Virginia Tech’s recruiting classes this decade have taken plenty of different paths, and the Hokies’ top player from each group tells that story pretty well. Some classes produced immediate standouts.
Others needed time. A few still feel like they’re just getting started.
The 2020 class gave Virginia Tech one of its best defensive backs of the era in Caleb Farley. He arrived as a three-star prospect and the third-lowest ranked player in a class that finished as the ACC’s lowest-rated group that cycle.
None of that mattered for long. Farley jumped into the lineup as a true freshman during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, starting five games right away, and never gave the job back.
By the time he was done in Blacksburg, he had played in 53 games with 44 starts, piling up 112 tackles, 28 pass breakups and seven interceptions. His 2023 season stood out as the peak, when he became just the second FBS cornerback since 2014 to allow fewer than 10 catches and 100 yards on 300-plus coverage snaps.
That year earned him Third Team All-ACC honors, and he was later drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Honorable mentions: Keonta Jenkins and Parker Clements.
The 2021 class didn’t come in loaded with obvious stars, but Jaden Keller emerged as one of the better finds. A three-star recruit from Bristol, Tennessee, Keller played mostly safety in high school before moving to linebacker once he got to college. He climbed into the starting lineup by his third season and kept rising from there, leading the Hokies in tackles during the 2024 season and remaining one of the defense’s more dependable pieces into 2025.
Virginia Tech’s 2022 group had several useful players, but Dorian Strong gets the edge because of what he became at left tackle. The 6-foot-6 lineman from South Carolina worked his way into the starting five and settled in as a fixture on the edge, good enough to earn College Football News Third Team All-American honors in 2023.
He kept building after that, and PFF credited him with allowing just two sacks on more than 300 pass-block snaps. Strong transferred to Auburn for his final season of eligibility.
Honorable mentions: Benji Gosnell, Braelin Moore, John Love and Harrison Saint Germain.
The 2023 class produced another defender who made an early impact in the form of Caleb Woodson. A three-star prospect from Georgia, Woodson quickly became one of Virginia Tech’s most productive linebackers.
He played in 13 games and started once as a true freshman before developing into a key piece of the defense. Over three seasons in Blacksburg, he totaled 152 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups.
He was second on the team in tackles in both 2024 and 2025, though he entered the transfer portal after an injury-shortened 2025 season. Woodson transferred to Alabama after the 2025 season.
Honorable mentions: Ayden Greene and William "Pop" Watson III.
The 2024 class is tougher to sort through because it has been a slower burn in Blacksburg. Several players, including the two highest-ranked recruits in the group, wide receiver Keylen "Brodie" Adams and linebacker Gabe Williams, have dealt with injury issues.
That opens the door for Dante Reddish, the three-star safety from North Carolina, who made his mark right away on special teams. His freshman season included a 77-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown against Clemson.
Before a shoulder injury ended his 2025 season early, Reddish had appeared in 15 career games and recorded 35 tackles and an interception.
It’s still too early to crown a definitive headliner from the 2026 class, but Marcellous Overton made the loudest first impression. After missing the first eight games because of injury, he broke through as a freshman with 146 rushing yards on 25 carries, a strong 5.8 yards per carry, and a 38-yard touchdown run against Miami. Looking ahead, linebacker Noah Chambers is another 2026 recruit to keep an eye on.
Playing time as a true freshman is never guaranteed, and Virginia Tech has a few 2026 newcomers who will be trying to force their way onto the field. Among the names to watch are linebacker Terry Wiggins, running back Messiah Mickens, offensive tackle Thomas Wilder and quarterback Troy Huhn.
In Other News...
Which Hokies Are Ready To Finally Lift Virginia Tech's Offense
After a frustrating 2025 season, Virginia Techs offense is heading into 2026 with a very different kind of hope: not just one breakout candidate, but a cluster of players who could help push the unit forward under new leadership. The Hokies have reasons to believe the passing game can be steadier, the backfield can be deeper, and the overall structure of the offense can better match the talent already on hand.
Luke Reynolds is part of that conversation, along with Heath and Ayden Greene on the perimeter and Jeffrey Overton Jr. in the backfield, while Copeland remains one of the more important two-way names in the program because of what he brings on defense. The broad picture is encouraging, but the real question for Virginia Tech is which of those pieces can make the biggest leap once the new offensive approach is in place and the Hokies start sorting out who will actually carry the load. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Has A Stronger 2026-27 Foundation Than Fans Realize
Virginia Techs offseason outlook looks sturdier than it may have seemed at first glance. After a 19-win season, the Hokies bring back 39.5% of their scoring from last year, a mark that sits third in the ACC behind Virginia and Duke and gives the program a more reliable base than many teams in the league can claim.
Ben Hammond, Amani Hansberry and Tyler Johnson form the core of that return, and Johnsons presence matters even more because he missed most of last season with an injury. For a team trying to build on what it already has rather than start from scratch, that kind of continuity can shape everything from lineup construction to early-season expectations, even if the full picture of how far this group can go still has to be filled in. [Read more 🡒]