Huge Boost: Fan-Favorite Superstar Returns as Virginia Tech’s Starting Tight End for 2025 Season
Blacksburg, VA — June 12, 2025
In what Hokies fans are already calling the “comeback of the decade,” former All-American tight end Jalen “Tank” Rivers has officially announced his return to Virginia Tech for the 2025 NCAA football season. After abruptly transferring to Ohio State last year — a move that shocked both fans and teammates — Rivers admitted Wednesday morning that his heart never truly left Lane Stadium.
“I regret leaving in the first place,” Rivers told reporters outside Merryman Athletic Facility. “This place, these coaches, this team — they’re family. I made a business decision last year. But football isn’t only business. It’s passion, pride, and loyalty. And there’s unfinished business here in Blacksburg.”
Rivers, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound redshirt senior from Chesapeake, Virginia, had been a centerpiece of the Hokies’ 2023 and 2024 offenses. His record-breaking sophomore campaign included 72 receptions for 963 yards and 11 touchdowns, shattering the program’s single-season receiving mark for a tight end and earning him First-Team All-ACC honors. Widely projected as a top NFL Draft prospect, Rivers shocked the college football world by entering the transfer portal last January to play under Coach Ryan Day at Ohio State.
But things didn’t go as planned.
Rivers played sparingly behind All-American TE Kyle Patterson in Columbus, finishing 2024 with just 14 catches for 198 yards and a single touchdown. Frustrated with his diminished role and yearning for the offensive system that first showcased his abilities, Rivers quietly contacted Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry in late April.
“We didn’t burn any bridges when Jalen left,” Pry said at today’s press conference. “He did what he thought was right at the time. But when he reached out and said he wanted to come home, we welcomed him with open arms. He’s the kind of leader and playmaker you don’t let slip away twice.”
Rivers’ return comes at a pivotal moment for the Hokies, who finished 8-5 in 2024 but struggled in the red zone without a dominant tight end presence. Offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen wasted no time integrating Rivers back into the first-team offense during spring workouts, noting that “Tank looks leaner, quicker, and even more explosive than before.”
Teammates were equally enthusiastic. Senior quarterback Grant Wells called Rivers’ comeback “the best surprise of the offseason.”
“Having Tank back in the huddle changes everything,” Wells said. “He’s a matchup nightmare. Linebackers can’t run with him, safeties can’t body him. He demands double coverage — and that opens things up for everybody else.”
Beyond the Xs and Os, Rivers’ return sends a message about loyalty and redemption in an age where the transfer portal has blurred old lines of school pride. Fans have responded in kind: sales of Rivers’ No. 87 jersey spiked 600% within hours of the announcement, and Lane Stadium is expected to sell out its home opener against West Virginia in September.
Asked why he came back, Rivers grinned.
“I started something here. And I’m going to finish it here. With a title.”
If this is indeed the season Rivers and Virginia Tech finally break through for an ACC Championship — and possibly a playoff berth — this comeback could become legend.
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