2025 Virginia Tech Football Offseason Outlook- Cornerbacks
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One of the prized position rooms in the span of Brent Pry's era at Virginia Tech was the cornerback room.
Derek "Cheetah" Jones has has risen up the ranks of one of the best recruiters the Hokies have to offer.
Jones has mentored the likes of Mansoor Delane, Dorian Strong, Derrick Canteen and others while at Tech. The fan-favorite coach, however, now has another task to handle as cornerbacks coach, that being taking over a depleted cornerback room and attempting to keep the secondary of the Hokies at a top-notch level.
The Hokies first lost cornerback Mansoor Delane to SEC giant LSU. Delane was nominated to the 2024 All-ACC Third Team and led Virginia Tech with four interceptions, including four pass breakups, and forced two fumbles.
Delane finished the 2024 season with a 71.0 PFF grade over 721 snaps. Yet, he was debatably the team's biggest loss, as Dorian Strong also has departed the team. Unlike Delane, Strong is en route to the NFL draft.
Strong finished his final year as a Hokie with an All-ACC honorable mention nomination in 2024, where he compiled 32 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions (both against Duke) and a forced fumble.
It is not all doom and gloom for the cornerback room, though. Tech has instead enlisted two cornerbacks through the portal: Isaiah Brown-Murray and Joseph Reddish.
Brown-Murray hails from East Carolina University, where he tallied a 74.0 PFF grade as a Pirate as ECU finished with an 8-5 record, including 5-3 in the AAC. Brown-Murray was slotted in as the primary Pirates corner after top cornerback Sharon Revel Jr. tore his ACL early in the season in an ECU loss to Liberty.
Joseph Reddish, older brother of Tech safety Quinten Reddish, comes to Tech after a two-year stint at Wingate. Reddish totaled four interceptions for a Wingate team that finished 9-2, including an early exit against Virginia Union in the 2024 NCAA Division II playoffs.
Sophomore corner Dante Lovett is expected to serve an increased role in the team along with Brown-Murray next season.
While the Hokies finished year No. 3 under Brent Pry with a meek 6-7 record, with new defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes at the helm, there is reason for cautious optimism.
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Connor is a recent graduate from the esteemed Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech. He first found himself writing for recruiting database Rivals.com for just about two years before moving to Virginia Tech On SI. Connor has interviewed some of the highest-ranking members of Virginia Tech Athletics and looks to one day be a full-time writer covering Manchester United, his favorite soccer team.