Tech Transcripts: Defensive Backs Lock Down at Practice

When Virginia Tech Safety Quentin Reddish finally got to put the pads back on after missing most of the 2025 season with a shoulder injury, he said his first hit “felt so great.” Reddish is ready to get back on the field right now, and his shoulder feels better than it ever has. He says he had built up wear-and-tear in that shoulder over the years, to the point that he was playing through a lot of pain last season. Reddish says that his former position coach, Pierson Prioleau, is the one who encouraged him to have the surgery, and as hard as it was for Reddish to watch his teammates go through last season without him, he now feels motivated and physically ready to make a major comeback after an impressive freshman campaign before his shortened sophomore year. 

The road back to the field was not a straight line for Reddish, however, with the talented safety dropping over 20 pounds due to not being able to lift weights. Reddish says that after he was cleared for the Spring, he upped his diet, joking that he would get double meat and rice in all his Chipotle burritos. That diet regimen, and the work with Coach Losey in the weight room, allowed Reddish to get back to his comfortable playing weight. Reddish says he is excited for the season, but has also been excited for every day of Fall Camp. He says he has been focused on being where his feet are and not taking any rep for granted, because he knows how quickly it can be taken away now. Reddish has attacked every day of practice with a smile on his face and gratitude to just be out working with the team again. Reddish also says he has been a sponge with Anthony Midget as his position coach, given Midget’s experience at the NFL level. Reddish is not taking that coaching lightly because he knows “how valuable that information is coming from him.”

With that, here are more observations from practice and our time with Coach Midget:

• DB Kenny Woseley has impressed coaches with his versatility so far, even playing some safety this week after primarily working at corner early in camp. Midget says “he can play any position on the back end,” adding that it’s a testament to his football IQ. Quentin Reddish echoed that praise, saying Woseley “has really elite coverage traits,” and that the transition to safety has been really natural. 
• Ethan Grunkemeyer continues to be the first rep-taker in quarterback drills, and today he was followed by Kelden Ryan, Bryce Baker, and then Troy Huhn. 
• We may have gotten a sneak peek at some potential linebacker combinations today. Projected starters Kaleb Spencer and Noah Chambers were working with Keon Wylie in the first group, followed by a group consisting of George Ballance, Curtis Jones, and Sherrod Covil. Covil has been listed as a safety, but Brent Pry told us he has been working with the linebackers to provide more depth. 
• Luke Reynolds continues to impress in one-on-one drills, going up to get this pass over Safety Tyson Flowers:

• Jaquez White was an absolute standout during practice, shutting down the Hokies' top two WRs during one-on-ones with great reps against Ayden Greene and Que’Sean Brown. White is incredibly sticky and smart in coverage, and plays the ball with incredible physicality. He certainly seems to have all the tools of an elite corner.
• DBs Isaiah Brown-Murray and Brennan Johnson also had great reps, causing a pair of pass breakups. Franklin was particularly impressed with Johnson’s rep, invoking his nickname “Peanut” while complimenting the young safety. With Tyson Flowers seemingly struggling in one-on-ones, maybe there is an opening for a young player like Johnson to unseat a veteran like Flowers, who seemed penciled in as a leader and starter for the defense. Midget says Johnson has been really impressive this offseason, causing three turnovers in the first four days of camp. 
• At safety, the rotation appears to be Quentin Reddish and Tyson Flowers rolling with the first group, with Johnson and Sheldon Robinson working with the twos. Midget says ideally he’d love to play four safeties on Saturdays, and thinks the Hokies are working toward that. 
• Midget says the chemistry between Reddish and Flowers has stood out, and that he’s challenging the two with disguising coverages, but the two veterans have started doing it on their own because they are so comfortable playing with each other. Reddish says that his being back on the field will allow Flowers to play faster. 
• Safeties Coach Anthony Midget loves the versatility at his disposal with his veteran safeties, Reddish and Flowers: “We don’t have to play them field and boundary; we’ll just scheme things up to what we feel is best to put them in the best position.”
• WR Jeff Exinor flashed during one-on-one drills as well, with a nice catch on a corner route. James Franklin seemed incredibly pleased with the rep, saying, “That’s how I want you to play.”
• And finally, during one-on-ones, freshman TE Pierce Petersohn nearly made a nice contested grab in the corner of the end zone but was ruled incomplete because he did not get his feet down. The Hokies certainly are not lacking talent and depth at the tight end position.