The first time Virginia Tech special teams coach Stu Holt saw Jaylin Lane, it was on a tape from Middle Tennessee State when Lane entered the transfer portal – and he knew right away that Tech had to get their hands on a player who could be dynamic in multiple facets of the game.
One thing is for certain: the Commanders have a deep WR room, but they also do have some competition for return jobs, and Lane is going to be a competitor.
“His father is a very strong high school coach, has won a ton of games, and that's what Jaylin's been raised around. He's been raised right, and mom and dad are just tremendous, people,” Holt said. “He knew, I think, from an early age that he had to go get it and earn it, and he’s a mature guy. He’s squared away off the field, so when he came in, he just hit the ground running from day one, and was consistent. He’s consistent every day, brings it every day, practices extremely hard every day, and he has a great attitude. Teammates love him, because he tries to help his teammates anywhere needed, so he's just a guy that is unique, in a lot of really good ways.”
And while he could be a return weapon right away, Lane could also be the kind of receiver that complements someone like Deebo Samuel as an all-purpose weapon.
“He is a really tough matchup. Wherever you put him in the offensive set, he's going to make it really difficult – a bigger body will struggle covering him in space, and if he gets matched up with the linebacker at the second level, he's strong, very explosive, and will make it difficult for those guys to bully him, so to speak,” Holt said. “He has the stature and the skill set to get open, and once he gets open, he's got great hands. He's gonna catch the football. He's very tough, certainly played physical in the run game and the passing game, so I think Washington made an outstanding pick, and really, the sky is the limit for Jaylin.”
Listen to Holt’s entire visit with Craig Hoffman above!