Virginia Tech made a big splash in the transfer portal today landing a commitment from Florida DE/LB Antwaun Powell-Ryland.
Powell-Ryland was a rotational player who started at OLB late in the season for Florida and played well throughout with 29 tackles including 6 for loss, 3 of which were sacks, plus 3 forced fumbles and 1 pass deflection. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Powell-Ryland is the first transfer portal addition of the spring for the Hokies and the seventh scholarship addition of the offseason joining the following guys who all arrived this spring.
- Baylor QB Kyron Drones
- NC A&T RB Bhayshul Tuten
- ODU WR Ali Jennings
- MTSU WR Jaylin Lane
- Norfolk State WR Da'Quan Felton
- Georgia Southern CB Derrick Canteen
The Hokies also have VMI LB Stone Snyder arriving this summer though he is not going to be on scholarship for the Hokies.
One of Virginia Tech's top priorities was to get a pass rusher out of the portal and they've done quite well in landing Powell-Ryland. The Florida edge rusher took advantage of the opportunities he got with Pro Football Focus also grading his pass rushing this past season at an 84.5 with his overall grade being over 70.
His final 5 regular season games when his role grew were also some of his best with 20 tackles including 5.5 for loss coming during that stretch. The five teams Florida faced during that stretch: Georgia, Florida State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. If you're looking for proof that Powell-Ryland can be a big time playmaker on a regular basis at the Power 5 level, there's some really strong evidence right there.
While Powell-Ryland hasn't been a starter for a full season in his career, he's shown everything that you'd want in someone who you could expect to be an instant impact starter off the edge. It's safe to likely have Powell-Ryland as the Hokies' top DE for the 2023 season giving them a pass rushing upgrade that the Hokies definitely needed.
This is a big win for Brent Pry and the Hokies in the portal as Powell-Ryland had loads of Power 5 interest beyond Blacksburg. This comes after Powell-Ryland previously chose the Gators over the Hokies coming out of high school in the 757 with Tech getting the Portsmouth native on the second try.
