Virginia Tech added another piece to its secondary with the commitment of South Carolina defensive back D.Q. Smith, a move made possible after Smith was granted eligibility through a temporary restraining order from a Louisiana court.
Smith arrives with plenty of production on his résumé. Over four years at South Carolina, he recorded 141 solo tackles, 228 total tackles, three forced fumbles, 4.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions and 12 pass deflections. In Virginia Tech’s matchup against South Carolina, Smith had six tackles, with all but one of them coming unassisted.
The transfer timeline moved quickly. Smith entered the portal on Aug. 23 and committed to the Hokies nine days later.
The 6-foot-1, 219-pound defensive back started 45 games and tied teammate Justin Okoronkwo for the team lead in tackles with 64 in 2025. He also had eight tackles against LSU and Ole Miss.
Virginia Tech’s safety room now includes nine players: Smith, redshirt senior Tyson Flowers, seniors Jordan Bass and Sherrod Covil, redshirt sophomore Quentin Reddish, sophomores Knahlij Harrell, Brennan Johnson and Sheldon Robinson, and freshman Tyrell Grant Jr.
Smith is also the fourth defensive back in the class, joining cornerbacks Cam Chadwick, Jaquez White and Kenny Woseley Jr.
Head coach James Franklin addressed the broader roster situation during Monday’s press conference, noting the staff is still sorting through the numbers ahead of the deadline.
"That's a little bit why we're waiting to update our rosters until Friday," Franklin said. "Because, now with the 105, that's when your roster has to be set.
So, it doesn't really make sense to give you guys or put something out today that could change by Friday. ... I've been very transparent since I got here that we were going to create competition at every single position and they needed to embrace that.
"For the most part, our guys have really done a really good job of that... But this is the nature of college football now, and you have to embrace all those things... You do your homework, you do your due diligence the best you possibly can."
Smith went undrafted and received a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, but did not sign an NFL contract. After the Louisiana court ruling, he became eligible under ACC rules.
Virginia Tech opens its 2026 season against VMI on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network, and it will be the first meeting between the two programs since the 1984 season.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Just Made A Late Defensive Addition Before The Opener
Virginia Tech is making one more late roster move before its season opener against VMI, with reports saying the Hokies are adding South Carolina safety DQ Smith from the transfer portal. Smith, who spent four seasons with the Gamecocks, is expected to join Virginia Tech for his fifth college season, giving the defense another experienced option as the countdown to kickoff winds down.
The timing is notable because this kind of late addition can still matter in August, especially for a secondary that benefits from experienced depth and competition. The move has not been officially confirmed by the team yet, but if it goes through, it gives Virginia Tech another veteran piece to work into the mix right before the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Techs Efrem Johnson Hope May Be Over After Key Ruling
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 🡒]
Virginia Tech Opener Should Answer One Big Hokies Question
Virginia Tech opens the season with a matchup that should give the Hokies a clean early read on where they stand, and there is no bigger piece of that evaluation than the quarterback spot. James Franklin has settled on Ethan Grunkemeyer to lead the offense, and against VMI the Hokies should have a chance to work through the basics while also seeing how the rest of the unit fits around him. SP+ has Virginia Tech heavily favored, projecting a lopsided game, but the more useful takeaway for the coaching staff may be how the offense handles its first live snaps and how the line begins to sort itself out.
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 🡒]