Transfer Portal News: Virginia Tech reportedly showing interest in 7’3 center from Youngstown State
7'3 Center Gabe Dynes has reportedly received interest from a number of schools since his announcement into the transfer portal, including Virginia Tech, per Joe Tipton from ON3.
Dynes just finished his sophomore season at Youngstown State, where he tallied nearly seven points, six rebounds, three blocks and a turnover per game as the Penguins made it to the Horizon League Tournament Championship before dropping to Robert Morris 89-78.
The center's best game came in an early-season demolition of Bethany College, a DIII school, where Dynes led all scorers with 23 points.
However, from an all-around standpoint, Dynes snagged double-doubles over Northern Kentucky, Milwaukee, and Green Bay.
In Dynes' first season at the Ohio school, he was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman and All-Defensive Teams, where he totaled 61 blocks, in just over 13 minutes a game.
Per Tipton, Dynes is currently fielding calls from top schools such as USC, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Butler, Loyola Marymount University, University of Central Florida, Notre Dame, Charleston, Charlotte and East Carolina University thus far.
Dynes hails from Independence, Kentucky, which will give the Hokies more hometown advantages than a school like USC or UCF; however, with the Hokies' shaky track record since winning the ACC Championship in 2022, Tech may be behind the "8 ball."
One thing for sure is that the Hokies need reinforcements, down low, as 7'0 Patrick Wessler, and 6'8 Ryan Jones have each entered the portal. The Hokies also lost cog, Mylyjael Poteat, as he has exhausted all of his eligibility, leaving just Tobi Lawal and Ben Burnham as two possible contenders for next year's center position, where they both sit at under 6'9.
The Hokies have a letter of intent signed from Gonzaga College (Washington, DC) Christian Gurdak, a 6'9 four-star center, however, to throw him in the fire at such a young age is risky decision.
While Dynes may not be as polished as the Hokies may want in the portal, he adds otherworldly size, which could help get the Hokies back on track with rebounding, assuming he gets proper development.
Tech finished with the fifth-worst rebounds per game in 2024-25, averaging 33.3 per game, showing that Dynes' length could be a facet in the future.
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