Virginia Tech's initial transfer portal work has been defined in large part by the work they've done in their defensive back room. With a dozen transfers on board, the Hokies already have landed five from defensive backs.
That number is more than I would have expected entering this portal cycle given the fact that they were only expected to lose three DBs in Jaylen Jones to graduation plus Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane to the NFL. Of course, that proved not to be the fullness of the change with Delane joining Mose Phillips and Jalen Stroman in the transfer portal.
That left a massive experience gap among their two-deep outside of the significant backup roles that Dante Lovett and Quentin Reddish had taken on this season plus Braylon Johnson had taken on last season. Lovett and Reddish shined in their opportunities and look like high-level starters as soon as 2025, while other young guys like Joshua Clarke, Thomas Williams, and Johnson have been showing promise but have either little to none playing experience or have few live game reps at their new primary spot like Johnson.
While I always though Tech could have gone for just a couple defensive backs and then rolled with some of these young guys plus Sheldon Robinson, Tech has instead chosen to wipe out the experience gap with a reloaded room via the portal that also doesn't close off some opportunities for younger players in the long term or even next season.
Let's start at cornerback where the Hokies have made one surefire CB addition in Isaiah Brown-Murray plus the addition of Wingate DB Joseph Reddish who seems like a CB or safety option, though cornerback is his background from the DII ranks.
Bringing in a Brown-Murray gives the Hokies a proven starter to pair with Lovett, while also allowing both Williams and Clarke the chance to not only earn a similar role to what Lovett and Williams had this season, but also push Brown-Murray for starting reps. Additionally...
