Virginia Tech Gains Commitment from Marshall Punter Nathan Totten

Totten will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Nov 11, 2023; Chestnut Hill, Mass; A Virginia Tech helmet rests on a table during the first half against Boston College. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech football has gained another commitment. The Hokies received a boost to their special teams unit, welcoming in Marshall punter Nathan Totten. Totten, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound recruit, is a rising redshirt junior and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Marshall transfer punter Nathan Totten has committed to the #Hokies per his Instagram! pic.twitter.com/Nod4su3O0Q

— VTScoop247 (@VTScoop247) January 9, 2026

Totten exited high school as an unranked recruit, committing to Marshall and redshirting his true freshman season. In his redshirt freshman year, 2024, Totten served as a placekicker and a punter. He went 4-for-6 on field goals, knocking down one of his three kicks from 30-plus yards for a long of 39 yards. Totten was an unblemished 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts.

Primarily serving as the team's kickoff specialist, Totten logged 40 kickoffs, with 28 going for touchbacks. He also put up two punts for an average of 45.0 yards per punt.

In 2025, Totten transitioned to being only a punter and in 56 punts, he punted for a total of 2,551 yards (45.6 yards per punt average) and a long of 63 yards. Totten's 45.5 punting average over his two years of game action in Huntington stands as a school record, while his 2,641 total punting yards stands as ninth all-time in the school's history. For his 2025 efforts, Totten was named Second-Team All-Sun Belt.

Totten entered the transfer portal yesterday and committed to Virginia Tech on the same day. His commitment reinforces Virginia Tech's special teams at a time where it is undergoing change. After Peter Moore's graduation in 2024, 2025 punter Nick Veltsistas has also graduated after his lone year of starting. Kickoff specialist Kyle Lowe has also graduated, leaving a void that has been partially filled by Totten's commitment.

Totten is the 11th player to officially announce his intentions to transfer to Virginia Tech, joining defensive lineman Daniel Jennings (Penn State), tight end Matt Henderson (Penn State), running back Bill Davis (Louisiana), offensive lineman Justin Bell (Michigan State), edge rusher Jvion Hilson (Missouri), cornerback Cam Chadwick (UConn), wide receiver Jeff Exinor (Penn State), cornerback Jaquez White (Troy), linebacker Keon Wylie (Penn State) and offensive lineman Logan Howland (Oklahoma). Multiple outlets have reported that quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer is "expected to commit" with the Hokies, though Grunkemeyer has not confirmed that at the time of writing.

For a look at Virginia Tech's incoming and outgoing players via the transfer portal, you can take a look here via our transfer portal tracker, which goes over every incoming and outgoing player. At the time of writing, Virginia Tech has secured the services of 11 incoming transfers (12 if Grunkemeyer's expected commitment is made official), while 24 are leaving the program (incl. six in the window after then-head coach Brent Pry was fired).