"With The Fans Cheering Us On, It Was Amazing." Meet Aeneas Peebles, The Hokies' Newest Defensive Star

Duke Transfer Aeneas Peebles Could help the Virginia Tech defense go from good to great

Sep 23, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles (16) reacts after sacking UConn Huskies quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson (6) (not pictured) in the second quarter at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The hard-nosed Hokies look to be on the horizon for a return. For years, Virginia Tech had one of the best defensive coordinators the nation had ever seen, Bud Foster. Since his departure in 2019, that stout Hokie Stone defense had been chipped away, hence the hiring of a former pupil and now head coach, Brent Pry. After Pry's first season, when he was apprehensive about releasing his grasp on playcalling duties, he finally gave in and handed the full reins to Chris Marve for year two, and results showed. Marve's defense tallied the 20th best in the nation, allowing 316.8 yards per game, providing an early benchmark for what fans hope is just the beginning of a long tenure manning the defense for the Hokies.

Marve and his staff have been able to scout and recruit high-level transfers to be a part of his rebuild. This includes two of last year's standout players in edge rusher Antuwan Powell-Ryland Jr. and cornerback Derrick Canteen. Canteen has since moved onto Cincinnati but the pairing proved vital lynchpins in the development of Marve's defense.

Prospective transfers noticed that, and the Hokies have enlisted an influx of defensive transfers, doubling their defensive transfer tally from last year. At the top of that list should be Aeneas Peebles. The Duke transfer was selected as an All-ACC Third Team candidate after reeling in 40 tackles.

Being an early enrollee means Peebles was able to connect with the media following the Hokies Spring game, and Peebles was energetic and excited to be able to connect with the buzzing Lane Stadium atmosphere that was not even at full capacity.

"I can already kind of feel the energy just on the guys around me. You know, just kind of how they talk about Lane Stadium and, you know, just kind of legacy Lane Stadium you hear when you're walking around in a locker room. So to actually be in there with fans cheering us on. It was amazing."

Peebles will be joined by linebackers Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee State, Kaleb Spencer from Miami, and fellow lineman Khurtiss Perry, who departs from Alabama.

Peebles was also named by 247Sports analyst Chris Hummer as a transfer who could swing the College Football Playoff Race for Virginia Tech:

"Virginia Tech returns more production than any team in the Power Four, so there weren't a ton of holes for the Hokies to fill. But defensive tackle was inarguably the biggest need. Virginia Tech couldn't have addressed it much better. Peebles was a force for the Blue Devils last season, finishing the year with 43 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, and 5 sacks.

The 6-foot-1, 290-pound Peebles can play multiple positions across a defensive front and generates a ton of pressure for someone his size. He should be a spark for a top-30 unit from last season that returns almost everyone."