Linebackers is the position group on the Virginia Tech roster that is the most polarizing to me. On one hand, you return key contributors like Keonta Jenkins and Keli Lawson. On the other hand, you lose Alan Tisdale who played in five total years at Tech, and was one of the best players in the open field. It’s hard to grasp how good this linebacker room is, which may be because it is the only position group on defense that doesn’t have a player that would necessarily be deemed a “star” player.

The defense was very solid last year, placing 15th in the nation in yards allowed per game. The only areas on the defense that I would really highlight as a weakness is the red-zone defense and the rush defense, some of the blame falls on the linebackers in those situations. Virginia Tech was 105th in the nation in opponent red-zone scoring percentage, letting opponents score at an 88.57% clip. Frankly, the reason for the struggles in the red-zone, is just miscommunication, which again would put the blame on the linebackers. The other only gripe with the Virginia Tech defense last year, was its relative struggle against the run. Pass coverage was great, and so was the pressure on the quarterbacks, which made the run defense look worse than it actually was.

Virginia Tech was 68th in the country in yards allowed per rush, surrendering 4.3 yards per carry. Granted, this is not a huge number, and another reason why I think this defense is so solid, because other teams would kill to only let up 4.3 yards per rush. On the other hand, I think to be considered an elite level defense, and compete with the top dogs in the ACC, Virginia Tech’s run defense needs to improve.

It is not all bad though, as the pass coverage from the Virginia Tech linebackers is solid, and they return both starters at outside linebacker.

If there’s a star at linebacker, it is Keonta Jenkins, who ironically plays at the star linebacker position. Jenkins brings so much versatility to the linebacker room, and is an undoubtable leader in the locker room. In 2023, Jenkins forced two fumbles, caught one interception, recorded ten tackles for loss, and three quarterback hurries. Jenkins has gotten much stronger every single year at Virginia Tech, eloving from a hybrid safety, to a true linebacker that can hold his own against power four level strength. I would love to see Jenkins evolve more, especially in the run game, but he is definitely an underrated player on defense.

Another underrated player on defense is Keli Lawson, the redshirt junior who changed his number from #21 to #0. Lawson was an All-ACC Honorable Mention last year after leading the team in tackles in only eight starts. Lawson had stats everywhere you can put them on defense last year, 2.5 sacks, one interception, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, and four quarterback hurries. Chris Marve and Brent Pry are happy to have two extremely versatile guys able to start at the linebacker position. Lawson has freak athleticism, and has since high school. He played LB, DE, WR, and some snaps as a DB, and was a four-star recruit. I think Lawson is the best pure athlete at linebacker and his value to the team was and is very large.

The player who is going to be starting alongside these two at middle linebacker? That’s not a sure thing, yet. Brent Pry brought in the transfer Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee State, who only faced two power four schools last year, so questions have arised about his numbers possibly being inflated. Brumfield finished last season with 82 tackles, 8 quarterback hurries, and 3.5 sacks. His competition is Jaden Keller, who has started in four games for Virginia Tech, In his 2023 campaign, he tallied 23 total tackles, and two for loss.

In all honesty, it will be hard to pick between the two, even though Brumfield has a slight edge. When highlighting each team’s room for improvement, ESPN declared Virginia Tech’s biggest area for improvement was middle linebacker, and had similar things to say:

“Once a position of strength on the stout Hokies defenses of years past, middle linebacker is an area that Virginia Tech knows must improve if the Hokies are going to live up to growing expectations. Virginia Tech went into the transfer portal to bring in Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee State, but Jaden Keller had a great spring and could be the answer at the position. Virginia Tech has experience across the board at linebacker; if it can shore up its play up the middle, that would certainly help make a formidable front seven considering the strength of the returning defensive line.”

This is probably the biggest “position battle” to watch for as the season rolls on, and it wouldn’t shock me if multiple players take on the role of middle linebacker.

Another player who is set to reprise their role from the 2023 season, is redshirt junior Jayden McDonald. Jayden has started in eight games in his short two-year career at Virginia Tech. McDonald was a three-star recruit out of high school, according to the 247Sports Composite, and has made a bigger impact than Virginia Tech could’ve imagined. McDonald was originally committed to UL-Monroe, but flipped to Virginia Tech, and the rest is history. He made an immediate impact, tallying 3 tackles for loss, and one sack in his first year as a Hokie. McDonald should get some more starts yet again this season.

Another player I am super excited about in the 2024 season is the sophomore Caleb Woodson. He was exceptional in high school, per his bio from Virginia Tech Athletics:

“Three-year letterman for head coach Greg Hatfield at Battlefield High School in Virginia … Captained the Bobcats during his senior season … Two-time Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 All-State honoree … Three-time VHSL All-Region 6B and All-Cedar Run District First Team defensive back … Helped lead Battlefield (13-1) to the 2021 VHSL Region 6B championship, three Cedar Run District titles (2020-22), two 10-win seasons and a 28-4 cumulative record during his career … As a 2022 senior, he registered 115 tackles, 20 TFLs, five sacks, four forced fumbles and three defensive touchdowns, including one interception return and two fumble recoveries …  As a 2021 junior, he recorded 10 offensive touchdowns, more than 500 all-purpose yards, 85 tackles and three interceptions … Recipient of the Coaches Award … Rated a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals … Ranked No.91 linebacker and No.33 recruit in Virginia by 247 Sports…No. 66 linebacker and No. 30 recruit in Virginia by ESPN … Rated No. 46 linebacker and No. 17 prospect in Virginia by On3 … No. 33 prospect in Virginia by Rivals… Academic Honor Roll … National Honor Society … Competed in the Junior Olympics as a competitive swimmer of six years.”

Woodson is a player that the Virginia Tech coaching staff wants to keep by for a while, as he definitely surprised with his first-year production. He’s definitely not done either, looking to replicate the kind of game he had against Marshall, every game. Yes, he only totaled 3 tackles, but he had 1.5 tackles for loss, and was a reason why Kyron Drones and the Virginia Tech offense coud keep themselves in that game.

Some other young players who could fight for some playing time are freshmen Aycen Stevens, Will Johnson, and Gabe Williams. I’m excited to see how this coaching staff introduces some young guys into the linebacker room, and put them in a place where they could make an immediate impact for the team.

Overall, I think it is fair to evaluate the linebacker room as above average, especially being that Keli Lawson and Keonta Jenkins both return as starters. This position should straighten itself out by the end of the year, and could be looking really good by the time we’re talking about playoffs. Other players like Jaden Keller and Jayden McDonald should be prepared for more playing time this year. It’ll be interesting to see what decisions are made at middle linebacker, but I think Virginia Tech fans should be less than worried about the current situation at linebacker.