Virginia Tech is making a late roster addition ahead of Saturday’s season opener against VMI, with former South Carolina safety DQ Smith reportedly set to join the Hokies.
Smith is headed to Blacksburg for his fifth college season after spending four years at South Carolina. He was not selected in the 2024 NFL Draft and, according to the report, received multiple NFL minicamp invitations.
The move comes in a year when transfer rules have shifted again. Athletes who played four seasons and never redshirted have been able to play for four years in a five-year window, with waivers available for additional years because of various reasons. The NCAA Division I board of directors also voted in June to exclude players who exhausted eligibility under the old rules from returning for a fifth season.
Smith entered the transfer portal on Aug. 23.
His status for the opener is tied to the legal fight involving Virginia Tech and the other three power conferences. A hearing is set for Thursday, and the result could determine whether Smith is eligible when the Hokies open Saturday night against the Keydets.
The ACC joined the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 last week in voting to adopt new rules that prohibit teams from playing athletes who previously signed contracts with a professional sports team.
Smith never signed a contract or appeared on an NFL roster.
Virginia Tech defensive coordinator James Franklin addressed the broader issue Monday, saying: “I think there’s always concerns when you’re bringing somebody into the building, whether it’s hiring a staff or whether it’s bringing a player to add to your roster. You want to make sure you’re getting as much of the information as you possibly can, and then make sure the players understand why and how you’re doing it.
All those things kind of factor into our decision-making process. But, once again, we’ve got to make sure we’re doing everything in our power to put Virginia Tech in the best position to be successful.”
Franklin added that Smith gives the Hokies a veteran presence in the back end of the secondary. Smith played four seasons at South Carolina and logged 228 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, five interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
Flower is one of the Hokies’ six captains this season.
Franklin also said the roster can change, but the priority is making sure the fit is right for the team and the locker room. He said, “I think there’s always concerns about bringing someone into the locker room that you don’t and their family.
That’s helpful. But, that’s not always going to be the case.
So you do your homework and you do your due diligence the best you possibly can. You discuss it with the players and the staff, and then you make decisions.
A lot of those things will be based on need.”
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Virginia Tech Lands Veteran Help As Secondary Questions Still Linger
Virginia Tech added an experienced piece to its defensive backfield with the commitment of South Carolina defensive back D.Q. Smith, giving the Hokies another veteran option as they continue sorting out the secondary. Smith arrives after spending four seasons at South Carolina and also had a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, though he did not land an NFL contract.
Smiths path to Blacksburg moved quickly once he entered the transfer portal on Aug. 23 and then joined Virginia Tech nine days later, aided by eligibility obtained through a temporary restraining order granted by a Louisiana court. For a Hokies defense still looking for clarity in the back end, the addition brings experience and immediate help, even if the broader picture in the secondary is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
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Efrem Butta Johnsons bid to squeeze out one more season of college basketball hit a hard stop this week, when a South Carolina judge denied his request for additional eligibility. Johnson had already played out his senior year at Clemson last season, and the ruling leaves him without a path to extend his college career through the courts.
For Virginia Tech, the decision closes the door on a potential addition who would have brought another experienced guard into the mix. Johnson had been seeking a fifth season, but with the legal challenge turned away, the Hokies and everyone else watching the case are left with the same reality: his college run appears to be over. [Read more 🡒]
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On the other side, VMI brings a triple option look under new coach Ashley Ingram, which means Virginia Tech will have to stay disciplined even in a game where it expects to control the action. The Hokies also have some depth questions to monitor as they head into September, along with special teams that were ranked highly in preseason measures. If the opener goes the way projections suggest, it should still tell Virginia Tech plenty about the personnel battles and early-season depth that will matter once the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]