Virginia Tech football: Freshman cornerback named player to watch in 2026
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The Virginia Tech Hokies will look a lot different in 2026. From head coach James Franklin to the players on the field, there will be a lot of newcomers on the field and sideline this fall.
Of those newcomers, many will be players added through the NCAA transfer portal in January, led by quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. The Hokies did bring back just about everyone they wanted to retain, such as Kemari Copeland, Ayden Greene, and Marcellous Hawkins, among others.
How many of Virginia Tech’s top-30 recruiting class could see the field in 2026? That remains to be seen, but one name we’ve heard often since spring is cornerback Amauri Polydor. The word appears to be out on the 6-foot-0 freshman defensive back from Baltimore.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports recently named 11 freshmen to watch in 2026. Polydor made the list.
This Baltimore native from national powerhouse St. Frances Academy arrives with polished coverage instincts, length and the kind of ball skills that translate quickly at the Power Four level. James Franklin typically redshirts freshmen, but Polydor has already earned opportunities thanks to his maturity, route recognition and competitive edge. Virginia Tech beat several Power Four programs for his commitment, including flipping him from Penn State, reinforcing the belief that he has the ceiling to become one of the Hokies’ next standout defensive playmakers.
It’s not the first time Polydor has earned recognition. Back in May, David Hale and Andrea Adelson of ESPN named Polydor as one of 10 freshmen in the ACC who had the most impressive spring. We heard similar things throughout the spring, which seems to indicate Polydor will play this fall.
The Hokies have quality talent returning to the secondary in 2026, and also have some impressive transfers, led by Jaquez White. However, Polydor could push to play immediately at one of the outside cornerback spots. Virginia Tech’s secondary hasn’t resembled the “DBU” we’ve known in the past in recent years, but that could begin to change in 2026.
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