Virginia Tech recruits getting the lay of the land by participating in bowl practice

The Virginia Tech football team is in Charlotte practicing for Friday night's Duke's Mayo Bowl against Minnesota. Head coach Brent Pry had a New Year's Eve practice under the lights and then New Year's Day held an afternoon practice at a local high school.

The roster for the Hokies will look a lot different on Friday night than the one that finished off the regular season with a 37-17 bowl-eligible win over Virginia Thanksgiving Weekend. There have been a number of opt-outs for Pry between the transfer portal and players preparing for the NFL Draft. Early signing day for the Class of 2025, and some members of the class are joining the Hokies for bowl practice.

Nine Virginia Tech football recruits taking part in bowl practice

The incoming Class of 2025 for Virginia Tech has some hype with it and nine of the recruits in the class are practicing with the Hokies, getting an early jump on next season. This is vital for this class considering they might have to play a bigger role next season than some incoming rookies have in past seasons.

Some key names practicing are Jeff Overton, Jr., Jahmari DeLoatch, and Micah Matthews. Overton is a running back that the coaches are high on going into next season he is someone who could very well make an impact despite the young backs Virginia Tech has coming back along with the two transfers they picked up.

All of these players will likely be in attendance on Friday night at Bank of America Stadium to watch the Hokies and Gophers battle. The Hokies are trying to avoid a losing season overall with a loss to Minnesota after coming into the season with a ton of hype. It's going to be a difficult task for the shorthanded Hokies, but it'll be fun watching Pop Watson and some of the other young players get a chance on a big stage.