Has Virginia Tech Done Enough To Remake Their Secondary This Offseason?
There have not been many teams hit harder through the transfer portal than Virginia Tech, particularly in the secondary. The Hokies have lost Mansoor Delane, Jalen Stroman, and Mose Phillips to the transfer portal while Dorian Strong is heading to the NFL. Virginia Tech needed to find some instant impact players for their secondary and that has been the position they have attacked the most so far this offseason. Virginia Tech has eight transfer portal commitments so far and five of them are in the secondary. Clemson safety Sherrod Covil, East Carolina DB Isaiah Brown-Murray, Sam Houston State DB Isaiah Cash, Rice DB Tyson Flowers, and Wingate DB Joseph Reddish. Will these new additions be enough to remake the Hokies secondary into a formiable unit this season?
One addition who will make an instant impact wlll be Sam Houston State DB Isaiah Cash. Cash came to Sam Houston State from Houston Christian and has five years of experience under his belt. For his career, Cash has 173 tackles and five interceptions. This past season, Pro Football Focus gave him a 77.4 grade in 881 snaps, including an elite 91.0 tackling grade. Having a sure tackler in the secondary would be huge for the Hokies defense next season and that is one skill that Cash has.
Covil gives them an experienced safety who should be able to make an impact right away.
Here is the scouting report from when Covil was a prospect from 247Sports analyst Brian Dohn:
"Has frame to support 200 pounds. Can play free or strong safety, and could plug in as nickel as well. Excels on field for one of top teams in Virginia. Is college ready for a strength standpoint. Tough, physical player with closing speed and a devastating hitter who delivers big, clean hits. Loves to compete. Never misses a chance to make a physical, aggressive tackle. Plays fast but excellent body control. Has ideal timing and good ball skills while also being technically sound. Routinely covers 20 yards to make a hit or open field tackle. Improved man-to-man cover skills from junior season. Jams and re-routes receivers regularly when matched up in the slot. Shows he an ability to flip hips and cover outside of numbers. Instinctual and quick to recognize plays. Excellent reaction time. Can sort through traffic and locate ball carrier. Can stack and shed but often beats the block. Has mentality to come and stuff run. Shows blitzing ability. Size concerns at a shade under 6-foot but does have plus length. Bigger receivers can win 50-50 balls because of size. Multi-year starter at Top 15 program. NFL draft mid-round potential."
Our own RJ Schafer broke down the commitment of Reddish earlier this week:
"Joseph Reddish, the older brother, recorded four interceptions in 2024. He also recorded 11 pass breakups, 33 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 field goal block for Wingate last season."
Reddish will see a step up in competition, but he could be an impact player.
According to Pro Football Focus, Brown Murray played 830 snaps and finished with a 74.0 grade, including an 80.4 tackling grade. He has played a lot of snaps over the past couple of seasons and should bring some experience and playmaking ability to the Hokies secondary.
Flowers earned a 76.8 grade from PFF in 544 snaps and was the third-highest-graded defender on the Owl's defense.
All of these players have experience and were contributors for their programs, but they are all going to face a step up in competition. The ACC will be the highest-level for these new players, but their experience should help them translate. The secondary will be put right to the test in the very first game against South Carolina next season.
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Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell