Virginia Tech football: Two Hokies opt out, another one medically retires

The Virginia Tech Hokies are having a rough 2020 season after a promising start. Now, the Hokies are down three more players from the season’s original roster.

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Keshon Artis and junior defensive Zion Debose both chose to opt-out of the remainder of the 2020 football season, according to head coach Justin Fuente in his Monday meeting with reporters.

The 6-foot-0, 244-pound Artis played in 11 games as a freshman in 2018 and appeared in four games in 2019, before taking a redshirt season. A talented player with a promising future, Artis has been behind All-ACC linebacker Rayshard Ashby on the depth chart.

Artis, who played his high school football at Oscar Smith in Chesapeake, played in seven games, making three tackles this fall.

Debose, a 6-foot-1, 245-pound redshirt junior defensive end from Salisbury, N.C., missed all of 2019 due to an injury. This fall, Debose played in four games, making six tackles, including one sack.

Virginia Tech lost yet another player when backup offensive tackle Walker Culver announced he was retiring from football due to a recurring injury.

A 6-foot-6, 300-pounder from Soddy Daisy, Tn., Culver signed with Virginia Tech in 2018 and at one time appeared to have a bright future with the Hokies. Injuries, and the rise of other player such as Christian Darrisaw and Luke Tenuta pushed Culver down the depth chart.

The Hokies travel to Pittsburgh to face the Pitt Panthers this weekend.

We wish nothing but the best to all three Hokies.