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Virginia Tech Targets Key Defensive Upgrade with Underrated Transfer Visitor

With the spring transfer portal heating up, Virginia Tech football is staying active both in terms of departures and potential new additions. Head coach Brent Pry and his staff have already seen a flurry of roster movement in the early days of portal season, with players entering and scheduling visits across both sides of the ball.

This spring, Virginia Tech is facing more significant turnover than it experienced at the same point last year, leaving Pry and his staff with several key holes to fill. Injuries at quarterback have added to the uncertainty, with starter Kyron Drones recovering from a medical procedure and backup Pop Watson sidelined due to a tissue issue. Compounding the situation, redshirt freshman quarterback Davi Belfort entered the portal earlier this week, thinning out the QB room even further.

On defense, Thursday brought twin blows to the Hokies’ depth chart as linebacker Jayden McDonald and defensive lineman Jorden McDonald both entered the transfer portal. The latter’s departure, in particular, opens up a critical need along the defensive front — a need the Hokies are wasting no time trying to fill.

Enter a potential solution: an underrated defensive line transfer is scheduled to visit Blacksburg on Friday. While the player’s name has not been publicly confirmed, the visit signals Virginia Tech’s urgency in reinforcing its defensive trenches, especially following the unexpected roster shakeups.

Given Pry’s defensive pedigree and the Hokies’ strong tradition of developing talent in the trenches, this visit could be mutually beneficial. The recruit would have a chance to earn valuable playing time in a Power Five program, while Virginia Tech could gain a hungry, under-the-radar contributor capable of plugging a key gap in the defensive rotation.

With spring practices winding down and roster finalization looming, every visit counts. If all goes well, the Hokies could be on the verge of landing an impactful addition who might not have made headlines entering the portal — but could turn heads in Lane Stadium come fall.

Keep an eye on this one: Virginia Tech’s next difference-maker on defense might already be walking campus.

Deion Sanders Calls Out Virginia Football for Alleged Tampering with Colorado Player

College football’s transfer portal has rapidly evolved into a wild west-style free agency system, where players can jump ship, and big money often talks louder than loyalty. It’s no longer a secret that behind-the-scenes maneuvering — or outright tampering — is becoming a major subplot in the offseason drama.

And now, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is putting that issue front and center, pointing fingers directly at Virginia and its head coach, Tony Elliott.

In a bold and unfiltered video statement, Sanders openly accused the Cavaliers of attempting to poach one of Colorado’s top defensive players by luring him into the transfer portal — without any official move or clearance. Sanders didn’t mince words, slamming what he views as shady recruitment tactics. “Tampering is real,” he emphasized, clearly frustrated by what he considers a violation of trust and ethics in the game.

While Sanders didn’t name the player in question, his tone and message were unmistakably clear: Virginia crossed a line. The implication? Someone from Elliott’s program allegedly reached out to the player before he ever entered the portal, which would be a serious breach of NCAA rules. One telling detail that raised eyebrows was the player’s portal entry with a “no contact tag” — a move that typically signals prior communications may have already occurred.

Whether anything official will come of the accusations remains to be seen, but Sanders’ public takedown has certainly turned up the heat. Fans and insiders alike are now waiting to hear if Tony Elliott responds — though, as Sanders predicted, a “no comment” seems the likeliest reply.

This episode further highlights how murky the transfer landscape has become. As NIL money continues to reshape the college sports ecosystem, accusations like these may only grow more common — and more public.

For now, all eyes are on Virginia. But one thing’s for sure: Coach Prime isn’t afraid to shine a spotlight on what he sees as foul play in the ever-shifting game of modern college football.

In a clash that had all the makings of a postseason classic, the Pittsburgh Panthers pulled off a dramatic 7-6 walk-off win in the ninth inning against the red-hot No. 11 Virginia Tech Hokies on Thursday night. The loss snapped the Hokies’ incredible 17-game win streak — the longest active run in NCAA Division I softball — and gave Pitt its first ACC series opener win of the season.

Virginia Tech (36-6, 14-2 ACC) entered the series riding high after sweeping Notre Dame and celebrating pitcher Emma Lemley’s selection to the inaugural AUSL draft. The Hokies had been dominant in nearly every aspect, leading the ACC in all major pitching categories except ERA and opponent batting average, where they still held second place. They also led the nation in shutouts, blanking opponents in 18 of their 41 games prior to Thursday.

But despite their statistical dominance, Virginia Tech found itself in a back-and-forth slugfest with the underdog Panthers (15-26, 5-14 ACC), who refused to go quietly.

The Hokies started strong, plating a run in the second inning and adding two more in the third to go up 3-0. However, Pittsburgh responded in stunning fashion with a four-run bottom of the third, turning the game on its head and taking a 4-3 lead.

The fourth inning saw Pitt add two more runs, widening the gap to 6-3. But Virginia Tech wasn’t done yet. They clawed back with two runs in the fifth and tied the game at 6-6 in the sixth, showcasing the resilience that had defined their season so far.

Both teams battled through a scoreless seventh and eighth inning, with Pittsburgh threatening in the eighth by putting runners on second and third. However, the Hokies escaped the jam.

The ninth inning proved decisive. With two outs on the board, the Panthers came through in the clutch, walking it off in front of a stunned Virginia Tech bench.

While the Hokies still lead the ACC and remain a formidable postseason contender, this loss serves as a wake-up call. Pittsburgh, despite its sub-.500 record, proved it can go toe-to-toe with the nation’s best.

The two teams will meet again Saturday in a doubleheader to wrap up the series, with Virginia Tech looking to bounce back and reassert its dominance.

The Virginia Tech Hokies are keeping close tabs on one of the most intriguing names in the NCAA transfer portal—Lafayette’s standout freshman Alex Chaikin. After a breakout season in the Patriot League, the 6-foot-5 guard has garnered interest from a slew of Division I programs, with Virginia Tech emerging as a serious contender for his services.

Chaikin’s list of suitors reads like a who’s who of college basketball: Tennessee, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, VCU, Florida Atlantic, and others have all reached out. However, Virginia Tech holds a unique advantage that no other school can offer—proximity to home. A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Chaikin would be just a few hours from family and friends if he were to don the maroon and orange in Blacksburg.

In his lone season with Lafayette, Chaikin delivered an eye-popping performance that turned heads nationwide. He averaged nearly 14 points per game while posting some of the most efficient shooting splits in the country: 49.8% from the field and an astonishing 47.9% from three-point range, ranking second nationally in three-point percentage. He tallied six 20-point performances during the season, proving his consistency and ability to light it up from deep.

Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is undergoing a significant roster and leadership transition. The Hokies have already lost nine players this offseason, signaling a full-scale rebuild. To counter the departures, Tech has been busy behind the scenes—hiring Nelson Hernandez as general manager and bringing in two high-impact transfers, Amani Hansberry and Izaiah Pasha. They’ve also added Chester Frazier, formerly of West Virginia, to the coaching staff, reinforcing the team’s commitment to reshaping the program.

The big question is how Chaikin would fit into this evolving lineup. Could he step in as a starting shooting guard, potentially filling the void left by Jaden Schutt? Or will he serve as a key piece off the bench, offering elite shooting and spacing?

While the Hokies might not boast the same tournament pedigree as some of the other programs courting Chaikin, the appeal of playing close to home and being part of a program on the rise could be enough to sway his decision. For now, all eyes are on the rising sharpshooter as Virginia Tech looks to add yet another piece to its rebuilding puzzle.

The recruiting trail is heating up in Blacksburg as Virginia Tech prepares to welcome one of the nation’s top high school basketball prospects. On Friday, four-star small forward Braydon Hawthorne will make an official visit to the Hokies — a development that could have major implications for the program’s future under head coach Mike Young.

