BLACKSBURG, Va.- Every offseason, transfer portal additions arrive with varying levels of expectations, but the players who end up making the biggest impact are not always the ones who generate the loudest headlines. While Virginia Tech brought in several proven contributors to bolster its 2026 roster, a handful of newcomers have flown somewhat under the radar entering fall camp. Whether because of limited national recognition, questions surrounding their previous production, or simply being overshadowed by bigger names, these three transfers have the talent and opportunity to outperform expectations and become key pieces for the Hokies this season.
One of the more under-the-radar additions to the receiver room in this portal class is wideout Marlion Jackson , who comes from Louisiana Tech, where he spent his past three campaigns. In his time there, he tallied a trio of touchdowns, catching 46 passes for 753 yards, with an average of 16.4 over his career. His best season came in 2025 - he hauled in 20 passes for 370 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 18.5 yards per catch.
At Louisiana Tech, the quarterback situation was undesirable year in and year out, with six quarterbacks throwing at least 50 passes in a season over his three seasons. In 2025, Louisiana Tech quarterbacks combined to throw eight total touchdowns and 10 total interceptions. He tied for the team lead in touchdowns that season.
A boundary reciever standing 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, Jackson will be fronted with the challenge of finding playing time on a Power Four team. Whether or not he does will depend on how much his circumstances at Louisiana Tech truly held him back and whether the flashes he showcased during his time with the Bulldogs were more than just that - flashes.
Transferring in from Colorado, Okunlola is the most experienced edge rusher on the roster, where he has played two full seasons across two different schools, totaling eight career sacks and 49 tackles. He missed nearly the entire 2025 season, recording one tackle before suffering a season-ending injury.
Between the prior two seasons, Okunlola played in 28 games, recoring 48 total tackles and eight sacks, along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He also has 13 career tackles for loss and had eight quarterback hurries for Colorado in 2024. With the inexperience on the edge, Okunlola could be poised for a starting position come the season opener against VMI on Sept. 5.
The Hokies are going to be running some rather heavy sets, rotating tight ends on and off the field and using 12- and 13-personnel sets throughout the season. While Henderson will likely find himself fourth at best on the tight end depth chart, the offensive scheme that the Hokies will be using in 2026 leans heavily towards tight ends, offering Henderson more of a chance to get on the field and stick there.
He played in just two games for Penn State in 2025, so he's rather inexperienced as a redshirt freshman. But tight ends will have a lot of playing time in 2026, and I expect Matt Henderson to be one of them.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as Three Virginia Tech Transfers That Could Exceed Expectations in 2026 .
