Three Players Whose Stock Rose After Virginia Tech's Spring Game

The wait begins. Fans of Virginia Tech football now must wait until early September before they get to see the Hokies take the field again. The aftermath of Saturday’s spring game marked the beginning of a four-month-plus drought of football that won't conclude until Saturday, Sept. 5 — Virginia Tech's season opener against VMI.

EXIT LIGHT….ENTER NIGHT.#VTSpringGame | #LetsGoHokies pic.twitter.com/ZekVvtg9Lq
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) April 18, 2026

Spring games always present several individual outcomes; some games see the continued breakout of future stars. Others see highly-touted recruits fall to the wayside, and there, of course, is the potential for players whose stocks weren’t high to rise. Here are the three players who I believe did just that following their performances on Saturday:

No. 1: Cornerback Josh Jones

Jones is a redshirt sophomore walk-on who hails from Aldie, Virginia, where he played at John Champe High School. He compiled 53 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and nine pass breakups during his senior season in 2023.

Jones notched an impressive interception against four-star Penn State transfer quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer in the first quarter, picking off a pass intended for wideout Takye Heath.

Cornerback Isaiah Brown-Murray spoke on Jones’ developments this offseason, following the game.

“He's the most improved corner in the corner room by far, starting from day one, and now he's improved so much, and I've been really on him and pushing him, telling him, trying to encourage him on how he can really do this," Brown-Murray said. "He can be a really good corner, and he's been showing it every day.”

No. 2: Linebacker Antwone Santiago

Santiago was brought in from Temple prior to last season. That campaign, the redshirt senior struggled to make much of an impact on the field, finishing the year with just nine tackles and a lone tackle for loss.

On Saturday, Santiago finished with seven tackles and .5 tackles for loss. While his role ahead of next season remains to be seen, Santiago made a statement in front of the fans this weekend.

Measuring out the quality of specific players in spring games is a tough task.

Players have strong games because they come against a second- or third-string player. Or, it can be against a first-teamer. Now, there are over four months to prove said assessment right or wrong.

No. 3: Wide Receiver Tyseer Denmark

Denmark was listed as a three-star wideout by 247Sports when he made the move from the Nittany Lions to the Hokies in mid-January.

With a stacked wideout room, which now includes the likes of Ayden Greene and Que'Sean Brown, it could be easy for someone like Denmark to slip down the list. That applies twofold when considering the tight end room, which combined for 205 receiving yards on 17 receptions in Saturday's spring game.

However, Denmark's efficient four receptions for 38 yards —completing 100% of his targets — show how he can factor into next season as a top wideout if his production level stays consistent.

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