Virginia Tech offensive lineman Gabriel Arena enters transfer portal

Virginia Tech offensive lineman Gabriel Arena has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos can report.

Arena is a freshman who spent one season with the Hokies before opting to hit the transfer portal. He did not appear in any games and redshirted during the 2023 season. He was listed at 6 foot 5, 280 pounds.

“Announcing my entry into the Spring 2024 transfer portal after an unexpected turn of events at Virginia Tech,” Arena wrote on Twitter. “I’m grateful for the time spent with the Hokies and the overwhelming support from everyone.

“With four years of eligibility ahead, I’m excited to tackle new challenges and make an immediate impact. A heartfelt thank you to Hokie Nation, Coach Pry and staff!”

Prior to enrolling at Virginia Tech, Gabriel Arena was a three-star prospect and the No. 1,288 overall recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

He also checked in as the No. 121 interior offensive lineman in his class and the No. 29 overall player in the state of Pennsylvania, hailing from Harrisburg (PA) Bishop McDevitt.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

Virginia Tech considering a quarterback in transfer portal

One position Virginia Tech could look to add at in the transfer portal during the spring window is quarterback, where the Hokies are trying to develop a capable backup to Kyron Drones.

Drones is expected to be the starter, and he very much looked the part on Saturday in the team’s spring game. He finished 6-of-10 passing for 122 yards and two touchdowns, while he also rushed twice for eight yards.

The real question is what happens behind him. Coach Brent Pry hinted he could look to the portal.

“Yeah, we’re having those discussions now,” Pry said Saturday. “And we’ve obviously got some guys in mind that we’ll speak with. We’ll see kind of where it goes. It’s got to be the right group.”

William “Pop” Watson and Dylan Wittke, a pair of redshirt freshmen, are battling for the backup job. They reportedly had a pretty mixed spring, with Wittke leading the race early in spring ball and Watson taking charge later on in the spring.

But whether either will be ready enough to keep Virginia Tech out of the spring transfer window remains to be seen.

“You look at Dylan and Pop and you say, ‘Well, could one of them be ready by September?’ Well, maybe,” Pry said. “But do you want to take that risk? So that’s something watching this film, that’s why today was important for those guys.”