Hawthorne, a versatile 6-foot-8 standout, is widely regarded as West Virginia’s top-ranked high school player by both ESPN and 247 Sports. Nationally, he sits at No. 81 in ESPN’s Top 100 and No. 71 on 247 Sports’ composite rankings. Among small forwards, he’s ranked No. 16 by 247 Sports and No. 23 by ESPN, underscoring his value as a premier talent in the 2025 class.

What makes this visit especially intriguing is Hawthorne’s prior commitment to West Virginia, a pledge he backed out of after a wave of coaching changes hit the Mountaineers’ program. Among those departures was assistant coach Chester Frazier, who played a pivotal role in Hawthorne’s recruitment. Frazier has since rejoined Virginia Tech’s coaching staff, setting the stage for a possible reunion in Blacksburg.

Frazier’s return isn’t the only connection drawing Hawthorne to Virginia Tech. Power forward Amani Hansberry, who led West Virginia in rebounding last season, also transferred to the Hokies after Frazier’s exit from Morgantown. The parallels between Hansberry’s and Hawthorne’s situations are striking — both impacted by the same coaching shake-up, both now linked to the rebuilding efforts at Virginia Tech.

Despite the Hokies’ strong ties to Hawthorne, they face stiff competition. The elite forward is being courted by a host of powerhouse programs, including Kentucky — where he visited earlier this week — as well as Indiana, Michigan, and Marquette, all of which made NCAA Tournament appearances this past season.

Still, Virginia Tech stands out as the only ACC program outside of in-state rival Virginia making a serious push for Hawthorne. If the Hokies land the coveted recruit, it would mark their biggest high school acquisition since Landers Nolley in 2018, according to 247 Sports.

With Hawthorne’s visit set for Friday, the Hokies have a golden opportunity to make a lasting impression and potentially secure a game-changing addition to their 2025 recruiting class.

Virginia Tech is making waves across multiple sports this week, with major headlines in basketball, baseball, and football recruiting that have fans buzzing.

Basketball Staff Gets a Boost

Hokies men’s basketball coach Mike Young continues to retool his program this offseason—not just with player transfers, but with strategic staff additions. The latest move? Virginia Tech has hired Nelson Hernandez, who previously served as the director of player personnel and recruiting at West Virginia. Hernandez played a key role in building the Mountaineers into a 19-win squad last season, including a solid 10-10 record in the competitive Big 12.

This move further strengthens the growing Morgantown-to-Blacksburg pipeline. Young already landed former WVU assistant Chester Frazier and forward Amani Hansberry via the portal. With Hernandez on board, the Hokies are doubling down on experienced recruiting and player development talent, setting themselves up for long-term success.

Baseball Dominates ETSU in Midweek Tune-Up

After a disappointing weekend sweep at home against Florida State, the Virginia Tech baseball team bounced back in a big way with a decisive 11-4 road win over East Tennessee State on Tuesday night. The Hokies now sit at 24-13 heading into a crucial home series against North Carolina.

The offense came alive, led by home runs from Henry Cooke and Ben Watson. Watson also tallied two RBIs, alongside clutch performances from Ethan Gibson, Hudson Lutterman, and Nick Locutro—each driving in two runs. With the ACC schedule heating up, this was the kind of confidence-boosting win the Hokies needed.

Football Recruiting Heating Up—In-State Star Intrigued

Virginia Tech football head coach Brent Pry is gaining momentum on the recruiting trail. Over the weekend, the Hokies secured two Class of 2026 commitments—kicker Will Love and linebacker Joshua Pittman. But the buzz continues with in-state defensive lineman JaySean Richardson, who came away impressed after a recent visit to Blacksburg.

Richardson, a highly-rated recruit from Richmond, told 247Sports that he appreciated how defensive line coach J.C. Siefkes plans to use him in the Hokies’ system. With an official visit scheduled for June 20, and a prior trip to Virginia lined up earlier that month, the battle for Richardson’s commitment may come down to a classic in-state showdown between the Hokies and Cavaliers.

Exciting times are ahead in Hokie Nation.