No starting competition appears more wide open for Virginia Tech Football than the Hokies' starting defensive end battle, with both defensive end position open for the taking and several guys seemingly having a chance to earn a spot.
Much of the spotlight has been on a few guys including returner Aycen Stevens who has received tons of praise from coaches and appears to be a slight frontrunner. Colorado transfer Samuel Okunlola has past pedigree that props him up while Missouri transfer Javion Hilson was a highly-regarded recruit in the 2025 class and is unsurprisingly seen as a major contender.
Among those several names involved, one of the top candidates to earn one of the starting defensive end jobs is flying under-the-radar, with the Spring Game being the first moment where it became clear that he is a serious threat to start this fall...
