Virginia Tech head football coach Brent Pry knew from the moment he was hired that returning the Hokies to their glory days wouldn't be an overnight thing. In the current state of college sports, the transfer portal has quickly become a quick way to turn things around, and the third-year head coach continues to find quality players in the portal.
After acquiring several key players on offense last offseason, the team focused on defense this offseason, acquiring several key players along the line that helped turn the team around in the final two-thirds of the season. One of the players they acquired through the transfer portal was recently named to the On3 2024 Preseason All-Transfer Portal Team.
Virginia Tech added some players to its defensive line through the transfer portal, including Iowa Western Community College's Kemari Copeland, Alabama's Curtis Perry and Oklahoma's Kevin Gilliam. The biggest addition is Aeneas Peebles, who joined from ACC rival Duke and could be a big difference maker.
“Peebles is a top-class inside pass rusher and has the second-best grade (90.1) at his position among FBS linemen in the class of 2023, per PFF. The Duke transfer recorded 5.5 tackles and 10 TFL last season and will now play alongside one of the ACC's best edge rushers, Virginia Tech's Antwaun Powell Ryland.”
– Jesse Simonton
Florida transfer Antwuan Powell-Ryland led the Hokies in sacks last season with 9.5, but the addition of Peebles should help him improve even more. Even if that doesn't happen, Peebles could be a big impact player for defensive coordinator Chris Marve and Pry. Virginia Tech has a chance to be one of the better defenses in the ACC in 2024, and a lot of that is down to transfers, led by Peebles.
