Divine Deablo Named Honorary Captain for Aflac Kickoff Game vs South Carolina

Deablo, the Winston-Salem native, didn't stray far when choosing his desired university. While he was recruited as a 6-foot-4 wide receiver, he quickly found his calling on the opposing side of the ball in Blacksburg.

Hokie Legend

Under legendary Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, Deablo emerged as a star defensive piece in his redshirt sophomore campaign. In just 11 games, Deablo picked up 55 total tackles, 4.5 of which were behind the line of scrimmage as a defensive back.

From then on, Deablo remained the pivotal piece the Hokies could rely on to shut down impact plays on a moment's notice. Mainly combining speed and power to traverse the field effortlessly. Deablo played 51 games in the maroon and orange, ending his five-year collegiate career with 201 tackles and six interceptions.

Deablo donned Frank Beamer's No. 25 four times in his playing career, playing with pride and intensity that suited the lunch pail defense. His play awarded him three times with separate ACC honors: Week 10, 2019 vs Notre Dame, when he tallied an interception and a 98-yard fumble recovery touchdown. Two weeks later, Deablo earned PFF All-ACC team honors with a four-tackle performance against Pittsburgh. In 2020, his senior season, Deablo's play culminated with honors to the All-ACC first team.

After leaving Tech, Deablo was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders No. 80 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Deablo switched positions after college, moving down into the box and into a linebacker role in the NFL. He remained with the Raiders until this offseason, when he signed a new contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

Alongside Deablo for the kickoff, the Hokies have announced five captains for the 2025 season: Quarterback Kyron Drones, tight end Benji Gosnell, defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam, linebacker Caleb Woodson, and kicker John Love.

The Gamecocks announced their honorary captain for the Aflac Kickoff Game to be George Rogers. Rogers was the 1980 Heisman winner and the first Gamecock to earn the prestigious awar d, surpassing 100 rushing yards in every contest. Rogers was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame as a part of the class of 1997.

This matchup is a part of the Aflac Kickoff that has been going on since its inception in 2008. Both Deablo and Rogers will walk alongside a current or former Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Patient from the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center as a part of Aflac's "Kickoff for a Cause" initiative.

Heading into his fourth season, Brent Pry is 0-5 against ranked teams in the regular season, but he is going to have a chance to immediately reverse that trend when the season starts. The Hokies will face No. 13 South Carolina in Atlanta, and while Virginia Tech is a big underdog in that game, they might have a better shot at winning that game than one might think.

South Carolina is going to be replacing a lot of NFL talent that was on their team last season. SEC defensive player of the year Kyle Kennard, safety Nick Emmanwori, running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders, and linebacker Demetrius Knight are just a few of the players that the Gamecocks will be missing. South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer has done a fantastic job of recruiting, but having so many new starters at positions in week one can make things challenging.

The kickoff inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will be at 3 p.m. EST, marking the start of another year of college football for two decorated programs.