Hokies land Nebraska transfer Pheldarius Payne

Virginia Tech has gone to the Transfer Portal and landed an important piece in defensive lineman Pheldarius Payne.

Originally out of Suffolk (Va.) Nansemond Academy, he committed to Nebraska after two years at Lackawanna Community College in Pennsylvania, and played two years as a Husker - he'll have the final one in Orange and Maroon.

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A two-star prospect when he left Lackawanna, Payne picked the Huskers over Penn State (where current Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry was the headman) and NC State. In two years in Lincoln, Payne played in 18 games, notching 40 total tackles, 4.5 for loss with three sacks. He also deflected two passes at the line of scrimmage.

A 6-3, 260-pound OLB at Nebraska, he likely projects to more of a true defensive end in Blacksburg. The DE eligibility chart for 2022 now looks like this:

He should be in contention for a starting position, though the Hokies should have plenty of returning strength in the form of Tyjuan Garbutt (27 starts), Eli Adams (five starts) and Jaylen Griffin (three starts).

With Payne's arrival, the Hokies are close to the NCAA-mandated scholarship maximum of 85, though head coach Brent Pry noted that there will likely be plenty of attrition after the conclusion of spring ball, so there should be plenty more room for talented players if there are enough interested in joining.

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