Virginia Tech Football

Virginia Tech defensive lineman Amare Barno performed better than expected at the 2022 NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Saturday, especially in the 40-yard dash.

Barno ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds, which is the fastest in combine history for a defensive lineman since 2003.

The 6'5", 246-pound lineman's 40-yard dash time should certainly help him rise on draft boards. However, he's not projected to be a first-round pick.

Barno transferred to Virginia Tech in 2020 out of Butler Community College and transitioned from outside linebacker to defensive end. During the 2021 season, he recorded 3.5 sacks, 35 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss in 10 games.

Barno's NFL combine profile lists him as a "average backup or special teamer."

The Virginia Tech Hokies have officially named Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry as their new head coach.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports first reported Virginia Tech was expected to hire Pry after it "focused in on" him during the search process.

Brett McMurphy of Action Network also reported the move was expected and noted Pry was a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech from 1995 through 1998.

The position is open because the Hokies announced they parted ways with Justin Fuente on Nov. 16. Fuente started with the ACC program in the 2016 season and finished with a 43-31 record and four bowl appearances.

After going 10-4 in his first season, Fuente's teams have trended in the wrong direction since with nine wins in his second year, six wins in his third, eight wins in his fourth and five wins in each of the past two seasons.

Attention now turns to Pry, although he reportedly was not Virginia Tech's first choice.

Mark Schlabach and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN reported Wake Forest's Dave Clawson and Louisiana's Billy Napier—who has since accepted the head coaching position with the Florida Gators—turned the ACC school down prior to the anticipated Pry hire.

Look for the Hokies to take immediate strides on defense with their new head coach.

Pry was Penn State's defensive coordinator for the past six seasons, and Schlabach and Rittenberg noted he led teams that finished in the top 25 in total defense in eight of the past 12 years with three coming at Vanderbilt, one coming at Georgia Southern and four coming with the Nittany Lions.

Penn State was just 7-5 this season, but a defense that was sixth in the country in points allowed per game (16.8) was not to blame for its failure to meet expectations.

The offense failed to score more than 20 points in losses to Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.

Pry will look to replicate his defensive success at Virginia Tech as the Hokies attempt to reestablish their winning ways after reaching double-digit victories just once in the past 10 seasons.               

Three days after a 48-17 win over Duke, Justin Fuente's tenure as Virginia Tech head coach has come to an end. 

In a statement released Tuesday, Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock announced a mutual parting of ways with Fuente in his sixth season:

We sincerely appreciate the contributions that Coach Fuente made to our football program and the positive impact he made on our student-athletes during his time at Virginia Tech. While it is never easy to make a change, I believe in order for our football program to attain the type of sustained success that is expected at Virginia Tech, the time was right for new leadership of our football program.

J.C. Price, who is in his first season as co-defensive line coach on the Hokies staff, will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the year.

Fuente was named Frank Beamer's successor as Virginia Tech head coach in 2015. The 45-year-old spent the previous four seasons at Memphis where he led the program to a 26-23 record with back-to-back bowl appearances in 2014 and 2015. 

Beamer cast a long shadow for any coach to follow. He retired after 29 seasons as head coach and led the Hokies to 23 consecutive bowl games from 1993 to 2015 and seven conference titles (three in the Big East, four in the ACC).

Fuente's tenure with Virginia Tech started strong with a 19-8 record in the first two seasons. He signed an extension in 2018 that tied him to the program through 2024. 

Since the start of 2018, the Hokies are 24-23 and have had two losing seasons (2018, 2020). They are 5-5 in 2021 with two games remaining in the regular season.

Fuente went 43-31 in six seasons at Virginia Tech. The team was ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after a 2-0 start, but it has since lost five of eight games.

Virginia Tech linebacker Isi Etute was released from jail on $75,000 bond Wednesday after being charged with second-degree murder.

According to the Associated Press, Etute will be placed under house arrest and electronic monitoring.

Etute has been charged with the May 31 murder of 40-year-old Jerry Smith in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Per Mike Niziolek of The Roanoke Times, prosecutors said in court Wednesday Etute told police he visited Smith's apartment on April 10 for oral sex after matching with someone named Angie on Tinder. Etute said that when he returned to the apartment on May 31, he discovered the person he matched with was a man.

Etute told police he punched and stomped on Smith, who he said did not attack him, and heard "bubbling and gurgling" as he left the apartment but did not call 911.

Smith was found dead two days later, and the medical examiner said Smith died of blunt force trauma to the head. The autopsy report said all the bones in Smith's face were broken and he had multiple skull fractures and missing teeth.

