Virginia Tech WR Chanz Wiggins Aiming To Bounce Back From Injury After Missing 2025 Season

BLACKSBURG, Va. — It's been a year and seven months since Virginia Tech wide receiver Chanz Wiggins has took to the field. Wiggins — who hasn't logged any statistics at the collegiate level — missed the 2025 season due to a torn labrum sustained during preseason camp.

From there, it was a battle of figuring out how to contend with a season-ending injury for Wiggins.

"Just not being able to play last season was really like a downfall," Wiggins said. "Really hurt. I just haven't been so low in my life. Being able to come back and play now, give it all, my 100%. 110%. Just being back in that field is just really grateful, and I'm just happy to be back on the field."

Wiggins missed the whole 2025 season, watching from the sidelines as the Hokies went 3-9 (2-6 ACC) sustaining their lowest mark by winning percentage since the 1992 season and their worst start (0-3) since the 1987 season.

But Wiggins wasn't alone. During the injury, he relied on some of his high school teammates, a group of which were also hurt. Keylen "Brodie" Adams, a member of the Class of 2023 haul for Tech like Wiggins was, also was in Wiggins' circle, a byproduct of Adams also sustaining a season-ending injury before ever taking to the field that year.

"He was there staying by my side, making sure I was good and OK through every step that was going on," Wiggins said.

The labrum injury happened during a routine drill in fall camp, one where Wiggins went straight into the ground and that "was pretty much it," in his words. Wiggins hasn't played in a true college football game since Jan. 3, 2025, so there's a small matter of shaking off the rust before taking to the field again.

"In the beginning, I feel like there was some trying to knock the rust off because I didn't play in a couple months," Wiggins said. "That was probably the hardest thing, just getting back into the groove. Other than that, besides the beginning, after I got used to my body, how it needs to feel now, it came easily and got easier and easier along the way as we move forward."

Wiggins is one of the many members of a crowded wide receivers room for the Hokies. Virginia Tech will likely be led by Ayden Greene and Que'Sean Brown at the position. Greene totaled 516 yards and three touchdowns for the Hokies last season, while Brown, a Duke transfer, logged 846 yards and five scores for the Blue Devils in 2025.

Behind them, however, things are less clear. Louisiana Tech transfer Marlion Jackson should factor into the equation after accruing 370 yards last season for the Bulldogs, while redshirt freshmen transfers Jeff Exinor Jr. and Tyseer Denmark (both from Penn State) should also see opportunities. Wiggins and Adams are two returning receivers who weren't factors for the Hokies in 2025 due to their injuries, giving them a chance to carve out roles this season.

With Greene and Brown seemingly locked in as the top two options, the real competition lies behind them. Virginia Tech has a crowded group of receivers competing for the remaining starting spot — and, perhaps just as important, the snaps that come with it. The group features an intriguing blend of skillsets, amalgamating speed as well as size. Wiggins falls into the latter category, clocking in at 6-foot-3, 196 pounds — the tallest of the Hokies' wideout corps.

"I feel like it's a great balance in the room because just because we have tall receivers as well, like they gonna go up and get the ball," Wiggins said. "We also have short, twitchy, fast receivers as well. So it's like you really gonna have to pick and choose who to guard. You can't just play play one on one. Like we're all really good. We're all really explosive."

Virginia Tech's 2026 season starts on Saturday, Sept. 5, against VMI at 7:30 p.m. ET. The contest is the first between the two since the 1984 season — and the first Wiggins will play in after 610 days since his last contest (Duke's Mayo Bowl at conclusion of 2024 season).

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