Photo Credit: Dave Knachel/Virginia Tech Athletics (Pre-COVID)
Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente announced today that two more players have opted out of the 2020 season in linebacker Keshon Artis and defensive end Zion DeBose.
Fuente said LB Keshon Artis and DE Zion Debose have opted out. #Hokies
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) November 16, 2020
Artis and DeBose join Caleb Farley as Hokies who have opted out of the 2020 season. TyJuan Garbutt also opted out of the season originally, but returned last month and has received some limited playing time in recent weeks.
Artis was Tech's fourth linebacker and had not played much on special teams this season, finishing this season with 3 tackles over the games he played in. Artis' departure does put the Hokies' linebacker depth at a tenuous situation after Rayshard Ashby, Dax Hollifield, and Alan Tisdale with Dean Ferguson probably being the next man up.
Zion DeBose had been working among the backup defensive ends this season and had 6 tackles including 1 sack this season. With DeBose gone, Tech's defensive end depth chart continues to be built around Justus Reed, Amare Barno, and Emmanuel Belmar at the top followed by TyJuan Garbutt, Jaylen Griffin, and Robert Wooten.
Opt outs have increased over the past couple weeks across the country with star Pittsburgh safety Paris Ford and talented Louisville RB Javian Hawkins among the most notable players to opt out in recent weeks.
