Virginia Tech stays hot, adding wide receiver Jadan Blue from NCAA transfer portal

The Virginia Tech Hokies added two quarterbacks from the NCAA transfer portal Thursday, welcoming Jason Brown and Grant Wells to Blacksburg. The two new quarterbacks will compete for the starting job during the spring and into fall camp.

Well, the Hokies are far from done in the transfer, and on Friday added former Temple wide receiver Jadan Blue.

Blue is a 6-foot-0, 190-pound wideout from Mt. Saint Joseph High in Randallstown, Maryland. He played four seasons for the Owls, finishing with 169 receptions, 1,672 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those are solid numbers.

His best season came in 2019 when Blue recorded 95 receptions for 1,067 yards and four touchdowns. He’s missed time due to injury in each of the last two seasons and Temple was one of the FBS’s worst offensive teams, finishing No. 127 out of 130 teams. Yes, even worse than Brad Cornelsen’s Hokies.

Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry offered Blue on Dec. 28 and had multiple options before ultimately deciding to come to Blacksburg.

I like this move. The Hokies lost a lot with Tre Turner and Tayvion Robinson’s departures. While there is still talent in the wide receiver room, it is young. Kaleb Smith is Virginia Tech’s resident veteran.

Players such as Da’Wain Lofton, Jaylen Jones and Jaden Payoute have plenty of talent, but lack experience. Payoute made a big catch in the bowl game, showing some of his long-range potential, while Lofton looks like an ideal replacement for Robinson in 2022.

The Hokies also have talented youngsters in Dallan Wright, D.J. Sims and Christian Moss. What the Hokies needed was veteran depth at wide receiver. Blue can provide that, while also starting for the Hokies. I would expect Tech to bring in at least one or two more veteran wide receivers through the transfer portal. And before some moan about bringing in other transfers, remember, this is a rebuild and the next two years are going to feature a lot of roster shuffling thanks to Justin Fuente’s roster mismanagement.

Bringing in wide receiver transfers doesn't mean Tech’s staff sees nothing in Lofton, Jones, or Payoute, but they want to build depth and competition. Virginia Tech’s roster has lacked depth for three years now. It’s a smart strategy.

Blue has one year of eligibility remaining.