Veteran Virginia Tech LB and former starter Keli Lawson has announced that he will enter the transfer portal as reported by 247 Sports and which a source can confirm to me.
During his time in Blacksburg, Lawson had 144 tackles including 11.5 for loss with 3.5 sacks plus three interceptions including a pick 6, 11 pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Lawson had a strong finish to the 2022 season before starting throughout 2023 but lost his starting job at will LB to Caleb Woodson early this past season. He finished the 2024 season with 40 tackles including 1.5 for loss plus four pass breakups.
He will have one year of eligibility remaining at his next school.
Lawson's departure is a little bit of a surprise as he was starting to play more as the backup star LB down the stretch of this season and would have been a slight favorite over Kaleb Spencer to win that job entering the offseason. Instead, Lawson will head elsewhere while Spencer will certainly be the frontrunner to take over that job. While Tech may look to replace Lawson for depth purposes, I do believe they should be more than comfortable with the possibility of Spencer starting.
Looking for the best coverage and analysis of the Hokies? Become a TLP Insider today here.
