Attrition happens. Of course, it’s usually after the season or during the spring when we hear of it. On Sunday, attrition hit the Virginia Tech Hokies on the heels of two straight ugly losses on the gridiron. True freshman receiver Kalil Pimpleton is reportedly set to transfer from the program at the end of the current semester, according to Andy Bitter of The Roanoke Times.
Freshman WR Kalil Pimpleton no longer participating in #Hokies football, intends to transfer from Virginia Tech https://t.co/Mr6cEz2r6I #Hokies pic.twitter.com/K3wU2P0424
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) November 12, 2017
Pimpleton, a 5’8”, 170-pound slot receiver from Muskegon, Michigan, played sparingly this fall, appearing in four games and recorded one rushing attempt for four yards. A quarterback in high school, Pimpleton was still learning the nuances of playing wide receiver at the collegiate level.
Just last week, Pimpleton was still practicing with the Hokies, having mimicked Georgia Tech quarterback TaQuon Marshall on the scout team in preparation for this weekend’s matchup. Then, on Sunday evening, Pimpleton’s name was removed from Virginia Tech’s roster on the team’s official site.
We will probably never know exactly why Pimpleton chose to leave the program, but playing time is probably a big reason why. Virginia Tech’s wide receiver corps has struggled to find depth behind Cam Phillips and Sean Savoy this season and Pimpleton still couldn’t crack the rotation. And with a talented group of receivers coming in next season, Pimpleton likely saw the writing on the wall.
Don’t be surprised if more young players follow suit.
Best of luck in the future, Kalil.