Virginia Tech Football 2025 Offseason Outlook: Running Back

The running back position, among most other offensive positions besides quarterback, will be heavily shaken up for the 2025 season. The Hokies are losing their two biggest contributors and bringing in a load of new players to play in the backfield. The amount of resources the Hokies used to beef up their running back room shows just how important the position is in Virginia Tech's offense.

The obvious first offseason move is the loss of Bhayshul Tuten. Bhayshul will certainly get drafted and he was the true workhorse of the Virginia Tech offense in 2024. He was the core of every drive, and the gameplan truly revolved around Bhayshul. This is by far the biggest loss at any position offensively for the Hokies. Losses like Braelin Moore and Xavier Chaplin will certainly hurt, but no other player was the center of Virginia Tech's game-plan like Bhayshul Tuten was.

The other offseason move that hurts is the departure of Malachi Thomas to Purdue. The Hokies' primary backup entered the transfer portal after the season and he rushed for 1132 yards on 256 attempts with seven touchdowns on four years with the Virginia Tech program. Thomas also had one receiving touchdown and 198 yards through the air. He was a key part of the Virginia Tech offense for four years, redshirting in his second year after missing eight games due to injury.

Jeremiah Coney, the other main backup running back, actually ran for more yards than Malachi Thomas despite having 11 fewer carries. Coney averaged 5.6 yards per carry and was a more consistent back than Thomas. Coney returns to the Hokies' running back room and is the highest-producing returning player at the running back position.

Tyler Mason, a freshman last year, was solid in the limited carries he had. Mason ran for 39 yards on 10 carries with 1 catch for zero yards. Mason has some breakaway speed and the vision to be a workhorse running back at the collegiate level.

P.J. Prioleau is the only other returning player at the running back position that got carries in the 2024 season. He ran for 29 yards on 7 carries. Prioleau also returned four kicks in 2024 for the Hokies, and could return to that role in 2025.

Walk-on running backs John Buetow and Ty'Drez Clements also did not enter the transfer portal this offseason.

The Hokies also add to this running back room, with three transfer portal additions and one four-star high school prospect.

Here's a summary of four-star running back Jeff Overton's high school career, courtesy of 247Sports:

"Finished four-year varsity career with 8,125 rushing yards.Ran for 1,561 yards as a senior, adding 426 receiving yards and 36 total TDs. Also posted 7 INTs on defense in Fall 2024. Earned Virginia High School League National District Offensive Player of the Year honors, as well as first-team recognition on both sides of the ball (RB, DB)."

The three transfer portal additions bring a new layer of talent to the Hokies' running back room. Virginia Tech added Braydon Bennett (Coastal Carolina), Marcellous Hawkins (Central Missouri State), and Terion Stewart (Bowling Green).

Stewart is likely to be the Hokies' running back No. 1 in 2025. Terion ran for 898 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. Stewart also has experience playing Power Four teams, rushing for 138 yards and one touchdown against a Georgia Tech defense in 2023. He has a career yards per carry of 5.9.

Braydon Bennett could also battle for the RB No. 1 position as well. Bennett was responsible for 931 yards from scrimmage during his freshman year at Coastal Carolina in 2021, but he did not eclipse that mark again until last season, when he led the Sun Belt in touchdowns from Scrimmage. Bennett's 2024 season included 969 all-purpose yards, 5.8 yards per rush, and a conference-leading 13 all-purpose touchdowns.

Marcellous Hawkins could be a workhorse back for the Hokies in the future. He has at least two years of eligibility left, and he could get a third with a medical redshirt due to an injury he suffered in 2024. Hawkins is making the jump from the D2 level all the way to Power Four football, and Hawkins' speed translates to every level.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Recruiting: 2026 LB Mathieu Kanu Sets Official Visit Date With Hokies

Virginia Tech Football 2025 Offseason Outlook: Quarterback

Virginia Tech Football: Three-Star Edge Keysaun Eleazer Sets Official Visit Date With The Hokies