CINCINNATI – Virginia Tech's interior defensive linemen Mario Kendricks and Norell Pollard were ranked as one of the highest-graded duos in the ACC according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Kendricks enters the season as the seventh-highest graded (77.5) returning defensive tackle, with Pollard not far behind as the ninth-highest graded (76.1) at the position. Based on their combined rankings, they're slated as the third-best duo in the ACC going into 2023.
This ranking marks the second defensive position group to have a player ranked in the top 10 by PFF. Kendricks and Pollard join defensive back Mansoor Delane as some of the highest-graded players at their position.
Kendricks is entering his fifth season with the Hokies and has appeared in 43 games in his career. In 2022, Kendricks played in 11 games with six starts, registering career-highs in tackles (19), TFLs (5), pass deflections (3) and QB hurries (3).
Lining up next to Kendricks is fellow senior Pollard, who's also entering his fifth season in Blacksburg. Last season, Pollard started all 11 games at defensive tackle, ranking second on the team in quarterback hurries with six.
Over his career, Pollard has played in 48 games and started 11 games in each of the last three seasons. Pollard's top-10 ranking isn't the first time his performance has been recognized by PFF after being named to its All-Freshman Second Team in 2019.
Both Kendricks and Pollard will look to get off to a fast start in 2023 as they face a familiar opponent in the season opener, a matchup in which both players registered a quarterback hurry against Old Dominion in 2022.
Tech is scheduled to start the season against ODU on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Watch these Hokies in action by purchasing tickets for the season opener today.