The 6'3", 205-lb. Etute is a Virginia Beach, Virginia, native who committed to playing college football for the Hokies last year.

According to 247Sports, Etute is a 3-star recruit who ranked as the No. 166 linebacker and No. 1,494 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class.

Etute enrolled early at Virginia Tech and was set to play his freshman season in 2021, but he is currently suspended from the university and the football team.

In court on Wednesday, prosecutors said Virginia Tech linebacker Isi Etute told police he had punched and stomped on a person, who was later found dead, because he found out the person, who he thought was a woman, was actually a man.

Mike Niziolek of The Roanoke Times reported on the bail hearing for Etute, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Jerry Paul Smith in Blacksburg, Virginia.

According to prosecutors, Etute told police he had matched with a person he believed to be a woman on Tinder and met with them for a sexual encounter on April 10. They set up another meeting for May 31, but Etute said he discovered the person was a man and allegedly attacked him.

According to prosecutors, Etute said he did not call police as he left the scene despite hearing "bubbling and gurgling." Smith was found dead two days later, and the autopsy showed all the bones in his face were broken, he had missing teeth and skull fractures. The medical examiner said Smith died of blunt force trauma.

Virginia Tech has suspended Etute from the school and football team.

Etute, who is due back in court in September after he was granted bail, was a member of the Hokies' 2021 recruiting class.

Virginia Tech freshman linebacker Isi Etute was arrested in Blacksburg, Virginia, on a charge of second-degree murder.

Blacksburg police said Wednesday it is investigating the death of Jerry Smith, which has initially been ruled a homicide. Authorities said they identified Etute as an acquaintance of Smith's and person of interest while investigating the crime and subsequently took him into custody.

ESPN's David M. Hale shared a statement from Virginia Tech on the situation: "Blacksburg Police continues to lead this ongoing investigation, and the university will assist law enforcement agencies working the case in any way it can."

Etute is due to be arraigned Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET.

The Virginia Beach native was the No. 166 linebacker in the 2021 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He was also the 39th-best player from the state of Virginia.

Etute committed to the Hokies in July 2020, and Hale noted he participated in spring practice after enrolling early at the school. Virginia Tech said in a statement (via Hale) he has been suspended from the team and university, and he is no longer listed on its 2021 roster.

Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley will not attend the 2021 NFL draft in Cleveland after testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.  

Farley's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Adam Schefter: "Fortunately he is completely asymptomatic and feels totally normal. He will be watching the draft at home in North Carolina while in quarantine."

After the news, Farley posted a video to Twitter discussing his diagnosis:

Farley, who opted out of the 2020 college football season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is among the top cornerbacks in the draft and considered a likely first-round pick.

While plenty of draft experts ranked him as the top corner in the class after the 2020 season, questions surround him after a recent procedure.

Schefter reported in March that Farley underwent a microdiscectomy to remove a herniated disc in his back, which caused him to miss his pro day.

He also missed his freshman year at Virginia Tech in 2017 with a knee injury, so there are some concerns regarding his durability.

The Maiden, North Carolina, native was productive when on the field during his two seasons with the Hokies. In 2018, Farley finished with 36 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defended, and he followed that up with 20 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes defended in 2019.

He was also a first-team All-ACC selection in 2019, which is the last time he played competitive football.

Given Farley's accolades and skill level, Rosenhaus told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero he doesn't believe he will fall outside the top 20. Rosenhaus added that "multiple" teams picking in the middle of the first round told him they plan to take Farley if he is on the board.

Any number of teams would benefit from a cornerback of his caliber provided he is healthy, especially those picking in the mid-to-late first round.

Once Alabama's Patrick Surtain II and South Carolina's Jaycee Horn come off the board, it may be difficult for cornerback-needy teams to pass up on Farley, even with his health concerns.

Northwestern's Greg Newsome II, Florida State's Asante Samuel Jr. and Georgia's Tyson Campbell are among the corners Farley could be jockeying for position with once with the draft progresses to the middle of the first round.

Virginia Tech head football coach Justin Fuente announced Wednesday the Hokies have opted out of postseason play, ending the nation's longest active bowl streak at 27 years.

"We had a team meeting and our players have decided to not play, and I'm going to support them 100 percent," Fuente told reporters. "It speaks to the difficulty of the season they've been through. There were players who wanted to play, but we were going to do this all together or not, and it became evident that it was a very difficult situation."

The Blacksburg school becomes the fifth ACC program to decline any potential bowl invitations amid the coronavirus pandemic. The others are Boston College, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

"There's kids that would like to go home for Christmas. This is ultimately about our kids. I think they've sacrificed enough," Fuente said. "They've been at this for some time and given up freedoms and plenty of opportunities, so we're going to turn the page and get ready to go."

