Football at Virginia Tech: Commanders select former Hokie standout Darryl Tapp to lead the DL
An NFL legend from Virginia Tech is leaving his mark. Darryl Tapp, a former standout defensive end for Virginia Tech, was promoted on Wednesday.
Tapp is returning to Virginia following three years with the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach. Under new head coach Dan Quinn, he was hired as the defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders.
2018 saw Tapp start his coaching career at Central Michigan as a defensive quality control coach. He relocated to Vanderbilt in 2019 to take a position as quality control coach for special teams. In 2020, he went back to his hometown of Blacksburgh to work as Virginia Tech’s co-defensive line coach under former head coach Justin Fuente.
In addition to becoming well-known as a coach right away, Tapp was a highly sought-after recruiter, especially in his home Virginia “757” region. Regretfully, from the Hokies’ point of view, Tapp attracted the attention of the NFL and prudently agreed to join the 49ers.
And off to Washington goes another 49ers assistant coach. Darryl Tapp, an assistant defensive line coach for San Francisco who spent 12 NFL seasons as a linebacker and defensive end in Washington in 2013, is expected to take over as the Commanders defensive line coach, according to sources. The URL is t.co/1dNCvMz44k.
— February 14, 2024, Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
He joined the coaching staff of Kyle Shanahan, where he collaborated with DeMeco Ryans, the new defensive coordinator, a former teammate. Ryans led one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NFL history when he took over as head coach of the Houston Texans last year after serving as defensive coordinator for two seasons.
Tapp, 39, left the NFL after 12 seasons in 2017 and retired. Having played in 165 games, he finished his NFL career with 332 tackles and 29 sacks. Tapp played for Washington during the 2013 campaign.
Before attending Virginia Tech, Tapp was a standout student at Chesapeake’s Deep Creek High School, where he was selected to the first team of the ACC twice. Tapp has been inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at Virginia Tech.
Cheers, Coach Tapp! And thanks for coming home.
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A football transfer from Virginia Tech ranks among PFF’s Top 101 College Football Players of 2022.
Aeneas Peebles, a former defensive lineman for Duke football, is ranked 82nd out of the top 101 players for the 2023 season by Pro Football Focus. The only other Blue Devil to appear on the list in 2023 is Peebles. In 2024, the 6-foot-2, 288-pound lineman will transfer to the football team at Virginia Tech.
With 40 total tackles, one forced fumble, and five sacks this past season, Peebles was among the best interior defensive linemen. The Duke football defense gave up just 3.9 yards per rush and was ranked in the top 50 overall in terms of rush defense (45th).
The former Blue Devil was named to the Third Team All-ACC and received a 90.1 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus. Now that Hokies head coach Brent Pry is starting his fourth season in charge, the Raleigh, North Carolina native will bring his skills to Blacksburg, Virginia. In 2023, Virginia Tech football’s overall record was 7-6, and its conference record was 5-3. Last season, the Hokies’ defense surrendered an average of 4.2 yards per carry.
Edge rusher Antwuan Powell-Ryland, who recently declared he will return for his senior season with the Hokies in 2024, will be paired with Peebles on the defensive line. After recording 23 solo tackles, three forced fumbles, and 9.5 sacks in 2023, Powell-Ryland was named to the Second Team All-ACC. The 244-inch, 6-foot-3 defensive
Redshirt sophomore Wesley Williams (left defensive end), redshirt freshman David Anderson (left defensive tackle), redshirt junior Aaron Hall (right defensive tackle), and graduate transfer Anthony Nelson (right defensive end) are expected to make up Duke’s defensive line following Peebles’ departure. In 13 games last season, Williams racked up 11 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks; Anderson finished with 3 total tackles in 2023; Hall recorded 10 solo tackles and two pass deflections; and Nelson finished with 9 solo tackles, 1 forced fumble, and no sacks.
The Duke defense may regress from their red-zone defense ranking of 10th last season, but new head coach Manny Diaz, a former defensive coordinator at Penn State who ranked second in total defense in 2023, has a knack for the position.
Duke football has experienced a significant loss of talent since the end of the 2023 campaign. Former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard committed to Notre Dame through the transfer portal back in December, while former Duke leading rusher Jordan Waters transferred to in-state rival N.C. State. Former Duke head coach Mike Elko signed on to become Texas A&M’s next head coach.
