Defensive End Seth Dooley to Leave Program
Hokies face offseason attrition at defensive end, as Seth Dooley has elected to leave the program
Rising redshirt-senior defensive end Seth Dooley will not return to the Virginia Tech football program next fall, according to multiple reports.
The initial news came down on Wednesday evening, when numerous outlets reported that Dooley would be transferring out of the program to play a graduate year elsewhere.
However, shortly after the initial reports began to circulate, Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times refuted the transfer news, and instead set the record straight with a report that Dooley would instead seek other opportunities outside of football.
DE Seth Dooley says he plans to pursue other opportunities and not play football with #Hokies. No plans to transfer. Graduated last spring.
— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) January 12, 2017
Dooley has already graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in human development, but would likely have been a factor in the rotation at defensive end next season for the Hokies if he had chosen to remain with the program.
Used primarily as a reserve in his three seasons that he played, Dooley finishes his career with the Hokies with 12 tackles and half a sack in 36 games played.
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He struggled through injuries throughout a good bit of his time with the Hokies, and never quite broke into the rotation on a full-time basis during his three-year playing career in Blacksburg.
With Ken Ekanem departing due to graduation and now Dooley departing as well, the Hokies are left with sophomore Trevon Hill and redshirt-junior Vinny Mihota at defensive end as the anticipated starters for the 2017 season.
Redshirt-sophomore Houshon Gaines and a host of others should provide the most immediate depth options heading into preparation for the upcoming season, but Bud Foster may have his work cut out for him behind Hill and Mihota, especially if injuries unexpectedly arise.