene, Cole Nelson, and Josh Fuga, there is a rebuild that is needed for 20rebuild25. On Monday night, the Hokies picked up and under the radar commitment in the portal.
Arias Nash commits to Virginia Tech from Mercer
Mercer transfer Arias Nash, who quietly visited Blacksburg and was in the mix for Pry, committed to Virginia Tech on Monday night becoming another transfer portal addition on that side of the ball. The 6-foot-1, 275-pound Nash had 12.5 tackles for a loss this past season, nine sacks, and 53 total tackles. The Stuart W. Cramer High School standout has the potential to be an under-the-radar addition for Pry and his new defensive coordinator.
Like the offensive line, the defensive line will look different in 2025. Nash joins Hampton's Jahzari Priester along the defensive line from the portal while secondary additions Isaiah Cash, Sherrod Covil, Tyson Flowers, Isaiah Brown-Murray and Joseph Reddish.
After a quiet beginning to the transfer portal, things have picked up recently for Virginia Tech and they are filling a number of needs that they have. They have stuck it big with three West Virginia transfers along the offensive line after hiring coach Matt Moore. A transfer portal exodus out of Blacksburg following a disappointing 6-6 regular season was not surprising and forced the coaching staff to quickly pivot in the portal, something that has been happening with 13 commitments in the last couple of weeks.