Virginia Tech Cornerback Dante Lovett Enters the Transfer Portal
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The Hokies have their first roster casualty in the post-Brent Pry era.
On3's Pete Nakos reported Monday afternoon that junior defensive back Dante Lovett will enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining, therefore redshirting for the remainder of the year.
Virginia Tech cornerback Dante Lovett plans to enter the transfer portal, his agent @BNM_777k tells @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) September 15, 2025
The 6-foot, 200-pound CB has 36 career tackles, 1 INT and a forced fumble. Will redshirt and have 2 years of eligibility remaining. https://t.co/wrfuvx08mo pic.twitter.com/j0QqWYqTYe
Following the firing of Pry, every player on the roster is eligible to enter the transfer portal during the 30-day period. Lovett was brought in by the former Hokies head coach in 2023 as a three-star prospect. He finishes his career in Blacksburg with 36 tackles, one interception, and seven pass-breakups
How big of a loss is Lovett?
Lovett is a true junior, playing in all 13 games through his first two years with the Hokies. He was a key rotational corner through the first three weeks of the 2025 season. In past years, he'd managed to make big plays behind Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane. This season was expected to be a breakout campaign for the Maryland native. However, Lovett has been underwhelming.
The junior started his year off cold against South Carolina. He finished with three tackles and a PFF grade of 54.5 on 31 snaps. His snap count was subsequently decreased to 21 against Vanderbilt, alongside his grade of 47.9. Both of those performances rank among the lowest on defense, with Caleb Brown being the only defensive back to grade lower through those two weeks.
Now, this hasn't been the month the team or fans expected to start the year with. When the team as a whole isn't performing to the expected standard, it's easy to be knocked down. Pry repeatedly said that this team was the closest to his vision. Three weeks later, that vision is no more. It's a storyline that's going to cloud over the rest of the season, and it's expected to hurt the program's recruitment as well.
2026 4⭐️ OT and Virginia Tech commit Thomas Wilder tells @247Sports he is reopening his recruitment following Brent Pry’s firing
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) September 14, 2025
Read: https://t.co/K6kKgEZp8l pic.twitter.com/G8VZ0cx3js
We've already seen players in the 2026 class reopen their recruitment. The only four-star recruit for Virginia Tech, Green Run's Thomas Wilder, has decided to pursue different avenues. This is a huge blow to the Hokies, as he was going to the centerpiece of the class.
Schools are making calls to various Virginia Tech recruits, potentially weakening a class that was already regarded as one of the weaker in the country. The Hokies have a volume problem. They may have a full roster and enough draw in the transfer portal market to build a team. Recruiting, however, is how you build up a program. Virginia Tech relieved Pry of his duties due to the grim outlook on the future of Hokies football.
It's hard to expect any traction with recruiting or the portal. Not knowing who your next coach is going to be is a cardinal sin. One that Pry entered Blacksburg bearing. He was able to bring in some top-tier talent like Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Bhayshul Tuten. The homegrown players, like Lovett, will remain question marks for the future as the Hokies transition to a new era.
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Brett Holmes has been covering the Hokies as a Sports Media & Analytics student at the school for the past two years. Alongside writing, he works behind the scenes as a production assistant for Virginia Tech's athletic production organization Hokie Vision. In his free time, he produces his own podcast, Holmes Field Advantage, on his YouTube. You can find him on X @_BrettHolmes
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