The Hokies finish the 2020 season with a 5-6 record, including an 0-4 mark against ranked opponents, though they narrowly missed upsets against No. 25 Liberty (38-35) and No. 9 Miami (25-24) in November.

Fuente has compiled a 38-26 record across five years leading the program. VT has finished with a losing mark in two of the past three seasons, however, and it last won a bowl game in 2016.

Athletic director Whit Babcock told reporters Tuesday he wasn't considering a coaching change, saying his decisions wouldn't be made to "pacify the social media mob."

"Upheaval is a dangerous strategy if you miss," Babcock said. "I know we have the right coach. But if you make a change and miss, it can get you into a spiral that you don't want."

He explained firing Fuente could lead to players transferring and the risk of losing "a promising young defensive coordinator [Justin Hamilton] and many of our former players who are also on staff."

The Hokies finished the season with a 33-15 victory over rival Virginia last Saturday.

Georgia now owns the longest active bowl streak at 23 years, and it'll increase to 24 if the Bulldogs accept a postseason bid this season. The Dawgs are followed by Oklahoma (21) and LSU (20), though the Tigers' streak is also set to end following a self-imposed bowl ban.

Virginia Tech reportedly suspended safety Devon Hunter after he was arrested Sunday.

Norm Wood of the Daily Press reported the news, noting Hunter was charged with strangling another to cause wound or injury, a felony, and simple assault against a family member, a misdemeanor.

According to Wood, the safety is being held without bond in Montgomery County Jail prior to a court date.

Wood explained Virginia Tech's policy calls for athletes to be immediately suspended until felony charges are resolved.

Andrea Adelson of ESPN cited a school statement that said Hunter was suspended for "not upholding the high standards we have for our student-athletes."

Adelson also noted the Hokies have paused all football-related activities and pushed back the start of their season because of COVID-19 concerns on the team. It is slated to start its 2020 campaign on Sept. 26 against the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Hunter, who was expected to start at safety this year, appeared in seven games for the Hokies last season.

Virginia Tech announced Saturday its season-opening game against rival Virginia, originally scheduled for Sept. 19, has been postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.

The Commonwealth Cup will be rescheduled for a later date, and the Hokies are going to pause football activities for four days.

Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente released a statement about the decision:

"My primary concern continues to be the well-being of the student-athletes on our football team. I hurt for them because I know how badly they want to compete. I also appreciate that these young men have been dealing with the same stress, uncertainty and anxiety as their fellow Virginia Tech students over the past few months as their spring semester was dramatically altered. Then they were forced to find a way to train on their own, and to their credit, they found a way to get it done.

"So many individuals worked so tirelessly to give us an opportunity to get back on campus to train and to get back on the practice field. To all of those individuals who continue to go the extra mile for our student-athletes, I'm extremely grateful. I appreciate how many people at Virginia Tech are so deeply invested in the success of our football team and our young men."

Virginia Tech's dashboard shows students who moved to campus in August were tested and that just 21 of the 9,041 tests returned positive results (0.23 percent). The numbers have skyrocketed, however, with 219 of the 1,331 tests taken from the period of Sept. 4 through Sept. 10 coming back positive (16.5 percent).

Pete DeLuca of WDBJ reported Friday over 40 students at the school were given interim suspensions for violating local health guidelines related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Analysis by Shawn Hubler and Anemona Hartocollis of the New York Times showed colleges around the United States have become "hot spots for virus transmission," with more than 36,000 new cases over the past week.

A viral video taken last week near the home stadium of South Carolina's football team showed students packing a sports bar with no masks or social distancing:

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech will now attempt to open its regular season Sept. 26 when it is scheduled to host NC State.

Hokies athletic director Whit Babcock remains hopeful the delay won't impact the team's ability to play its entire ACC schedule:

"The safety, as well as the physical and mental well-being of these young men and women entrusted to our care by their families, remains our top priority. While we share the disappointment of everyone who hoped to begin the football season against our in-state rival, we remain optimistic that a full ACC football schedule can be played thanks to the flexibility the present format permits. Despite this delay, our schedule still aligns closely with the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 football timelines."

Virginia Tech is scheduled to play every weekend through late November. Their next open date would be Nov. 28 between games against Pittsburgh and Clemson. Virginia is scheduled to face Florida State that day, so finding a way to reschedule the rivalry clash could prove difficult.

The Cavaliers are now slated to open the campaign Oct. 3 with a road game against Clemson and won't have a free date until mid-December.