BLACKSBURG – Long snapper Christian Epling will wear No. 25 this Saturday when the Hokies welcome the Yellow Jackets to Blacksburg. This game will be the redshirt sophomore’s first time carrying on the legacy of storied Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer. Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech will face off at Lane Stadium on Saturday, October 26th at noon ET, and will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.
After redshirting in 2022, he primarily served as the field goal snapper for 12 games in 2023. This season, Epling, a native of Dacula, Ga., solidified his role as a long snapper, appearing in all seven games on the Hokies’ special teams unit. Epling and placekicker John Love have been one of the most efficient duos in college football this fall. Thanks to Epling’s consistency, Love made 9 of 10 field goal attempts and a perfect 26 of 26 on extra point attempts. The redshirt sophomore’s accurate snaps have contributed significantly to his 90% field goal accuracy, which is tied for second among ACC kickers.
When Epling competes in Saturday’s daytime contest, the 6-foot-2 snapper will become the fourth tallest snapper in Tech history to wear Frank Beamer’s historic jersey. He will also be the first long snapper to wear No. 25 since long snapper Justin Pollock donned the uniform against Georgia Tech in 2022.
The tradition of wearing No. 25 weekly began in 2016 and continues every season. Each week, a special teams member will wear this number to recognize Frank Beamer’s impact on Tech football both as a player and as a coach. This jersey number was retired in 2002. Fans can find detailed information about who wore the jersey here.
