Kelvin Gilliam
Defensive Tackle
Transfer Portal, Oklahoma
6-3, 295
Richmond, VA
The Hokies continued to shore up their interior defensive line with a commitment from Oklahoma defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam on Thursday.
LET’S GO HOME!!!!!! 🦃🔥@CoachPryVT @jcprice59 @Coach_Marve @Coach_Mines #GoHokies @HokiesFB pic.twitter.com/dcXVLwvdxw
— Kelvin Gilliam 👑 (@Kelvin_Gilliam2) December 28, 2023
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound lineman, who’s from Highland Springs, spent three years with the Sooners, appearing in 16 games and making 10 tackles in 185 snaps but missing six games last year due to injury. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Gilliam’s the third defensive tackle Tech has added this transfer cycle, joining All-ACC performer Aeneas Peebles (Duke) and Kemari Copeland (JUCO, Iowa Western CC).
Gilliam was a highly-sought-after prospect when he signed in 2021, a four-star recruit who was ranked 107th nationally in the 247Sports Composite and had offers from Penn State, Florida, LSU, Michigan, South Carolina and Texas, among others.
His addition comes at a position of major need for the Hokies heading into 2024. The top three producers at defensive tackle — Norell Pollard, Mario Kendricks and Pheldarius Payne — exhausted their eligibility.
Josh Fuga and Wilfried Pene return as two veterans who have gotten playing time, but the next wave of tackles, which includes Malachi Madison, Lemar Law and Gunner Givens, has barely gotten on the field.
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Didn’t seem to play much. I think people get caught up in high school rankings and the fact that he was at OU. He didn’t really produce there, so not sure what we’re getting, other than someone “better than we have” currently with our DT departures🤷🏻♂️
Gilliam and/ or Peebles beside APR- Yes!
Noticed Duke’s official football Twitter account posting a photo of Peebles with their bowl trophy and captioned “ONE MORE YEAR!” with a tag to Peebles. Could he actually end up staying at Duke? That seems like an odd choice given the coaching change there, but not much is a sure thing in the college football portal world it seems…
Maybe not so odd, they’re trying to send him a message to come back.
Not odd they would try to keep him, clearly they should try very hard (I would), but odd in the sense of him staying there instead of coming here to a “perfect fit” DL scheme for him. Is the Manny Diaz defense similar in that regard? I hope he sticks as a transfer signee for VT!
Do transfers sign a LOI?
Good question
They just enroll. Don’t sign anything binding.
Doesn’t hurt that was Highland Springs
What does that mean for Malachi Madison, Lemar Law and Gunner Givens? Is that “writing on the wall” for them, or simply that they are still too young? Would we expect any of them to consider the portal due to the three signings or are they the DL of the future?
All but Gunner G were hurt
I think Givens had a hand injury that he was recovering from early in the season.
I heard Givens was moving to th offensive line.
Both are true. He was injured in preseason camp and came back in Octoberish. Rumored to be moving, but that’s been in and off for a while.
IMO opinion no chance he ever sees any significant time at DT. He has wasted two years of development thus far. Time to move to OT
Givens was also hurt late in the year. Did not dress for the bowl.
My impression is that GG may be going to the other side of the line (Wyatt Teller take 2?)
I doubt he will resemble Wyatt Teller. No one else has since Wyatt wore the O&M.
Amazing progress – well coach Pry and team!
The great additions just keep coming
So he has 2 years? Or 3?
Two years left.
I dig this guy’s vibe. (See my username)
Same
This is a great addition to the DLine! Welcome home Kelvin.
Excellent! Get after it Coach Pry! Turn up that wick!
Glad to see so many things finally breaking well for Coach Pry and staff. The 2023 season was a tough time for them.
Not nearly as tough as 2022
Okie Hokie!
Big get! Congrats to Mr Gilliam and the staff. Gonna be a perfect fit…literally.