All the offensive linemen from the 2024 season for the Virginia Tech football team are gone, as is line coach Ron Crook, who was fired back in December as part of three coaches who were let go. When Matt Moore was hired from West Virginia to replace Crook, he knew that he had a long road ahead of him in terms of rebuilding the line.
He ended up bringing some players from West Virginia with him, and he has slowly been putting together a line with returning players and transfers. With work still needed to be done, Moore picked up a big commitment on Tuesday afternoon when an experienced SEC portal lineman committed to the Hokies.
Looking for experience and depth along the offensive line for quarterbacks Pop Watson and Kyron Drones next season, Virginia Tech got some when Jaden Muskrat committed to the Hokies in the transfer portal. He played in every game for the Tigers last season, playing nearly 100 snaps as a reserve tackle. The 6-foot-3, 312-pound Oklahoma native comes to Blacksburg and the Hokies program with some familiarity with one of the coaches.
In 2022, Muskrat played for first-year offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery at Tulsa, and you have to think that Montgomery being at Virginia Tech played a role in the Hokies and Moore getting a commitment. Coming to Virginia Tech as a grad transfer, Muskrat is the second offensive lineman to join the group this portal cycle after another former West Virginia lineman, Gavin Crawford, followed Moore to Tech.
With a line that is being rebuilt on the fly, any experienced bodies will help Virginia Tech and Moore at this point. All the experience is needed as well with both Watson and Drones coming off of injuries in spring practices and all the protection, the better in 2025.