NEW YORK – The National Football League announced 323 invitations to the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. Even though the annual event will not be conducted in Indianapolis, the NFL released the list of selected players which included Virginia Tech's T Christian Darrisaw, S Divine Deablo, CB Caleb Farley and RB Khalil Herbert.
Based on a variety of mock drafts and preliminary projections, Farley and Darrisaw are anticipated to become Tech's second duo of first-round draftees. The only previous time that Virginia Tech landed two selections in the first round of the same NFL Draft was in 2018 when LB Tremaine Edmunds went 16th overall to Buffalo and his brother, Terrell, went 28th overall to Pittsburgh.
Dynamic Duo ✌🏾
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) February 18, 2021
Coach Fuente joined @PatrickClaybon to discuss first-round draft prospects, @BigDawgChris1 & @IamCalebFarley
📽 @NFLNetwork #HardHatMentality 👷🏽♂️ | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/TWdLDzealU
Darrisaw was tabbed by seven different outlets as an All-America pick, including Associated Press and the Football Writers Association of America. A consensus first-team All-ACC selection in 2020, Darrisaw started 10 of the Hokies' contests at left tackle where he anchored the left side of Tech's offensive line and was part of a blocking unit that helped propel the squad to six 250-yard rushing games. The Hokies registered 27 rushing TDs, the squad's best total in a decade, and also paved the way for RB Khalil Herbert who posted six 100-yard rushing games in 2020. Darrisaw was named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following Tech's 38-31 victory at Duke (10/5/20).
Farley blossomed into one of the ACC's top cornerbacks in just his second season playing that position in 2019. He originally worked at wide receiver at Tech after serving as a high school quarterback. A first-team All-ACC pick in 2019, he led the ACC with 16 passes defensed & ranked fourth in the nation averaging 1.5 passes defensed per game. He tied for second in the ACC with four INTs and registered a 17-yard INT return TD in a 45-0 shutout of Georgia Tech (11/16/10). The Hickory, N.C. native posted a career-high four passes defensed in a 43-41 six-OT win vs. North Carolina (10/19/19).
A team captain in 2020, Deablo was a first-team All-ACC selection. He posted 55 total tackles in 2020 despite missing two contests early in the season. He had 2.0 TFL and defended eight passes during the season and also forced a fumble. Deablo, who tied for the ACC lead with four INTs on the season, was the only conference player to do so in nine or fewer games played. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native wore the No. 25 jersey in the final game of his college career, a victory over Virginia (12/12) to win back the Commonwealth Cup, sealing the victory with an interception.
A third-team All-ACC selection as a running back, Herbert led the Hokies' potent rushing attack with 1,182 yards on the ground, while his 107.5 ypg rushing average ranked second in the ACC. Hebert finished the season with six 100-yard rushing games. The Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native posted a season-best 207 rushing yards at Duke (10/10) as part of his record-breaking day that saw him accumulate 357 all-purpose yards. A second-team All-ACC all-purpose honoree, he racked up 1,791 all-purpose yards to rank third in the nation (1,182 rushing yards, 179 receiving yards and 430 kickoff return yards). In addition, he was named to the ACC All-Academic Team.