Virginia Tech Football Roster 2021 Status and Projection

This page lists all Virginia Tech scholarship football players from the 2020 season-opening roster, the 2021 recruiting class signees, and their status and projections for the 2021 season.

Note that this is not intended to be a complete, accurate, up to date roster or depth chart.

Players are sorted by position and are listed by number, name, 2021 class (all players got a free year in 2020, so their 2021 class is the same as their 2020 class), and status.

All players who are marked out have announced that they are not returning for the 2021 season.  Just because a player isn’t marked out does not mean that he is returning.  It just means that he hasn’t made an announcement.  For seniors who have not made an announcement, we have noted whether or not they chose to participate in Senior Day ceremonies before the UVA game.

For some members of the 2021 recruiting class, we had to simply guess what position they will play.  

Also, note that walk-ons are not included.

Here’s the final 2021 roster

Recent updates:

  • 1/5/2021 – OG Lecitus Smith will return for 2021.
  • 1/6/2021 – DT Dashawn Crawford will return for 2021.
  • 1/7/2021- QB Hendon Hooker announced he’ll transfer to Tennessee.
  • 1/12/2021 – DT Jordan Williams transfers from Clemson to Virginia Tech.
  • 1/13/2021 – QB/ATH Connor Blumrick transfers from Texas A&M to Virginia Tech.
  • 1/18/2021 – OL Brock Hoffman will return for 2021, OL Austin Cannon will not return in 2021.
  • 1/20/2021 – WR Evan Fairs enters the transfer portal.
  • 1/21/2021 – Added DT Jaden Cunningham to returning players list.
  • 2/2/2021 – various minor status updates
  • 2/3/2021 – Fuente confirmed that several seniors would be returning for 2021.  Our list is updated to reflect that.
  • 2/4/2021 – Zion Debose enters the transfer portal.
  • 3/17/2021 – DT Maxx Philpott earns a scholarship.
  • 3/25/2021 – LB C.J. McCray transfers from Marshall to Virginia Tech, will arrive summer 2021.
  • 4/19/2021 – DB Tyree Rodgers in the transfer portal
  • 5/6/2021 – WR Tyree Saunders enters the transfer portal.
  • 5/14/2021 – DT DaShawn Crawford enters the transfer portal.
  • 5/22/2021 – DL Justin Beadles enters the transfer portal.
  • 6/9/2021 – RB Terius Wheatley entered the transfer portal in April (we had missed this).
  • 6/23/2021 – Updated numbers, various personnel updates
  • 7/12/2021 – Robert Wooten and Alec Bryant enter the transfer portal

