During the offseason, the Virginia Tech football team bolstered its roster by acquiring several key players through the transfer portal, particularly focusing on the defensive line. They brought in tackles Aeneas Peebles from Duke, Kelvin Gilliam from Oklahoma, and Kemari Copeland from Iowa Western Community College. Recently, Copeland announced he would redshirt for the season following surgery.
Linebacker Sam Brumfield from Middle Tennessee State also joined the team via the portal. Additionally, late last spring, Virginia native Kaleb Spencer transferred from Miami to Virginia Tech. Initially expected to contribute primarily on special teams, Spencer has emerged as a valuable linebacker under coordinator Chris Marve and head coach Brent Pry.
Spencer has gradually taken on more responsibilities at linebacker, becoming an important player in the unit. In a game against the Hurricanes, he recorded a season-high five tackles for the second time this year and made a notable interception at the Virginia Tech 3-yard line, returning it 77 yards into Miami territory, though he ultimately ran out of steam before reaching the end zone, which led to a failed fake field goal attempt.
In the recent game against Stanford, Spencer had his best performance to date, tallying five solo tackles and being active around the ball in the Hokies’ 31-7 victory. For the season, he has accumulated 15 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble, consistently making impactful plays each week.
As a sophomore, Spencer is seizing the opportunity at Virginia Tech, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 219 pounds. His contributions could become even more significant in the final six weeks of the season, especially if the Hokies aim for a bowl game in 2024.
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