If the defensive line is the deepest and most complete room on the roster, the Linebackers aren’t far behind. There have been lots of changes, and the players who have stayed are gaining in skill and capability. It might actually be a bit difficult to figure out who gets to be a featured element of this one, if it wasn’t for an old Hokie being a new position coach.
The Inside and Xavier Adibi
There really needs to be something said about the most important change to the linebacking corps as former DC Chris Marve has been moved
on, and Coach Pry needed to fill both the DC position, and the linebacker position coach that Marve served as, too.
The big sideline leadership change for 2025 is the promotion of Hokie great (and one of the best Linebackers to play for the Hokies, ever) Xavier Adibi. This move should not be discounted, and to underrepresent outside Linebacker Coach Shawn Quinn (who has been one of the better, more consistent coaches of the past Pry staff), but having Adibi’s increase in authority and responsibility is a good thing for the Hokies.
Quinn’s coaching experience, and Adibi’s rapidly growing skill and capability under Pry’s tutelage was always going to produce results, so it might as well be with the Hokies, instead of Adibi moving on to some other program like other Hokies we know of…
Probably the Most Virginians of Any Squad
The bitter truth of Virginia High School football is that there are just not too many big talent offensive players, especially quarterbacks, in the system. The high schools are as wedded to the Read/Option or Power Spread Option offense as they were to the old Wing-T of 15 years ago. That means the reality that many of the better athletes in pre-league football ends up drifting to the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.
However, Virginia’s production of quality Linebackers is very impressive. Unfortunately for Tech, the 4-star and above talent usually head off to the P2 conferences (SEC and B1G), leaving the 3-Star talent to 2nd Tier conferences like the ACC.
There is good fortune in that arrangement because Tech is pretty much 3-Star talent bound, and getting the choice talent at that level is an advantage for the team’s playing capability. This season, Tech has a relatively complete 2-deep at Linebacker with some decent experience lining up in the defensive mid-field.
The Hokies are running the more traditional lineup of positions this season; namely Sam, Will, and Mike. Let’s take a look at the updated roster with the Sam additions.
| Number | Name | Specific Position | Class | Height | Weight | Hometown | Transfer | High School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | Will Johnson | Mike? | Graduate Student | 6-2 | 231 lbs | Leonardtown MD | St. Mary’s Ryken | |
| 24 | Jaden Keller | Will | Redshirt Senior | 6-3 | 235 lbs | Bristol TN | Tennessee (HS) | |
| 57 | James Jennette | Sam/DE | Redshirt Senior | 6-4 | 228 | Durham NC | William & Mary | Jordan |
| 8 | Christian Ellis | Sam/Safety | Senior | 6-0 | 202 | Jacksonville FL | New Mexico | Edward H. White |
| 26 | Antwone Santiago | Mike | Redshirt Junior | 6-3 | 227 lbs | Meriden CT | Temple | Platt |
| 20 | Caleb Woodson | Mike | Junior | 6-3 | 230 lbs | Haymarket VA | Battlefield | |
| 3 | Kaleb Spencer | Sam | Junior | 6-2 | 221 lbs | Gloucester VA | 2023 Miami | Life Christian Academy |
| 30 | Michael Short | Will | Junior | 6-3 | 226 lbs | Charlotte NC | North Carolina | Mallard Creek |
| 36 | Brody Jones | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-3 | 222 lbs | Bristol VA | Virginia High | ||
| 41 | George Ballance | Mike? | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-0 | 229 lbs | Virginia Beach VA | Frank W. Cox | |
| 50 | Darius Taylor | Redshirt Sophomore | 6-0 | 236 lbs | Richmond VA | Highland Springs | ||
| 12 | Gabe Williams | Mike? | Redshirt Freshman | 6-4 | 205 lbs | Bowie MD | St. Vincent Pallotti | |
| 19 | Noah Jenkins | Redshirt Freshman | 6-2 | 205 lbs | Richmond VA | Highland Springs | ||
| 44 | Brett Clatterbaugh | Freshman | 6-2 | 243 lbs | Culpeper VA | Eastern View | ||
| 16 | Noah Chambers | Freshman | 6-2 | 220 lbs | Prince Georges County MD | Dematha Catholic |
Sam I Am?
One thing to notice about the current roster chart of linebackers is the relatively small number of known positions. We’ll talk about the current “official unofficial” depth chart that was published in the morning of August 26th in a game review article. For now, though the interest is in the fact that one player comes from the Defensive End position, James Jennette, and another potential starter comes from the Safety position, Christian Ellis. None of the players without a “Specific Position” label are on the current depth list.
The Sam Linebacker is the equivalent of the old Whip position where you could put a Strong Safety in it to cover passes and help with the run. The position is usually on the ‘field’ side of the formation. The mix in of a smaller faster Defensive End would add a possible extra Edge rusher for a Bear Front Defensive Line. The fact that two radically different player types are in the same slot generally means that the starter isn’t really some honorific, it’s likely that the player that shows on the field first will be specifically assigned to that defensive package, and the other player situationally subbed in. It looks like Kaleb Spencer will be holding down the base defensive Sam position, but Christian Ellis will probably see his share of field time. There is an expectation that all three will play depending on the defensive package.
It’s More Traditional at Will
The Will position is straight up a #1 and #2 depth position, and those slots will go to Jaden Keller and North Carolina transfer Michael Short, respectively. Short has been making some serious impressions on the coaching staff, and from drill observations and good feet, hand, and contact skills. We already know that Keller has serious chops and was one of the defenders who really kept getting better each game last season.
Mike is the Big Issue for the Opener
Unfortunately, as we noted in the Feed, it was announced and reported by all the news channels that starting Mike Linebacker Caleb Woodson was arrested for DWI and going 96 in a 70mph zone on August 23rd. Coach Pry addressed the issue in the afternoon presser on August 26th. Woodson has been docked his Captain’s position on the defense, though Pry noted that he’d get a chance to earn it back so that any roster actions once his court case clears on the 8th of September are not looking like total suspensions, but it could mean that Woodson won’t be playing the South Carolina game. Several stories posted the section from the players’ handbook relating the possible punishments for that kind of behavior violation so Woodson is going to have to sweat out more than a court appearance, any punishment for a misdemeanor DWI, and the reckless driving charge that will go with it. We’ll be monitoring the situation, but for now we probably shouldn’t count on Woodson being on the field for the game Sunday.
That means redshirt Junior Temple Transfer Antwan Santiago will get the first snaps in the base defense. It also means that we’ll have to keep an eye out for the #2 behind him. Santiago and Woodson shared the dreaded -or- on the first depth chart, so there still wasn’t a clear position winner in the minds of the coaching staff. Who backs him up will be really important, if Woodson is not eligible to play for the game. We’d be watching for Will Johnson, Gabe Williams, or George Ballance but none has more than a few games experience at the line of scrimmage. Both Johnson and Williams ended up injured at some point last season.
No doubts, though. Mike Linebacker is going to be an issue for the game on the 31st.
Overall, there are plenty of Linebackers listed who haven’t really bubbled up into the mix for any flag waving notices. It’s nothing particularly negative, it’s just that the Hokies really needed the linebacking corps to get tougher, better at run fits, and a bit better at intermediate pass coverage and QB spy work.
We might see quite a few swaps in the Depth Chart over the course of the season.
Next up, my big preview of the South Carolina Game. I will have the 2025 Season Risk Chart for the 1st 3rd of the season out by Friday. The Predictions and Poll article will be out on Saturday morning. (I have to figure out the process for inserting a poll into the articles with this new presentation engine… it’s different.)
