Roster breakdown

Virginia Tech's roster is heavily transfer-dependent — 43 transfers make up 36% of the classifiable roster, with 29 coming from P4 programs, giving them more outside acquisition than Maryland's 32 at 29%, though their average experience of 1.45 years trails Maryland's 1.91 and their 41% upperclassmen rate sits just below Maryland's 43%, meaning this is a younger, less settled group despite the portal volume. The talent edge goes to the Hokies on paper — 30% blue-chip at a 3.29★ average versus Maryland's 17% at 3.18★ — but that recruited talent base is undercut badly on offense, where they return 0% of passing production and only 36% of rushing production coming into 2025, compared to Maryland's 95% and 73% respectively. Their DL averaging 277 lbs against Maryland's 314 lbs is a significant physical gap in the trenches that the talent numbers don't resolve. The DMV angle is real: 10 players home-stated in Maryland, and named DMV guys — Heath, Clarke, Adams, Wiggins, Williams, Copeland — are on their active roster, plus 18% of the roster walks out the door after this season as SR/GR eligibility expires.