Virginia Tech Football Roster 2021 Status and Projection

Quarterbacks

3 Braxton Burmeister rJr. –

4 Connor Blumrick rJr. – transfer from Texas A&M

12 Knox Kadum rFr. –

15 Tahj Bullock – Summer enrollee

Hendon Hooker rJr. – Transferring to Tennessee

Quincy Patterson II rSo. – Transferred out to North Dakota State

Running Backs

0 Jalen Holston rJr. –

6 Raheem Blackshear rJr. – will return in 2021

7 Marco Lee Jr. –

23 Keshawn King So. –

24 Malachi Thomas – Summer enrollee

26 Jordan Brunson Fr. –

27 Kenji Christian – Summer enrollee

28 Chance Black – Summer enrollee

32 Tahj Gary rFr. –

36 Jalen Hampton Fr. –

21 Khalil Herbert Gr. – Declared for the NFL Draft

24 Terius Wheatley rJr. – entered the transfer portal

Offensive Linemen

54 Lecitus Smith rJr. – will return in 2021

55 Johnny Jordan, Sr. – grad transfer from Maryland

60 Silas Dzansi rJr. –

64 Bryce Goodner – Summer enrollee

66 Jack Hollifield – January enrollee

68 Kaden Moore Fr. –

69 Luke Tenuta rSo. –

70 Parker Clements Fr. –

71 Danijel Miletic – January enrollee

72 Jesse Hanson rFr. –

76 Brock Hoffman rJr. – will return for 2021

77 Derrell Bailey Jr., Fr.-  moved to OL from DL

79 Tyrell Smith Gr. – participated in Senior Day ceremonies, but will play in 2021

Bob Schick – Summer enrollee

52 Austin Cannon rSr. – will *not* return in 2021

58 Walker Culver rSo. – retired from football due to injuries

61 Bryan Hudson So. – transferred to Louisville

71 T.J. Jackson rSr. – transferred to Ohio

74 Doug Nester So. – transferred to West Virginia

75 Zachariah Hoyt rSr. – participated in Senior Day ceremonies, done with football

77 Christian Darrisaw Jr. – declared for the NFL Draft

Tight Ends

82 James Mitchell Jr. – Mitchell announced that he would return to VT for 2021.

86 Nick Gallo So. –

89 Drake DeIuliis rJr. –

91 Wilfried Pene Fr. –

90 Jared Gibble – January enrollee

Wide Receivers

9 Tayvion Robinson So. –

11 Tré Turner Jr. –

13 Changa Hodge Sr. – will return for 2021 season

14 Jaden Payoute rFr. –

18 Da’Wain Lofton – January enrollee

35 Keli Lawson – Summer enrollee

80 Kaleb Smith rSo. –

81 Dallan Wright Fr. –

83 DJ Sims – Summer enrollee

85 Christian Moss – Summer enrollee

88 Jaylen Jones – January enrollee

14 Evan Fairs Gr. – entered the transfer portal

16 Darryle Simmons rSo. – entered the transfer portal

87 Tyree Saunders Fr. – entered the transfer portal

88 Elijah Bowick rFr. – entered the transfer portal, transferred to North Carolina A&T

Defensive Linemen

3 Norell Pollard So. –

6 Josh Fuga rFr. –

8 Emmanuel Belmar rSr. – will return for 2021

11 Amaré Barno rJr. –

22 Mario Kendricks So. –

41 Jaylen Griffin rJr. –

45 TyJuan Garbutt rJr. –

46 Eli Adams rSo. –

59 Jordan Williams rJr. – Transfer from Clemson

90 Mattheus Carroll – Summer enrollee

92 Jaden Cunningham rJr. – 

93 Cole Nelson – Summer enrollee

95 Desmond Mamudi – Summer enrollee

99 Maxx Philpott r-Fr. – Philpott earned a scholarship in March, 2021.

5 Jarrod Hewitt rSr. – declared for the NFL Draft

9 Justus Reed Gr. – declared for the NFL Draft

13 Zion Debose rJr. – entered the transfer portaltransferred to Buffalotransferred to Kansas instead

36 DaShawn Crawford Sr. – entered the transfer portal – transferred to Southern Miss

51 Robert Wooten Fr. – entered the transfer portal 

98 Alec Bryant Fr. – entered the transfer portal

56 Justin Beadles Fr. – entered the transfer portal, transferred to Houston

Linebackers

4 Dax Hollifield Jr. –

15 Keshon Artis rSo. –

34 Alan Tisdale rSo. –

42 Lakeem Rudolph Fr. – moved from S to LB

47 Dean Ferguson rFr. –

53 Will Johnson – Summer enrollee

54 Jaden Keller – Summer enrollee

57 C.J. McCray Fr. – transfer from Marshall

58 Da’Shawn Elder – January enrollee

23 Rayshard Ashby Sr. – declared for the NFL Draft

Isi Etute – January enrollee, charged with 2nd degree murder, no longer listed on the online roster

Defensive Backs

1 Chamarri Conner Jr. –

2 Jermaine Waller Jr. –

7 Devon Hunter rJr. – Reinstated to the team this summer

13 Ny’Quee Hawkins rFr. –

17 Tae Daley, Sr. – Grad transfer from Vanderbilt

19 J.R. Walker rFr. –

20 DJ Harvey – Summer enrollee

21 Nadir Thompson rSo. –

24 Devin Taylor rSr. – will return for 2021

26 Jalen Stroman – January enrollee

27 Armani Chatman rSo. –

29 Nyke Johnson – January enrollee

31 Nasir Peoples rSo. –

33 Keonta Jenkins Fr. –

35 Elijah Howard – Summer enrollee

37 Brion Murray Jr. –

38 Jayden McDonald – Summer enrollee

39 Jorden McDonald – Summer enrollee

40 Jalen Hoyle – January enrollee

44 Dorian Strong Fr. –

17 Divine Deablo rSr. – declared for the NFL Draft

18 Tyree Rodgers rSr. – entered the transfer portal

Placekickers*

93 Brian Johnson rSr. – will not return in 2021

83 Kyle Lowe – 

86 Zach Hoban – 

88 Will Ross – transfer from South Carolina

92 Mark Applegate – 

96 John Parker Romo Sr. – will return for 2021 season

Punters*

85 Peter Moore – 

91 Oscar Bradburn Sr.will not return in 2021

*Note: Scholarship status for punters and kickers is unknown, so we decided to list all players included on Virginia Tech’s online roster.  Most are not on scholarship.

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