TLP Mondays: Let the Games Ring in the New Year

With it being such a quiet week for Virginia Tech, I want to take a look at another headline in the college football world from this past week which came from the Pop Tarts Bowl.

If you didn’t hear Miami came up short against Iowa State 42-41 with Cam Ward only playing the first half after setting the FBS record for career touchdowns. After ISU took the lead late, some wondered if Ward might come back in for the final drive, but the Hurricanes stuck with Emory Williams who struggled mightily throughout the second half and was unable to deliver on the final drive for the Canes.

After the game, Mario Cristobal provided no clarity on whether it was his decision or Ward’s or both to not play in the second half and if it was his call or Ward’s to not come in for the final drive.

Regardless, either Ward committed to only playing a half and Cristobal allowed it or Cristobal only played his best quarterback for a half before choosing to give a worse, backup option reps for the sake of experience and a live test to see what their 2025 QB situation will be.

This whole situation goes against the spirit of competition where either you’re all in or you’re all out. Trying to do something halfway is almost certainly a recipe for disaster as it ought to be in sports and as it was for Miami. Part of what we love about sports is the competitive spirit where athletes leave everything on the line for the entirety of the game win or lose.

Instead, either Ward decided he was going to play a half and Cristobal allowed that, or Cristobal decided Ward would only play till he got the record. An agent almost certainly had a lot of influence for the sake of ‘NFL Draft stock’ which has some merits but what’s the major between playing one half or both. Meanwhile, look at the game right after where another pair of likely top 10 picks played the full game in Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.

Now some have said we should simply be grateful that Ward played a half rather than opting out. While it is nice that fans did get to see Ward play one more time, this decision by whoever made it and allowed it goes against that core spirit of competition. Personally, I’d rather someone be all in for the entire game or not play at all.

Some will bring up that bowl games really don’t have a lot of meaning, but I think getting a program-record 11th victory meant a lot to Iowa State. I think that game also meant plenty to the Miami players who chose to actually play in that game. We should still celebrate and cherish competition even when it may be two teams who have a lot of pieces from the regular season missing.

To be halfway in and allow that goes against the core spirit of competition that sports are built on and as a fan, it’s fair to be more than critical of both Cristobal and Ward going against that competitive spirit that is such a great part of sports by being halfway committed

Hokie of the Week: This is a little bit of a stretch, but new offensive line coach Matt Moore hit the ground running in bringing All-Big 12 OL Tomas Rimac with him from WVU. Meanwhile, it seems like a couple other WVU offensive linemen may also follow Moore to Blacksburg.

Stat of the Week: 10. Virginia Tech is now at ten transfer portal additions this cycle with that number having room to potentially double once all walk-on departures happen. Get ready for a business January on the portal front in terms of Tech’s pursuits.

Quote of the Week: One of the questions I always enjoy posing to commits, whether high school recruits or transfers, is what Tech fans should know about their game. I think it’s interesting to hear what the commit themselves has to say about their game and can sometimes share some insights about their own understanding of their game.

Here’s what Sam Houston DB Isaiah Cash had to say about what Hokie fans should know about his game following his commitment to the Hokies.

"I play safety with a chip on my shoulder, smart, fast, and physical. My instincts and ability to read offenses set me apart, and I’m not afraid to make the big hit or come up with a game-changing play. What makes me different is how my game allows my teammates to play free. They know I’ve got their backs, whether it’s locking down the deep ball or stepping up in the run game, so they can focus on doing their jobs without hesitation.

Three New Transfer Additions: Since Christmas, Virginia Tech has landed a trio of commitments from West Virginia OL Tomas Rimac, Sam Houston DB Isaiah Cash, and Tennessee WR/RB Cameron Seldon.

Tomas Rimac is the headline addition of the three, following his OL coach Matt Moore from Morgantown to Blacksburg. He is a two-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honoree who instantly gives the Hokies a proven, high-level Power 4 lineman who can lead Moore’s rebuild of the Hokies’ offensive line. This addition feels very similar to when the Hokies had All-ACC DT Aeneas Peebles from Duke last year. Don’t be surprised if Rimac follows Peebles’ footsteps and is an All-ACC player in 2025.

Isaiah Cash was one of the Hokies’ first public transfer portal offers with VT battling off Houston, USC, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, and more for his commitment. Cash had an impressive season for the Bearkats with 67 tackles including 1.5 for loss plus two interceptions and 12 pass breakups. He will be a top contender to earn a starting safety job while he also has extensive experience playing the nickel which gives him multiple ways to help the Hokies.

Cameron Seldon showed plenty of promise as a running back at Tennessee, but he offers plenty of versatility with multiple reports pointing to him making a change from RB to WR. Seldon also is the fifth in-state native to transfer to VT from a Power 4 program, joining Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Florida), Kelvin Gilliam (Oklahoma), Kaleb Spencer (Miami), and Sherrod Covil Jr (Clemson). Those first three additions all proved to be successful, with the Hokies hoping that Seldon and Covil can follow those footsteps as former standout in-state recruits to shine upon their returns to VA with the Hokies.

Sam Brumfield Enters the Portal: After gaining an additional year of eligibility through a temporary NCAA rule via the Diego Pavia preliminary injunction ruling, Sam Brumfield decided to enter the transfer portal. This comes after Brumfield was the Hokies’ starting mike linebacker for the first seven days before losing the starting job to Jaden Keller. Brumfield has been going through practices in leadup to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl so it does seem likely that he will play in Charlotte this Friday.

All-MAC LB Sets VT Visit: According to 247 Sports’ Allen Trieu via a post on X, Eastern Michigan All-MAC LB James Djonkam is set to take three visits including one to Virginia Tech plus trips to Michigan State and West Virginia.

Djonkam is a Springfield, VA native who started his collegiate career in the JUCO ranks before spending a couple seasons at Arizona State and then one season at Eastern Michigan. He had 98 tackles including 11.5 for loss this past season while earning an 83.1 PFF grade.

Djonkam did tell me that he heard from a defensive line coach, though he didn’t specify whether that was J.C. Price or Jan Johnson. While Djonkam likely projects as an inside linebacker, he does have the size to move to defensive end at 6’3’’ and 245 pounds.

Interest in Big 12 DB: Virginia Tech is among the Power 4 programs showing interest in a Big 12 DB along with UCLA, Pittsburgh, and Oklahoma State. You can read more about that here.

The Week Ahead: Here’s a look at the Virginia Tech Athletics schedule from now through Sunday.

Tuesday (12/31)

• Men’s Basketball at No. 4 Duke (4:30pm in Durham, NC on ACC Network)

Thursday (1/2)

• Women’s Basketball vs Florida State (6pm in Blacksburg on ACC Network)

Friday (1/3)

• No. 19/RV Swimming & Diving at Queens (2pm in Charlotte, NC)
• Football vs Minnesota in Duke’s Mayo Bowl (7:30pm in Charlotte on ESPN)

Saturday (1/4)

• No. 8 Wrestling at Southern Scuffle (Chattanooga, TN)
• No. 19/RV Swimming & Diving vs RV/22 South Carolina (12pm in Christiansburg)
• Men’s Basketball vs Miami (2pm in Blacksburg on ACC Network)

Sunday (1/5)

• Women’s Basketball at Miami (12pm in Coral Gables, FL)