Two weeks ago, the situation took a downturn for Virginia Tech when left tackle Xavier Chaplin and guard/center Braelin Moore entered the NCAA transfer portal. Soon after, offensive line coach Ron Crook was among three coaches let go. The loss of Moore, particularly Chaplin, posed a significant challenge, necessitating a complete overhaul of the offensive line for the upcoming season.
However, the firing of Crook was not a setback; it was a necessary decision as he had not been effective in his role as a coach or recruiter. On Monday, the Hokies hired former West Virginia offensive line coach Matt Moore, who had been widely recognized as a top choice and is regarded as one of the nation’s better offensive line coaches.
Moore quickly made an impact; on Thursday, the Hokies secured their ninth commitment from the NCAA transfer portal, marking the first offensive lineman to join when his former player, Tomas Rimac, decided to spend his final college season in Blacksburg.
Rimac, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 318 pounds, hails from Brunswick, Ohio. After four years in Morgantown, where he became a starter in 2022, he established himself as one of the Big 12’s top interior offensive linemen and is set to start at left guard for the Hokies in 2025. There are two other West Virginia offensive linemen in the portal that Moore is likely to recruit to join him at Virginia Tech.
What was once a position of concern two weeks ago is now showing promising signs due to the presence of a capable position coach.
Welcome to Blacksburg, Tomas!
