Earlier today, Virginia Tech added former South Carolina safety DQ Smith, who landed on the positive side of the recent Pyburn v. NCAA ruling in Louisiana, according to 247Sports. The ruling granted him one more season of college football after he was unable to find footing in the NFL, where he tried out for the Minnesota Vikings but never signed an NFL contract.
In four years with South Carolina, Smith, a former team captain, played in 48 games, starting 45 of them. Over that time, he totaled 228 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and five interceptions, totaling 3,107 career snaps. His seniority is a boost to Virginia Tech's safety room that currently lacks depth.
With the landscape of college football continuing to shift, the past few weeks have brought another wave of uncertainty, headlined by the NCAA’s new "5-for-5" eligibility rule and its ensuing court orders and lawsuits. For now, because he did not sign an NFL contract, Smith is eligible to play under the ACC's new rules that address the eligibility of athletes in the class of 2022 who are seeking another year of playing time. His status could change, however, as the plaintiffs in the case await a hearing on an injunction scheduled for September 3.
The program has not confirmed his addition, but he is listed as a student in the university's database.
After missing the entirety of spring ball and fall camp, Smith now has to play catch up with the Hokies' season opener against VMI just four days away. He will likely not be in the two-deep for the opening week and will almost certainly not be a starter. He could find a playing time on a week-to-week basis before assuming a major role around week three or four, when the Hokies face Maryland and Boston College, respectively.
We will have more as this story develops.
