The Best Player in Each Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Class This Decade

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Virginia Tech recruiting hasn't followed a straight line this decade. There have been rough stretches where the Hokies bottomed out near the ACC basement, but there has been a recent surge that has fans feeling better about the direction of the program than it has in years.

Here's a look at where each Virginia Tech class since 2020 landed on 247Sports' rankings:

2020 – 60th
2021 – 49th
2022 – 43rd
2023 – 46th
2024 – 47th
2025 – 44th
2026- 26th
2027 (in progress) – 14th

Notably, the 2026 class, James Franklin's first at Virginia Tech, is the best the program has put together since 2013, when the Hokies finished 21st nationally.

Who were the top players to come out of each of these classes?

2020 – CB Dorian Strong

Strong arrived at Virginia Tech as a three-star prospect, and the third lowest ranked prospect in a class that finished as the lowest-rated group in the ACC that cycle.

He wasted no time proving the rankings wrong, starting five games as a true freshmen during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and from there, he never looked back.

By the time he left Blacksburg, Strong had played in 53 games with 44 starts, racking up 112 tackles, 28 pass breakups and seven intereceptions.

His 2023 season was the crown jewel, as he became just the second FBS cornerback since 2014 to allow fewer than 10 catches and 100 yards on 300-plus coveragesnaps, a perfomance that earned him Third Team All-ACC honors. Strong was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Honorable mentions- Keonta Jenkins and Parker Clements

2021 – LB Jaden Keller

The 2021 class lacked star power for the most part, but Keller became one of its better finds.

A three-star prospect who played mostly safety in high school in Bristol, Tennessee, Keller made the move to linebacker entering his collegiate career.

He worked his way into the starting lineup by his third season and kept climbing from there, leading the Hokies in tackles during the 2024 season and remained one of the more reliable anchors of the defense into 2025.

Honorable mentions- Cole Nelson and Jalen Stroman

2022 – OL Xavier Chaplin

A class with a handful of impactful Hokies on it, but Chaplin gets the nod thanks to his development into a multi-year starter at left tackle.

The 6'6 lineman out of South Carolina worked his way into the starting five and became a fixture at left tackle, earning College Football News Third Team All-American honors in 2023. He kept building from there, and, according to PFF, he allowed just two sacks on over 300 pass-block snaps. Chaplin transferred to Auburn for his final season of eligibility.

Honorable mentions- Benji Gosnell, Braelin Moore, John Love and Harrison Saint Germain

2023 – LB Caleb Woodson

Woodson arrived at Virginia Tech as a three-star prospect out of Georgia and quickly developed into one of the Hokies' most productive defenders.

He played in 13 games and started one as a true freshman before becoming one of Virginia Tech's top linebackers. In three seasons in Blacksburg, Woodson amassed 152 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups. The linebacker was also second on the team in tackles in both 2024 and 2025, though he entered the transfer portal after an injury-shortened 2025 campaign.

Woodson transferred to Alabama following the 2025 season.

Honorable mentions- Ayden Greene and William "Pop" Watson III

2024 – S Quentin Reddish

Admittedly, evaluating this class is a tough call because it had a slow burn in Blacksburg. Several recruits, including the two highest-ranked high school recruits of the cycle, wideout Keylen "Brodie" Adams and linebacker Gabe Williams have both had injury troubles.

Because of that, Reddish gets the nod. The three-star safety out of North Carolina carved out a major role on special teams in his true freshman season – highlighted by a 77-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown against Clemson. Before a shoulder injury cut his 2025 season short less than halfway in, Reddish logged 15 career appearances, amassing 35 total tackles and an interception.

2025 – RB Jeffery Overton Jr. (So far)

It is still very early to be saying anyone is definitively the top player in this class, but Overton made the most immediate statement during his freshman campaign. After missing the first eight games due to injury, Overton broke out for 146 yards on 25 carries ( a stellar 5.8 yards per carry) and finding the end zone on an explosive 38-yard touchdown run against Miami.

Looking ahead, linebacker Noah Chambers is another 2026 recruit to watch.

2026 – TBD

Playing as a true freshman is a tall task, and far from a guarantee.

Some players to watch include linebacker Terry Wiggins, running back Messiah Mickens, offensive tackle Thomas Wilder and quarterback Troy Huhn as they all look to compete for playing time.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as The Best Player in Each Virginia Tech Football Recruiting Class This Decade.

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