Virginia Tech OL Hannes Hammer to Enter Transfer Portal

The 6-foot-7, 313-pound redshirt junior lineman 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 sustained another loss to the transfer portal today. It was reported by 247Sports that a source has told Chris Hummer that offensive tackle Hannes Hammer is entering the transfer portal. Hammer who stands at 6-foot-7, 313 pounds, will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next stop.

Virginia Tech OT Hannes Hammer (@_HannesHammer) is entering the transfer portal, a source tells @chris_hummer.

The 6-foot-7, 313-pound redshirt junior appeared in six games the past two seasons. He has two years of eligibility remaining.https://t.co/FNaQ4bTbfT pic.twitter.com/GVBvPWt8uh

— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) January 6, 2026

Entering collegiate ball, Hammer, hailing from North Cross High School in Roanoke, Virginia, was ranked as the No. 69 offensive tackle on 247Sports and the No. 25 recruit in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Class of 2023. On 247Sports' composite, he was ranked as the No. 1,012 overall player in the Class of 2023, the No. 76 offensive tackle and the No. 29 player in Virginia.

Hammer was recruited by Virginia Tech's then-offensive line coach, Joe Rudolph. The Hokies were the only Power Four school to offer Hammer, per 247Sports; Hammer was offered by a total of seven schools. The other six that offered him were Appalachian State, Dartmouth, Eastern Michigan, Massachusetts, Richmond and William and Mary. Hammer officially committed to Tech on Jan. 14, 2023.

Hammer did not see game action during his freshman year, 2023, and subsequently redshirted. In 2024, Hammer played in one game but was injured and consequently, missed the second game of the season.

In 2025, Hammer logged 17 snaps, earning a 62.6 overall grade on Pro Football Focus, highest of the team's four offensive tackles listed. Five of Hammer's snaps were pass block snaps, while the other 12 were run-blocking snaps. In pass blocking, Hammer graded out at a paltry 25.9, while he was serviceable in run blocking with a 68.5 grade. Hammer also lined up for six field goal/extra-point kicks.

Hammer's loss comes as a minimal dent in Virginia Tech's offensive line construction; while Hammer was a depth piece, he played sparingly in his three years in Blacksburg and saw scant snaps, a figure that would have been unlikely to change this year. Virginia Tech's offensive line is also in need of a shift following a subpar 2025, where the line was not able to create sufficient time for then-starter Kyron Drones to operate in a clear pocket.

Virginia Tech's 2026 campaign kicks off in just under eight months as the Hokies take on VMI on Sept. 5, 2026. The Hokies and Keydets will face off against one another for the first time since 1984.