Five Most Likely Breakout Candidates for Virginia Tech Football

With College Football constantly seeing new talent enter, grow, and leave programs, opportunities arise for the latest breed of players to break out and cement their names forever across college campuses nationwide.

The Blacksburg faithful will bear witness to a new breed of breakout stars this season. With the spring game giving a small peek into who the few could be, these are the five players to expect breakout seasons from in 2025.

1. Ayden Greene

The obvious answer for a breakout season is junior wide receiver Ayden Greene, who committed to Tech out of high school and has spent his first two seasons shadowing the receivers ahead of him.

Greene spent the 2024 season getting limited snaps in the WR4 role, behind Jaylin Lane, Ali Jennings, and Da’Quan Felton. Greene mixed his game and learned from the upperclassmen, which all culminated in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The bowl game for Greene was the proverbial passing of the torch stepping into the WR1 position, racking up 115 yards on six catches.

Going into the spring game as well, Greene showed off talent all around, completing a 57-yard touchdown pass to Tennessee transfer Cameron Seldon.

Greene fits the mold of the prototypical WR1 ready for his breakout year heading into the upperclassmen stage of his career; after spending two seasons in the program, can Greene deliver?

2. Thomas Rimac

At the end of the 2024 season, Tech head coach Brent Pry announced the addition of new offensive line coach Matt Moore. Moore spent his first FBS season in 2006 with Troy as their offensive line coach, and has spent the succeeding 18 seasons bouncing around programs before landing the role in Blacksburg.

Most recently, spending his tenure with West Virginia, Moore wasn’t keen on leaving the Mountaineers without bringing his firepower. So, the Hokies brought in Thomas Rimac alongside Moore.

In an offensive line front that lost eight players last season, Rimac, the redshirt senior, will be the new face of the offensive line.

Rimac, at the guard position, totaled a 78.7 PFF grade, ranking fourth among Power four guards. This should allow quarterback Kyron Drones more time in the pocket to work plays, alongside leading a dominant rushing attack, marching the offense down the field.

3. Michael Short

Moore will not be the only new addition to the coaching staff named, just as new defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes will not be the last. For now, his contribution to the defense will be the highlight for the third breakout star for the Hokies, ACC transfer Michael Short from Chapel Hill.

After losing backers such as Jayden McDonald, Sam Brumfield, and Keli Lawson, that leaves Siefkes a shell of what was a core that intimidated opposing offenses.

The first transfer Siefkes had his eyes on was Short, envisioning his six-foot-three frame fitting in perfectly to his defensive scheme.

Short joins Siefkes for his first season in Blacksburg, back in the FBS scene after serving as linebacker coach for both the Vikings and Cardinals for three seasons.

While only appearing in 13 games across two seasons in the Carolina Blue, Short tallied 23 tackles including a career-high five-tackle performance against his former in-state foe, the Duke Blue Devils.

With increased playing time under Siefkes, look for Short to quickly become the new backbone of the Hokies' defense.

4. Kody Huisman

The single position for the Hokies that lost the most firepower was the defensive line. Tech bolstered two defensive linemen selected in the NFL Draft, Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Eagles) and Aneas Peebles (Ravens).

Pry knew this and, alongside Siefkes, the duo has brought in a plethora of new defensive linemen ready to don the maroon and orange. A few other notable transfers brought in for defensive line support are Elhadj Fall (Georgia Southern), Immanuel Hickman (USF).

For Huisman, he enters the FBS regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in the FCS last season, racking up a PFF grade of 80.7 for North Dakota State.

With only one season of eligibility remaining, Huisman pairs up alongside 2023 transfer Kelvin Gilliam Jr. as both tackles are entering their final season of college football.

5. Braydon Bennett

The final piece Pry brought in to fill his coaching room was offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, entering Blacksburg with over two decades of collegiate coaching experience.

Montgomery can captain an offensive backfield to perfection, giving Coastal Carolina transfer Braydon Bennett a perfect opportunity to pair with Drones and give defenses a troublesome time all season in stopping the duo.

In 2024 for the Chanticleers, Bennett crossed the goal line 11 times while amassing 70 yards per game on his feet.

Watch out for this explosive duo to keep defenses on high alert all season. Paired with the trickery that Montgomery loves to run, the offense could be one of the best in the ACC.

A small glimpse into the trickery Montgomery offers was on display in the spring game with trick play with Green and Seldon.

As the Hokies have brought in 30 new transfer pieces to their roster for the upcoming season, it gives 30 new chances for players to earn their mark and leave their legacy with the Hokies forever.

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