Virginia Tech is making moves in the transfer portal as they set their sights on a standout linebacker from the FCS level. Although the spring transfer portal for college football doesn’t officially open for another month, the Hokies wasted no time reaching out to a highly sought-after player who recently became available.
The sudden coaching change at Tennessee State sparked the opportunity. Earlier this week, Tennessee State head coach Eddie George left the program to accept the head coaching job at Bowling Green in the MAC. That opening came after former Bowling Green head coach Scot Loeffler, who previously served as Virginia Tech’s offensive coordinator, took a position coaching quarterbacks for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. NCAA rules allow players from a program experiencing a coaching change to enter the portal within 30 days, regardless of the time of year.
Among those who entered the portal was Sanders Ellis, one of the top FCS linebackers this past season. Virginia Tech was quick to offer Ellis a scholarship shortly after his decision. This isn’t Ellis’s first experience with the transfer portal—he initially entered back on December 12 but withdrew on February 12 before George’s departure.
Ellis put together an impressive season for Tennessee State, earning recognition as a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the top player in the FCS. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker racked up 82 total tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and three sacks. He also recorded a remarkable 55 solo tackles, showcasing his ability to make plays all over the field.
As of now, Ellis has drawn offers from Virginia Tech, Purdue, and Auburn, with more likely to come given his All-American caliber season. For the Hokies, landing a player like Ellis would be a significant addition to their defense. While Virginia Tech returns promising young linebackers like Jaden Keller and Caleb Woodson for the 2025 season, the opportunity to add an experienced and highly productive player like Ellis is hard to pass up.
New defensive coordinator Sam Sifkes, a former linebackers coach himself, is expected to be heavily involved in Ellis’s recruitment as the Hokies look to strengthen their defense with this talented transfer.
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