Hello Hokies! The transfer portal has only been fully open for two days yet chaos already reigns with the Virginia Tech offensive line in turmoil while new transfer visitors are already visiting Blacksburg. Things move fast in the transfer portal with the Hokies seeming to be on track to have room for at least 15-17 transfer portal additions this cycle.
It’s also about to be exam week in Blacksburg which will have things slowing down for most winter sports before the on-field action comes to a crawl during the Christmas season. However, the portal season being in full swing means there’s plenty of news and notes to discuss from the portal to the field of competition.
Midweek Rundown
Sam Houston DB Transfer Isaiah Cash Visiting: One transfer target who will be on campus is Sam Houston DB transfer Isaiah Cash. The Bearkats standout will be in Blacksburg today and tomorrow before taking a trip to Ole Miss on Friday and Saturday as he shared on his social media yesterday. Given his versatility that can provide depth at safety and experience at the nickel, I wouldn’t be surprise if Tech tries to make a push for a commitment during his visit but we’ll see. The thing about the portal is things can change quickly including where players stand on a team’s board as more players choose to enter the portal. The current window remains open for players to enter till December 28th.
Two Transfers Currently On Campus: NC Central All-MEAC First Team RB J’Mari Taylor and Charlotte All-AAC Honorable Mention OT Kendall Stanley are both currently on campus. The Taylor news was first reported by VT Scoop and confirmed by a source to the TLP while the Stanley news was reported by VT Scoop via reporter Kolby Crawford.
Taylor would immediately project as Tech’s starting running back if he chose the Hokies after running for 1,146 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 5.8 yards per carry in only 11 games. He also broke 45 tackles and averaged 3.61 yards after contact per carry according to PFF. He has one year of eligibility remaining and would be a bridge to Jeremiah Coney, Tyler Mason, and Jeff Overton Jr most likely. Taylor has declined to report his offers publicly to my knowledge.
Stanley played 706 offensive snaps for Charlotte this past season on his way to earning a 77.7 grade from PFF while having a 97.9% pass block efficiency rate. He has two years of eligibility remaining and would immediately project as a starter on a depleted offensive line in desperate need of upgrades. Miami, BYU, Kansas, Memphis, and Oregon State are among the other notable offers for the Charlotte, NC native and Charlotte 49ers standout.
Virginia Tech Among Visits for Matthew McDoom: Coastal Carolina All-Sun Belt First Team CB Matthew McDoom is working to set up a visit to Virginia Tech according to 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz. He is also looking to set up visits to Missouri, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Virginia per Zenitz. This comes after McDoom had an impressive junior season with 36 tackles including three for loss plus three interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
Hokies Among Multitude Interested in Fluff Bothwell: South Alabama’s standout freshman RB Fluff Bothwell has heard from dozens of Power 4 schools including Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Miami, Ole Miss, Louisville, USC, South Carolina, Kansas State, Indiana, Auburn, and many more according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Bothwell was one of the best freshman RBs in the country this past season with 832 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
Purdue QB Ryan Browne Looking to Visit VT: According to 247 Sports’ Allen Trieu, Virginia Tech is among the schools working to setup a visit with Purdue redshirt freshman QB Ryan Browne along with Louisville, Missouri, Utah, and UCF. Browne had an impressive spot start against Illinois this season that was a bright spot amidst a rough season for the Boilermakers. He is the same year as Pop Watson which makes the Hokies’ interest a little surprising though he is a bigger, more physical runner at quarterback given that he’s 6’4’’ and 210 pounds. It’s still unclear how strong the Hokies’ interest is with no date for a visit being specified at this time.
WBB Last Team in NCAA Tournament Per ESPN: ESPN’s Charlie Creme released his latest Bracketology on Tuesday with Virginia Tech being included as the ‘Last Team In’ following their victory at Georgia and road loss at top 10 Duke. The Hokies have had a solid start to the first year of the Megan Duffy era picking up a couple power conference wins over Georgia and Rutgers so far. The Hokies still have a lot of work to do but the ACC on the WBB side will provides plenty of opportunities to do just that.
Caleb Henson Wins ACC Wrestler of the Week: After winning the 149 weight class at the prestigious Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas this past weekend, former national champion Caleb Henson was named the ACC Wrestler of the Week. The honor was well-earned as Henson went through a loaded field to remind the country why he’s the top guy at 149, capping off the weekend with a victory over Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett, the #1 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament who Henson took down on his way to the national title after losing to Lovett in last year’s Cliff Keen.
Hokies on the Rise in Wrestling Rankings: Following a strong performance at the prestigious Cliff Keen in Las Vegas as a team, a few Hokies are on the rise in the latest rankings per Intermat. Eddie Ventresca leads the way jumping from 11th to 4th at 125 after beating two guys ranked in the top six at the time including Nebraska’s Caleb Smith who dropped from second to fifth. Rafael Hipolito jumped nine spots from 23rd to 14th at 157 while Sam Latona rose from 17th to 14th at 141, Mac Church jumped in the top 33 at 165 at 29th, and Andy Smith rose from 11th to ninth at 197. TJ Stewart was the only Hokie competing in Vegas to drop as he fell from 16th to 25th at 184 as the 2024 ACC champion continues his slow start to this season.
Belle Patrick Named to All-ACC Freshman Team: Volleyball outside Belle Patrick was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team this week. She started 24 matches among 29 total appearances with 281 kills, 24 aces, 165 digs, and 38 total blocks this past season for the Hokies. She is the first Hokie to achieve that honor since Kaity Smith in 2017 according to a VT press release.
