Grading Virginia Tech Football's 2025 Transfer Portal Class

Two and a half weeks ago, another season of Virginia Tech football wrapped up. Here's my grades for how each position group's transfers performed.

Quick someone help us build a snow-Hokie ☃️#LetItSnow pic.twitter.com/7EglOXd4BT
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) December 8, 2025

Quarterbacks:

This one is a rather short grade. Garret Rangel was the only incoming quarterback and didn't log a single snap this season. Due to practice being closed off to media, this can only be an "incomplete" grade.

Grade: incomplete

Running Backs:

Key acquisitions: Marcellous Hawkins, Terion Stewart

Though tailback Jeffrey Overton, Jr. factored into the carry distribution late in the campaign, for much of the season, the tailback room was dominated by transfers who weren't on the Hokies' 2024 roster. Two separate 150-yard outings occurred this season, including a 174-yard outing by Terion Stewart in Game 5 vs. NC State. In a year defined by turmoil, the running back room offered a rare sense of consistency. After all, five of the top six Hokies graded on offense on Pro Football Focus were running backs.

Grade: A

Wide Receivers:

Key acquisitions: Donavon Greene, Cameron Seldon, Isaiah Spencer

Virginia Tech’s wide receiver production took a noticeable step back during a substandard season, with inconsistency and missed opportunities defining the unit’s overall output. The absence of Donavon Greene put the pin on a poor season, removing another target from an already thin receiver room. The Hokies struggled to generate many explosive plays, allowing defenses to key in on shorter routes and the running game and making Tech's game one-dimensional.

Grade: C-

Offensive Line:

Key acquisitions:

The offensive line delivered mixed results throughout the season. At times, the unit was solid in run blocking and generally serviceable in pass protection, but the cracks became most evident on Kyron Drones’ blind side. Pressure off the left edge was a recurring issue, disrupting timing and forcing Drones to rush throws or abandon clean pockets altogether. Tomas Rimac was solid altogether, finishing as the lone offensive lineman in the top-15 of the offensive list on PFF that was on the field for more than a single snap on the line.

Grade: C

Defensive Line:

Key acquisitions: Kody Huisman

The defensive line quietly emerged as one of Virginia Tech’s more productive position groups, accounting for the program’s only two honorable mention selections on the All-ACC teams. Both nods went to interior defenders Kody Huisman and Kemari Copeland. Huisman, who transferred from North Dakota State, stood out analytically, finishing as Virginia Tech’s second-highest-graded defender on Pro Football Focus.

He was also one of six Hokies to crack the team’s top 10 PFF grades who aligned on the edge or along the defensive front, a group that included fellow transfer Immanuel Hickman (East Carolina). Huisman ranked second overall, while Hickman placed fifth, showcasing how consistently disruptive the defensive front was compared to other units. While edge players drove much of that success, the interior presence provided by Huisman and Copeland gave Virginia Tech a stable foundation up front, even when results didn’t always translate cleanly to the scoreboard.

Grade: A

Linebackers:

Key acquisitions: Michael Short

Virginia Tech's linebackers corps was one of the lone main groups that mostly stayed with in-house options. Save for Michael Short, who announced his departure from the program on Sept. 26, the Hokies essentially relied on internal production that either was from a freshman (Noah Chambers) or from returning players (Caleb Woodson, Jaden Keller, Kaleb Spencer). As such, my grade is incomplete due to the majority of production coming from returners.

Grade: Incomplete

Defensive Backs:

Key acquisitions: Isaiah Brown-Murray, Caleb Brown

The Hokies’ defensive back room was tested in 2025 at cornerback, where season-ending injuries to Joshua Clarke (preseason) and Caleb Brown (in-season) limited depth and continuity in coverage. Their absence forced Virginia Tech to rely on younger players and newcomers much sooner than anticipated, contributing to ups and downs in pass defense throughout the year. Isaiah Brown-Murray shined, in particular, finishing fourth of all Hokies on Pro Football Focus.

In the safety room, turnover was less dramatic but still notable. True sophomore Quentin Reddish was sidelined after just three games, leaving the Hokies even thinner in the backend. To help stabilize the secondary, Tech added two experienced transfers: Tyson Flowers from Rice and Isaiah Cash from Sam Houston State. Flowers started all 12 games for Virginia Tech in 2025 after transferring, finishing with 49 total tackles, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in his first season in Blacksburg.

Isaiah Cash brought a wealth of experience, functioning as a safety and nickelback. He registered 41 tackles, two of which came for a loss, two pass breakups and quarterback hurry and a quarterback interception. Taken as a whole, the defensive back group was, overcoming significant injuries with steady, if unspectacular, production and valuable contributions from Brown-Murray, Flowers and Cash.

Grade: B-