Hokies cornerbacks coach Derek Jones had left the Duke coaching staff by the time defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles enrolled with the Blue Devils, but the two weren’t altogether disconnected. 

Peebles’ mom, Gia, did the hair of Jones’ wife, Naketa, for about five years in Durham, and the Joneses remained Facebook friends with the Peebleses even after they moved away. 

That connection came in handy when Aeneas, a third-team All-ACC selection in 2023 after finishing with 44 tackles, five tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks, went into the transfer earlier this month.

“It’s just a natural genuine relationship,” Jones said Wednesday after the Hokies introduced Peebles as one of their 19 additions on signing day. “When he went into the portal, knowing who he was as a person, what we need in the locker room as a player, it was just a natural fit.”