Virginia Tech football: Hokies add transfer OL from Maryland

The transfer portal gives some, and it takes some. On Saturday, the Hokies added an experienced starter on the offensive line's interior when Johnny Jordan of Maryland announced he was coming to Blacksburg.

The 6-foot-1, 305-pound Jordan played his high school at Gonzaga in Washington, D.C., and his originally from Leesburg, Virginia.

Jordan played in six games as a freshman in 2017, primarily on special teams. In 2018, he played in 12 games, making six starts at center.

In 2019, Jordan was on the Rimington Trophy watch list ahead of the season and appeared in seven games, starting six at center.

Maryland played in just five games in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making four starts.

Virginia Tech recruited Jordan in high school, and he has a prior relationship with offensive line coach Vance Vice.

Wide receivers coach Jafar Williams was also the running backs coach at Maryland earlier in Jordan’s career. Those relationships made the Hokies an easy choice for Jordan’s final year of eligibility; he told Evan Watkins of 247Sports.

“It was Coach Vice and Coach Williams, the wide receiver’s coach who coached at Maryland my sophomore year,” Jordan said.

“We had a good relationship. He was the running backs coach at Maryland so we worked together a lot,” Jordan said of Williams.

The Hokies can certainly use Jordan next season. Doug Nester recently announced he was transferring to West Virginia, while Bryan Hudson remains in the transfer portal and will not return.

Jordan could play center for the Hokies in 2021, and Brock Hoffman could slide over to right guard.

I would expect the Hokies to remain active in the transfer portal as they continue to fill holes with experienced bodies.