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Virginia Tech linebacker Dax Hollifield (4) on the sideline in the second half of the Virginia Tech-Virginia football game in Charlottesville on Saturday.
BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech has 91 projected scholarship players with national signing day coming up on February 2.
The NCAA expanded the 85-player scholarship limit for 2021 after it gave every player an additional year of eligibility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Programs have to get back down to the cap number for this season.
Tech signed 21 players in December, but there’s a military component to defensive lineman Mansoor Delane’s scholarship that allows him to count as a walk-on.
The Hokies have two verbal commitments it could add to their 2022 class next month. Tight end Daequan Wright and offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin delayed their decisions while new coach Brent Pry was putting together his offensive coaching staff.
There are also three players — safety Chamarri Conner, long snapper Oscar Shadley and corner Nadir Thompson — who participated in Senior Day, but haven’t announced their plans for next season. Conner told reporters in December that he was still weighing his options.
The transfer portal still could have a big impact on the numbers in the months ahead as well.
Tech has usually seen a wave of players transfer out at the start of the winter semester — classes started for students last week — since it guarantees their scholarship in full for the next term. Pry said a more likely time for players to exit the program this year could be after spring camp.
The last Hokies player to enter the transfer portal was quarterback Braxton Burmeister, who left the program in late December.
“I would be surprised if there wasn’t,” Pry said. “We’ve had some conversations, antennas are up on some guys, but right now we’ll have to see. There hasn’t been enough interaction with this current roster. Position coaches have reached out this last week, I’ve had some meetings here and there. As we dive in, the way that we are going to do things, the accountability piece, the calendar, what our expectations are, I told the staff this morning there might be 15-20 guys that decided this isn’t what’s best for them and we’ll address needs after spring ball.”
The scholarship chart includes the four transfers Virginia Tech has received verbal commitments from this month. The Hokies will officially announce the group — quarterbacks Grant Wells (Marshall) and Jason Brown (South Carolina) as well as receivers Stephen Gosnell (North Carolina) and Jadan Blue (Temple) in the coming days.
Here’s a look at Tech’s projected scholarship chart…
Seniors: 15
Juniors: 11
Sophomores: 23
Freshmen: 22
Incoming Freshmen: 21*
Scholarship players for 2020:
Position
Senior
Junior
Sophomores
Freshman
Incoming Freshman
QB (5)
Connor Blumrick (GRAD), Jason Brown (GRAD)
Grant Wells
Tahj Bullock (RS)
Devin Farrell
RB (10)
Marco Lee (JUCO), Jalen Holston (RS)
Keshawn King
Tahj Gary (RS), Jalen Hampton, Jordan Brunson, Malachi Thomas
Chance Black (RS), Kenji Christian (RS)
Bryce Duke
WR (12)
Jadan Blue (GRAD)
Kaleb Smith (RS)
Jaden Payoute (RS), Dallan Wright (RS), Jaylen Jones, Da’Wain Lofton, Stephen Gosnell
Christian Moss (RS), D.J. Sims (RS), Keli Lawson (RS)
Tucker Holloway, Xayvion Bradshaw
TE (5)
Drake Deiuliis (SR)
Nick Gallo
Jared Gibble (RS)
Benji Gosnell, Harrison Saint Germain
OL (13)
Silas Dzansi (RS), Johnny Jordan (GRAD)
Jesse Hanson (RS), Parker Clements, Kaden Moore
Bryce Goodner (RS), Danijel Miletic (RS), Bob Shick (RS-JUCO), Jack Hollifield (RS)
Johnny Garrett, Brody Meadows, Johnny Dickson, Hunter Mclain
DE (9)
Jaylen Griffin (RS), TyJuan Garbutt (RS)
Eli Adams (RS)
Cole Nelson
Mattheus Carroll (RS)
Gunner Givens, Rashaud Pernell, Kyree Moyston, Keyshawn Burgos
DT (7)
Mario Kendricks, Norell Pollard
Josh Fuga (RS), Wilfried Pene
Desmond Mamudi (RS)
Lemar Law, Braelin Moore, Malachi Madison*
LB (9)
Dax Hollifield
Alan Tisdale (RS), Keshon Artis (RS)
Dean Ferguson (RS), Lakeem Rudolph
Will Johnson (RS), Jaden Keller (RS), CJ McCray (RS)
Reid Pulliam
CB (8)
Brion Murray
Armani Chatman (RS), Nadir Thompson (RS)
Dorian Strong
D.J. Harvey (RS), Nyke Johnson (RS), Elijah Howard (RS)
Cam Johnson
S (11)
Chamarri Conner, Devon Hunter (RS)
Nasir Peoples (RS)
Ny’Quee Hawkins, J.R. Walker (RS), Keonta Jenkins, Jalen Stroman
Da’Shawn Elder (RS), Jalen Hoyle (RS), Jordan McDonald (RS)
Mansoor Delane
K (1)
John Love
P/LS (1)
Oscar Shadley
* Malachi Madison doesn’t count against Virginia Tech’s scholarship cap
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Months away from his debut game as Virginia Tech’s football coach, Brent Pry already is bagging victories in Blacksburg.
“We’ve all got to work together to get through this mess,” Tech fan Bob Lewit said at Saturday’s game.
“They felt a little stressful,” Sean Pedulla said of his late free throws.
Mike Young was “mystified” by his team’s rebounding woes.
The second-place Hokies will visit the first-place Wolfpack on Sunday.
Tech improved to 5-1 in ACC play, while UVa remained winless in the league.
New Virginia Tech head football coach Brent Pry grew up in a football family, and has learned some lessons from his father, a retired college and high school coach.
Plus Miami is on a roll, and there is a new date for the Tech-UNC game.
Fifth-ranked North Carolina State’s Friday night home match against seventh-ranked Virginia Tech has been canceled because of COVID-19 issues …
The Hokies scored the first 15 points of the game.
Virginia Tech linebacker Dax Hollifield (4) on the sideline in the second half of the Virginia Tech-Virginia football game in Charlottesville on Saturday.
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