The Shadow
BLACKSBURG – With less than a month until the Hokies take the field against South Carolina in the 2025 Aflac Kickoff Game, the safeties room of the Lunch Pail Defense is working towards big goals this fall. Led by returning sophomore Quentin Reddish, the 2025 edition of the safeties squad is largely composed of new faces, giving returning safeties coach Pierson Prioleau lots to work with as the season progresses. As the Position Preview series barrels towards kickoff later this month, we take a closer look at how both new faces and homegrown talent will make their mark in the secondary throughout the upcoming year.
It’s to be expected that the safeties room will look slightly different than it did during the 2024 campaign. The position has a plethora of talent hungry for the chance to shine. Fans should keep a keen eye on who suits up, as defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes takes the reigns for the first time this fall.
Returning to the fold in 2025 is sophomore Quentin Reddish. While one of the youngest names in the safeties room, Reddish tallied 20 tackles (15 solo) as a freshman in 2024, playing in 12 games and starting in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota. The Charlotte, North Carolina product’s most notable moment as a Hokie came against ACC foe Clemson last fall, as Reddish snagged a blocked field goal and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. The return, which saw the former four-star recruit utilize elite speed and quick decision making, gave the Hokies their first score of the game and the lead heading into halftime.
Of the nine safeties suiting up in maroon and orange later this fall, five of them are transfer students: Clemson transfer Sherrod Covil, Pitt transfer Jordan Bass, New Mexico transfer Christian Ellis, Rice transfer Tyson Flowers, and Sam Houston State transfer Isaiah Cash. Head Coach Brent Pry and the Tech football staff have done a standout job at addressing needs amongst the defense through impactful portal acquisitions. Covil enters Blacksburg after spending three years at ACC competitor Clemson. Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 195 pounds, his 12 tackles in 2024 came alongside steady special teams production, including moments in the season opener against then-No. 1 Georgia. Covil’s most impressive contest as a Tiger last fall was against Appalachian State, where the safety posted seven tackles in what was a 66-20 thumping of the Mountaineers. Also joining the Hokies from within the conference is Bass, whose 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame brings promise to the Tech secondary. Hailing from Hampton, Va., Bass played in nine games for the Panthers last fall, using his opportunity as a reserve linebacker to register 14 tackles and a sack.
Ellis finds himself in maroon and orange after posting an impressive 99 tackles (42 solo) for the Lobos last fall. His 78.0 coverage rating according to Pro Football Focus is a strong indicator of Ellis’s talents, those of which were also seen through his 3.5 TFLs and four pass breakups in 2024.
Flowers and Cash round out the safety transfer class, giving the Hokies plenty of options to work with as the year progresses. Last season at Rice, Flowers played in 10 games making 38 tackles, including 3.0 TFLs. He added two interceptions and a forced fumble. Cash played in 13 games at Sam Houston in 2024, recording 67 tackles and two interceptions of his own.
A handful of Tech safeties will also be making either their debuts or their long-awaited return to the gridiron this fall. True freshmen and Virginia natives, Sheldon Robinson and Brennan Johnson come to Blacksburg after being recognized as three-star safeties by 247Sports. The pair had equally impressive high school careers, Robinson leaving Woodbery Forest High School as a three-time all-state defensive back and Johnson being named the 2023 Virginia Class 6 Defensive Player of the Year while attending Highland Springs.
