Virginia Tech saw its biggest transfer portal entrance to date today as starting LB Caleb Woodson has entered the transfer portal as first reported by On3's Pete Nakos.
NEW: Virginia Tech standout LB Caleb Woodson has officially entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 2, 2026
Woodson totaled 57 tackles and 1 pass deflection. https://t.co/uX5LwB7NkZ pic.twitter.com/PLqImwBDPk
Woodson leaves Blacksburg after three seasons with the Hokies including the past two as one of the Hokies' starting inside linebackers after claiming that job during the 2024 season. A reported injury slowed Woodson down in 2025 as he had 58 tackles including 2.5 for loss plus a pass breakup over the course of nine games.
For his VT career, Woodson had 152 tackles including 11.5 for loss with two sacks plus an interception and three pass breakups. He will have one year of eligibility remaining plus a redshirt.
According to On3's Hayes Fawcett, Woodson is visiting Alabama on Sunday.
Losing a veteran linebacker with All-ACC potential in Woodson is certainly disappointing for the Hokies even after what was not the breakout year that many hoped for. It was also a season that got derailed some by an off-the-field incident that stripped him of his captaincy prior to it, and then was further derailed by a reported injury that caused him to miss three games.
There's no doubt that Woodson still has tons of talent to be an all-conference linebacker though which is why schools like Alabama are already getting involved. Losing Woodson is definitely a loss for James Franklin's first team given the all-conference potential he has and the immense experience he brings being in the heart of a defense.
With Woodson moving on, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Hokies pursue a couple more experienced linebackers to add through the transfer portal to pair with talented returners Kaleb Spencer and Noah Chambers. It wouldn't be surprising to see at least one of those be someone they expect to start, especially since the Hokies likely will have a more traditional 4-3 style base this upcoming season with Brent Pry running the defense rather than the 4-2-5 base that they had under Sam Siefkes this past season.
Check out all our coverage of Virginia Tech and the 2026 transfer portal cycle here.
