Virginia Tech continued to bolster its defensive line depth with the post-spring addition of Georgia Southern transfer Elhadj Fall. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle committed to the Hokies on Sunday, giving Brent Pry’s staff another experienced presence up front. Fall, who has two years of eligibility remaining, visited Blacksburg earlier in April before making his decision official.
Fall arrives at Virginia Tech after spending three seasons with the Georgia Southern Eagles, including a redshirt year in 2022. Across his collegiate career, he logged 942 snaps according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), with 49 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. His production and consistency offer the Hokies a proven contributor in the trenches.
In 2023, Fall was named an honorable mention All-American as a redshirt freshman. That season, he tallied 19 tackles, five TFLs, and four sacks in 364 snaps. PFF graded him highly, giving him a 71.5 for overall defense, 72.2 in run defense, and an impressive 81.5 for tackling. His emergence during that year established him as a disruptive interior lineman.
Last season, Fall followed up with 20 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks in 432 snaps. Although his grades dipped slightly — 59.9 overall, 49.8 run defense, and 74.4 tackling — he still earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt recognition. He showed flashes of his potential in high-level matchups, recording two tackles against Ole Miss and one against Boise State.
A native of Marietta, Georgia, Fall played his high school ball at Osborne High, where he earned second-team all-region honors. Despite being an unranked recruit with limited FBS interest, he received offers from Georgia Southern, Jacksonville State, and Navy, ultimately choosing the Eagles where he steadily developed into a starter.
With Fall’s commitment, Virginia Tech now has 10 scholarship defensive tackles on the 2025 roster. He joins an incoming group of interior linemen that includes Kody Huisman (North Dakota State), Arias Nash (Mercer), and Jahzari Priester (Hampton). The Hokies clearly prioritized shoring up their defensive interior following spring practices.
This is Virginia Tech’s fourth post-spring portal addition, as the Hokies also added Huisman, offensive lineman Gavin Crawford (West Virginia), and cornerback Caleb Brown (Hawaii). Pry’s staff has remained aggressive in the portal, addressing key roster needs with experience and depth.
Fall’s addition gives the Hokies a more complete and competitive defensive tackle rotation, headlined by Kelvin Gilliam and Kemari Copeland. With his track record and remaining eligibility, Fall is poised to be an immediate contributor as Tech looks to strengthen its defensive front in 2025.
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