Virginia Tech’s tight ends were prominent in April 18’s spring game. The cohort, which saw five of its players tally receptions, combined for 205 receiving yards on 17 catches. Now that spring ball’s in the books, here are my thoughts on the unit.
Updated Depth Chart
Though Luke Reynolds and Benji Gosnell appear to be the 1-2, that’s not to say Ja’Ricous Hairston won’t play a role. The walk-on-turned-scholarship player totaled a room-high 112 receiving yards last season. Not only that, but he also totaled a team-high three receiving touchdowns.
Though Hairston has not started in any of the 27 games he has played in college, he will still play a vital role in how Virginia Tech’s tight end room comes together. As a result, here’s my current depth chart for the top three.
- Luke Reynolds (Jr.)
- Benji Gosnell (r-Sr.)
- Ja’Ricous Hairston (r-Jr.)
I think that beyond that, either Penn State transfer Matt Henderson or returnee Harrison Saint Germain should slot in as the No. 4 tight end, while Pierce Petersohn redshirts.
Trending Up Or Down?
The answer is an unequivocable up. Let’s look quickly at the tight end numbers for 2025.
- Ja’Ricous Hairston: 112 receiving yards, 12 receptions, three touchdowns
- Benji Gosnell: 86 receiving yards, 12 receptions, no touchdowns
- Harrison Saint Germain: 28 receiving yards, four receptions, no touchdowns
- Total: 226 receiving yards, 28 receptions, three touchdowns
At the spring game alone, Virginia Tech nearly eclipsed that total. The Hokies’ five tight ends combined for 205 receiving yards on 17 catches. More than just the numbers, there also is an added sense of depth. Virginia Tech returned its top three tight ends in Hairston, Gosnell and Saint Germain and added Reynolds as a de-facto TE1 on top.
How Did Virginia Tech’s Tight Ends Do At The Spring Game?
At the spring game, Reynolds paced all targets with 69 receiving yards on five catches. Saint Germain added to the Maroon team’s tally with 29 receiving yards on a pair of catches. Over for the white team, Gosnell and Hairston were the two teams’ leading pass-catches, hauling in five and four receptions for 34 and 58 receiving yards, respectively.
Finally, there was walk-on Brody Jones, who logged one catch for 15 receiving yards. Virginia Tech’s tight ends logged more receiving yards than the tight ends due to the “naked bootleg” — defined by Football Advantage as a play-action pass where the quarterback switches “the direction of play and then [throws] on the run.” Here’s the full explanation:…