Well, that didn’t take long!
Just days after firing offensive line coach Ron Crook, Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry announced the hiring of Matt Moore from West Virginia. This is a major move, as Moore has a strong track record of developing NFL-caliber linemen. His task with the Hokies will be to rebuild an offensive line that has faced significant struggles.
The need for rebuilding is partly due to the departure of Parker Clements and Kaden Moore, who have exhausted their eligibility. Additionally, Kaden’s brother, Braelin, entered the transfer portal and committed to LSU. Perhaps most notably, Virginia Tech’s best lineman this season, Xavier Chaplin, also entered the portal and committed to Auburn.
With plenty of work ahead, Moore has made his first portal commitment—one that’s promising. Tomas Rimac, a 6-foot-6, 318-pound lineman who played for Moore at West Virginia, is following him to Blacksburg. Rimac, who started nearly 30 games for the Mountaineers, entered the portal less than a week ago and has now committed to Virginia Tech.
Rimac started all 13 games for West Virginia this season, including their loss to Memphis in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on December 17. Two days later, he entered the portal. Over the past two seasons, Rimac earned two All-Big 12 honorable mentions and received impressive grades from PFF, including a season-long pass-blocking grade of 86.3.
This is an excellent first step for Virginia Tech in rebuilding their offensive line, bringing in an experienced player with a proven track record under Moore. While there is still a lot of work to do, this is a very strong start.
Leave a Reply