Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Before Virginia Tech football's spring game, presented by PMSI, tomorrow, let's take a quick glance at what the special teams could look like this upcoming season.
Placekicker
There's no doubt second-year special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Stu Holt has some solid depth at the kicker position.
Tech returns two players who started games at kicker last fall – Will Ross and John Love – and then brings back redshirt junior Kyle Lowe, who handled the kickoff duties a year ago and racked up an impressive 32 kickbacks.
Ross, a fifth-year senior who has had stops at Coastal Carolina and South Carolina, went 8-of-10 in field goal attempts in 2022, booting through a career-long 49-yard kick and going 20-of-21 in PAT attempts.
Love, on the other hand, started the final two games for the Hokies a season ago, knocking in a 23-yard field goal in the Nov. 19 win over Liberty, as well as converting a successful fake field goal run for 11 yards and a first down that led to a score against the Flames.
Punter
Two-year starter Peter Moore is back at punter for the third consecutive year, while redshirt sophomore Nick Veltsistas, who has had a nice spring, and redshirt freshman Bryce LaFollette add some depth behind Moore.
Moore, a former All-ACC honoree and Ray Guy Award watch list member, punted the ball 73 times – with no blocks – for 3,042 total yards in 2022, averaging a solid 41.7 yards per kick and placing the ball inside the 20 an impressive 24 times in his redshirt sophomore campaign.
Then the punting unit allowed just 36 punt return yards last fall, marking the fourth-fewest allowed in the country and looks to build off of that in 2023.
Long Snapper
When looking at the success of a special teams unit as a whole, you can't ignore the long snapper position.
Fifth-year senior Justin Pollock comes back to campus for the upcoming season after splitting time as the starter at the position a year ago. The Amelia County, Virginia product appeared in all 11 contests a season ago, and will now turn his attention to becoming a big-time contributor once again in his final year suiting up in orange and maroon.
Redshirt freshman Christian Epling is also back for another season in the long snapping corps, while Tech welcomed Louisiana Tech transfer Griffin Armstrong this spring, and both could be a viable option.
Kick Returner
The Hokies appear to be set to possess an explosive return game in 2023.
The welcomed addition of Middle Tennessee transfer Jaylin Lane could make an impact, with his experience with the Blue Raiders proving that to be the case. The 2022 All-Conference Honorable Mention returned the majority of kicks for Middle Tennessee a season ago, taking out 11 kicks for 254 yards.
The collection of Bryce Duke, Chance Black and Malachi Thomas also have returned kicks in their time at Tech. Options remain plentiful for Holt and crew as time continues to tick towards the 2023 debut.
Punt Returner
The Hokies could be in for an intriguing battle of two qualified candidates for the punt returner position for the upcoming year. The addition of Lane makes things interesting with sophomore standout Tucker Holloway returning to the fold after a promising start to his collegiate career, and could make it a fun battle to watch with both proven at the position at a top-tier level.
Lane fielded 18 punts for 152 yards at Middle Tennessee as the team's starter a season ago, while Holloway, who appeared in the final five games of the 2022 campaign, took off on nine punts for 191 yards, and scored on a 90-yard touchdown return versus Georgia Tech that was the Hokies' first in over five years. He finished the game with a school-record 188 punt return yards.