Cincinnati DL Kamari Burns Locks In Visit To Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech adds another visitor from the portal. Read more below.

Nov 9, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Brent Pry leads his team onto the filed with Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Takye Heath (2) before the game at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The Hokies continue expanding its list of transfer portal visitors as the coaching staff looks to overhaul the roster for the upcoming season. The newest addition to the list is Cincinnati defensive lineman Kamari Burns.

Cincinnati transfer DL Kamari Burns is on his way to Blacksburg for a visit, he tells @EvanGWatkins247 and I for a @247Sports.

https://t.co/6A1v5C2Tzs pic.twitter.com/2y2w2xiPix

— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) January 3, 2026

Immediately, Burns jumps towards the top of the board for Virginia Tech. He is coming off a huge season at Cincinnati, where he played 174 snaps over 11 games, tallying 11 tackles and half a sack. While he hasn't lit up the stat sheet, he's been nothing short of impactful when he is on the field. According to PFF, Burns has earned an overall grade of 70.6 with a run-defense grade of 68.9 and a pass rush grade of 66.6. He has been all-around good and impactful for Cincinnati this year.

His best performance came against UCF in the middle of the season, where he had 0.5 sacks with a 77.3 overall defensive grade, a 67.5 run defense grade, and a strong 73.7 pass rushing grade. He played 19 snaps in that game.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Burns was a three-star prospect ranked in the top 650 nationally by the 247Sports composite. He officially visited Penn State shortly after committing to Cincinnati, which showcases a prior relationship between Franklin and Burns.

Virginia Tech is in desperate need of interior defensive linemen. They do not have enough experienced returners, and they certainly are shorthanded on the depth side of things. Burns would, at minimum, factor in and help on that front.

With Burns' 6-foot-3 and 300-pound frame, he would fit perfectly as an interior defensive lineman who can rush the passer from multiple different positions. He has the athletic ability to be successful in 3-man twist motions on the defensive line, which Brent Pry has a tendency for.

As the Hokies look to revamp the roster, they need to add to just about every position, including the interior defensive line. Hosting Burns on a visit reflects the staff's goal of bolstering their defensive line under new coach Sean Spencer, who is known as an elite recruiter.

If the Hokies can go the distance on this one, they will be adding an athletic, strong interior defensive linemen who doesn't necessarily have a weakness, as his PFF grades reflect. He should immediately come in and push for early playing time and be a heavy favorite to end up on Virginia Tech's two-deep come the fall.

We will have more as this story develops.