Who is OL Jesse Hanson?

While depth continues to be a concern, Virginia Tech returns four starters on the offensive line this fall.

The lone newcomer in the starting five looks to be left guard Jesse Hansona local product that has spent the past few seasons as a backup.

Who is Jesse Hanson?

The player who seemed to open the pipeline from Lord Botetourt to Virginia Tech, the redshirt junior committed to the Hokies as a member of the 2019 recruiting class. He chose Virginia Tech over Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia, West Virginia, and others.

At Lord Botetourt, Hanson was named a two-time lineman of the year and was a two-time all-state selection. He was named an all-region player three times and was all-district during each season of his high school career.

According to Hokiesports.com, Hanson recorded 400 career knockdowns in high school.

Hanson committed to Virginia Tech in February of his junior year. Clemson, where he has family ties, extended a scholarship offer two months later but he stood steadfast in his pledge to Virginia Tech.

An early enrollee, Hanson played sparingly during his true freshman season in 2019 and took a redshirt year. During the 2020 season, Hanson played in just two games before becoming a primary backup on the offensive line as a redshirt sophomore last fall. During the 2021 season, Hanson logged snaps in 12 games.

Hanson’s older brother, Mitchell, was an All-American offensive lineman at Liberty.