I don’t think Virginia Tech football wins tomorrow’s contest. While the Hokies’ run defense has shown clear progress since its early-season struggles, limiting its past three opponents (FCS Wofford, NC State and Wake Forest) to under 100 rushing yards, lingering injuries could make sustaining that improvement difficult. With linebacker Jaden Keller questionable and several other defensive contributors sidelined, Tech’s front seven enters the matchup short-handed, and that lack of depth could expose a unit still working to fully seal gaps.
For Virginia Tech, availability has become almost as important as execution. Through six games, the Hokies have seen their depth chart tested more than at any point this season, with new injuries seemingly surfacing every week. Keller’s uncertain status adds another wrinkle to a defense already juggling multiple moving parts.
Should Keller be unavailable, true freshman Noah Chambers could be thrust into his first-ever start — a trial by fire for a young linebacker who’s spent most of his early snaps on special teams. Yet that possibility could be negated by the return of linebacker Caleb Woodson, who was marked as “probable” on the latest injury report. If Woodson is cleared, Tech may retain some sense of stability in the middle of its defense, avoiding the need to rush Chambers into a larger role…