In the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes, the Hokies brought in four scholarship tight ends, so a 2023 walk on QB that transitioned to tight end flew under the radar for quite a while, even as he rose ahead of a couple of those scholarship tight ends to claim a backup role on the depth chart.
On Saturday, he made his presence known in what was a culmination of years of hard work to go from walk-on to shining on Saturdays.
TE Ja'Ricous Hairston caught his first career pass and touchdown in the game's opening quarter, giving the Hokies a 10-0 lead over Vanderbilt. On what turned out to be a very disappointing night for VT, Hairston’s touchdown was a bright spot.
After the game, he had this to say about his touchdown.
"It was a great feeling. I thank God for putting me in the position that he has. If it wasn't for him, I would never be in that position to catch that touchdown,” Hairston said.
All of this comes after Hairston had some lower level scholarship offers to play quarterback out of high school. However, he decided to walk on to play tight end at Virginia Tech and is more than content with that decision.
