BLACKSBURG, Va. — With Virginia Tech's roster now firmly in place, the Hokies have officially turned their attention toward fall camp and the start of the 2026 season. While James Franklin and his staff managed to avoid losing any marquee stars during the transfer portal cycle, Virginia Tech still saw several key contributors depart. Each loss carries its own significance, whether it be veteran leadership, positional depth, or proven production, leaving the Hokies with a handful of departures they undoubtedly would have preferred to avoid. Here is my list of the top three players that would play crutial roles for Virginia Tech.No. 1: Caleb Woodson:Caleb Woodson was not a fit in last season's scheme, so he wasn't as much of a standout last season compared to the two years prior. Now that the Hokies are moving back to the 4-2-STAR look, the Hokies don't have anybody who is a prototypical STAR linebacker.Missing from the equation is Caleb Woodson, who tallied 152 tackles in 35 career games, along with 11.5 TLF, a pair of sacks and an interception. Losing Woodson isn't a back breaker, but he would certainly be playing in a starting role for the Hokies if he opted to stick around for his senior season.No. 2: Christian Ellis:One of few places on the roster where the team's depth is in question is safety, and Christian Ellis was in a position to play a major role for the Hokies. Ellis played in four of the team's first five games, breaking up three passes — including the game winning fourth down stop against NC State — and making five tackles.He was one of the team's standout players, but opted to enter the transfer portal after Brent Pry was dismissed of his head coaching duties with Virginia Tech. With a lack of depth in the back end of the secondary, the Hokies could certainly use his talents this season.No. 3: Dante Lovett:Virginia Tech has one of the best cornerback rooms in the conference, but you can never have too much talent at DB. Dante Lovett was a standout player for the Hokies in 2023 and 2024, playing in all 26 of the team's games and tallying 30 tackles with seven pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery.Even though the Hokies have talent and depth in the cornerback room, they would certainly like to have a third All-Conference caliber cornerback in the fold.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow