Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – With just over a week left until the Hokies open their season against South Carolina at the 2025 Aflac Kickoff Game, many important members of the specialist room are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting season. Under special teams coordinator Stu Holt in his fourth year in Blacksburg, integral components of the room, such as the kicker and long snapper, are being supported by some of the conference’s most impressive and precise athletes to date. In this week’s Position Preview, we’re taking a closer look at a specialist division that promises to serve the Hokies well this fall.
After an explosive 2024 season that saw record-breaking attempts and near-perfect accuracy, field goal expert John Love returns to uphold Virginia Tech’s tradition of kicking excellence in 2025. On the heels of consecutive All-ACC Honorable Mentions (2023, 2024), the 5-foot-11, 180-pound redshirt junior will return after kicking in all 13 games last season, sending 16 of 18 field goal attempts through the uprights alongside a perfect 42-for-42 extra point tries. Love also nailed all five field goal attempts taken between 40 and 49 yards, bringing his career percentage from that range to a staggering 91.7%.
It’s not just about the accuracy for Love, however. His booming power was demonstrated multiple times throughout the 2024 campaign, thrilling viewers with a 60-yard make against Minnesota and a 57-yard field goal against Miami. For his efforts against the Hurricanes, the South Carolina product earned ACC Specialist of the Week recognition and earned the same honor after hitting from 44, 31, and 28 yards against Virginia in the regular season finale. Kickoff specialist Kyle Lowe will serve as the backup placekicker.
The success Love has enjoyed for the past two seasons has largely been supported by returning long snapper Christian Epling. The Georgia native played in all 13 games last fall, primarily handling snapping duties for both punts and field goals. Epling has appeared in 25 games over his career, all of which have come alongside Love. Under the 6-foot-2, 219-pound long snapper’s wing will be Iowa State transfer and redshirt freshman Drew Doyle, who joins the Hokies after redshirting his first season with the Cyclones in 2024.
As far as kickoffs go for the Hokies, that job belongs to returner Kyle Lowe. The Midlothian, Virginia native kicked off 71 times for Holt and the Hokies last year, totaling an impressive 4,461 yards for an average of 62.8 yards per kick. Forty of those kicks sailed into the endzone for touchbacks, largely supported by the specialist’s 6-foot-3, 199-pound frame. As the oldest returner in the room, the graduate student resumes work with the Hokies as a key veteran presence under Holt and Head Coach Brent Pry.
2025 will serve as the culmination of patience, determination and willpower for redshirt senior Nick Veltsistas. After learning behind punter Peter Moore for nearly his entire career, Veltsistas will be given the reigns for punting this season, 2025 being his first opportunity to showcase a refined skillset crafted over his time in Blacksburg. Kyle Lowe will serve as the backup punter. Taking notes from Veltsistas and Lowe will be incoming freshman punter/kicker Cole Byrd, who joins the Hokies as a three-time All-State selection from Bassett High School in Bassett, Virginia.
The return game could be a game changer for the Hokies in 2025. Redshirt sophomore Thomas Williams and redshirt senior P.J. Prioleau will both get looks at kick returner, along with Tennessee transfer Cam Seldon. Williams returned 13 kicks for 249 yards, averaging 19.2 yards per return last season while Prioleau tallied four returns for 86 yards prior to suffering a season-ending injury.
Punt returner Tucker Holloway is back after missing the entire 2024 campaign with an injury. In 2023, Holloway returned 20 punts for a total of 258 yards and his average punt return yardage of 12.9 ranked 7th in the country. His 66-yard punt return against Old Dominion (Sept. 2) was his longest of the season.
Transfer Isaiah Spencer and redshirt sophomore Takye Heath are both expected to be in the punt return mix this season as well.
There are storylines aplenty in the specialists room as the Hokies prepare for kickoff later this month. Be sure to purchase tickets so you don’t miss a moment of the action in Lane Stadium later this fall!