Hokies point guard Brandon Rechsteiner plans to enter the transfer portal, he confirmed on Instagram on Wednesday. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.
He’s the fourth portal entry in three days for Virginia Tech, joining guards Rodney Brown Jr. and Jaydon Young and center Patrick Wessler.
Rechsteiner (6-1, 190) played in 58 games over two seasons in Blacksburg, starting 17. He averaged 7.0 points per game this year with 91 assists to 71 turnovers — both team-highs. His sophomore campaign featured nine double-figure performances, two of which came back-to-back to end the year at Clemson (11 points) and vs. Cal (career-high 19). He hit a clutch 3-pointer in the corner with 27 seconds left in regulation against the Golden Bears to force overtime.
However, he struggled to take care of the ball, much like the Hokies did as a team — they were 336th in turnover percentage. He had the group’s second-highest turnover rate at 26.4, per Ken Pomeroy, while freshman Ben Hammond was at 27.5. In ACC-only games, that duo combined for 93 assists to 70 miscues.
The Acworth, Ga., native was hit-or-miss this season but seemed to show progress in moments. Though he was 40-of-139 (29.9%) from behind the arc, he was OK in January (11-of-22, 50%) after really struggling in December (3-of-25, 12%). He had an 18-point, 6-of-10 performance on Feb. 25 vs.
Louisville, where he was 4-of-7 from long range, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists. Yet, he followed that up by going 0-of-9 with two assists to three turnovers in the next two outings. It was that kind of an up-and-down year for him. After starting 14 of the first 17 contests, he came off the bench in favor of Hammond.
As a freshman in 2023-24, Rechsteiner appeared in 26 games as Sean Pedulla’s backup. He started twice — vs. Valparaiso and vs. American — when Pedulla missed time due to injury. However, his playing time was sporadic as the year went on.
After the calendar flipped to January, he was on the floor for just 59 minutes in 18 games. He played slightly more than expected given Rodney Rice’s departure right before the season and the Hokies’ lack of an experienced backup point guard.
After Tech’s defeat to Cal in the ACC Tournament last week, head coach Mike Young said, “A lot was missing [this year]. … We’ve got to get more talented, and we’re going to, quick. … I’m not living through that again.” This week’s attrition is just the start. The men’s basketball transfer portal officially opens on Monday, March 24.
With Rechsteiner’s departure, Hammond is the lone point guard on the Hokies’ roster. He averaged 5.6 points per game as a freshman while starting 17 contests. He and Rechsteiner split time at that spot after Temple transfer Hysier Miller, a veteran option, was released from the program in October after his involvement in a gambling inquiry.
Here’s a look at Tech’s updated scholarship situation for 2025-26:
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