Virginia Tech Football: Hokies Get Commitment From New Mexico Safety Transfer Christian Ellis
Virginia Tech is busy in the transfer portal agian. It has been a busy week for the Hokies when it comes to portal commitments and today, they added New Mexico safety transfer Christian Ellis. Ellis is going to step in and try to help a Virginia Tech secondary that is losing safeties Jalen Stroman, Mose Phillips, and cornerbacks Mansoor Delane and Dorian Strong. He had 99 tackles and an interceptions this past season for the Lobos and has one year of eligibility left.
BREAKING: 3⭐️ New Mexico transfer S Christian Ellis has committed to Virginia Tech
— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) January 9, 2025
The 6’0 202 lb. DB from Jacksonville, Fla. had 99 tackles and 1 INT this season
1 year of eligibility remaining
Story: https://t.co/NIjkp1JnBz pic.twitter.com/UD0aMWZHn8
Ellis played for New Mexico for three seasons and in 2024, was their highest-graded defensive player on Pro Football Focus, finishing with a 70.6 defensive grade in 900 snaps. In 2023, he played 697 snaps and finished with a 55.6 grade. He helps fill a big need for the Hokies and should be able to contribute immediately.
Just this week, Virginia Tech has landed commitments from Pitt LB Jordan Bass, Eastern Michigan DE James Djonkam, Mercer DL Arias Nash, and West Virginia OL Lucas Austin.
Our own RJ Schafer broke down the commitment of Bass earlier this week:
He finished his Panthers career with 25 total tackles, 1 sack, and one pass defelction. Bass was considered the No. 4 player from Virginia in the class of 2023 by 247Sports, as the site rated Bass as a four-star recruit. Bass received offers from Virginia and Virginia Tech out of high school, but opted to play for the Panthers.
"According to 247Sports, Bass is the fifteenth transfer to announce his commitment to Virginia Tech, and he is the first player listed at linebacker on the site to transfer to Virginia Tech.
Bass will have two more years of eligibility under a Virginia Tech defense that is currently searching for their defensive coordinator.
Jordan Bass is the second Virginia Tech transfer in the 2024-2025 winter cycle that is coming from the ACC. The other ACC transfer to Virginia Tech is safety Sherrod Covil Jr from Clemson.
Four of the Hokies’ transfers in this cycle are coming from below the FBS level. There are six transfers coming from fellow Power Four schools, and five transfers coming from the Group of Five level in the FBS. The highest ranked transfer by 247Sports is running back/wide receiver Cam Seldon from Tennessee.
Jordan Bass is not yet ranked by 247Sports transfer portal rankings. He is ranked as the 1395th best recruit in the transfer portal by On3 and 1093rd by Rivals. He is ranked as a three-star transfer by On3 and Rivals.
Bass is joined by Eastern Michigan transfer linebacker/edge rusher James Djonkam as recent commitments to Virginia Tech in the transfer portal.
Last season for the Eagles, Djorkam racked up 98 total tackles, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 3 PDs and was a 2nd team All-MAC selection. He began his career at Arizona State before transferring to Eastern Michigan and now he will head to Blacksburg.
Djonkam is going to help replace linebackers Sam Brumfield and Keli Lawson, who both entered the transfer portal. Virginia Tech has been decimated by transfer portal entries, but they have done a nice job of getting talent back.
Bass and Djonkam could both slide into starting roles in the linebacker room, and the defense could look much different with a majority of positions having new starters due to a large amount of NFL talent and transfer portal losses. A lot will be riding on next year for the Hokies, especially defensively with a new coordinator.
Virginia Tech Transfer Portal Commitments (16)
Safety Sherrod Covil Jr (Previous School: Clemson)
RB Terion Stewart (Bowling Green)
RB Marcellous Hawkins (Central Missouri)
DB Isaiah Cash (Sam Houston State)
OL Tomas Rimac (West Virginia)
OL Kyle Altuner (West Virginia)
OL Lucas Austin (West Virginia)
RB/WR Cam Seldon (Tennessee)
DL Arias Nash (Mercer)
EDGE James Djonkam (Eastern Michigan)
LB Jordan Bass (Pitt)
DB Christian Ellis (New Mexico)
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