Virginia Tech football notes: Mitchell named to Mackey Award list, Hokies add depth to OL

Virginia Tech tight end James Mitchell earned a spot on the John Mackey Award watch list on Friday. The award is presented annually to the nation’s best tight end.

The award honors its namesake, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, John Mackey, who is considered one of the best tight ends of all time. An exemplary member of his community, Mackey was a role model on and off the field, winning a Super Bowl, as well as becoming the first president of the NFLPA.

Mitchell (6’3”, 242 pounds) enters his fourth season with the Hokies after leading the team with four receiving touchdowns in 2020. The Big Stone Gap native recorded 26 receptions for 435 yards in 10 games (nine starts) last season.

In his 36 career games (18 starts) for Tech, Mitchell racked up 47 catches for 796 yards with six touchdowns to go along with five rushing TDs. He was a second-team All-ACC pick of PFF College last season.

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Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente announced Thursday that offensive lineman Bob Schick has joined the Hokies as a transfer from Snow College.

Schick (6’5”, 295 pounds), is a versatile lineman with experience playing both left and right tackle experience. He comes to Blacksburg after a one-year stint at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, where he helped the Badgers to a No. 2 national ranking.

After compiling a perfect 8-0 regular season record during a spring 2021 season, Snow earned a berth in the 2021 NJCAA National Championship Game, losing a 29-27 decision to Hutchinson Junior College. Schick anchored a blocking unit that helped Snow average 37.2 points and 452.4 yards of total offense per game.

Schick was a three-year letterwinner for head coach Steve Coburn at Wasatch High School in Heber, Utah. He graduated in 2018 and then took a two-year LDS mission trip to Baranquilla, Colombia. The Midway, Utah native will be a sophomore for the Hokies in 2021.

He is the second transfer offensive lineman to join Tech in 2021. Johnny Jordan enrolled at Virginia Tech earlier this year after earning All-Big Ten honorable mention honors at Maryland in 2020.