Honorary Captains Announced for Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina Aflac Kickoff Game
ATLANTA (Aug. 22, 2025) – Officials today announced that Divine Deablo and George Rogers will serve as honorary captains for their respective alma maters at the 2025 Aflac Kickoff Game between Virginia Tech and No. 13 South Carolina. The honorary captains will join the team captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss prior to the 3 p.m. ET kickoff on Aug. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Representing the Hokies as an honorary captain will be Atlanta Falcons linebacker Divine Deablo, who played for Virginia Tech from 2016-2020. Deablo appeared in 51 games during his collegiate career, recording 206 tackles, six interceptions and one touchdown. He helped anchor Virginia Tech’s defense with standout performances throughout his time in Blacksburg, including a 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Notre Dame in 2019 on his way to receiving ACC Defensive Back of the Week accolades. He also earned First-Team All-ACC honors as a redshirt senior in 2020 after starting nine games and recording 55 tackles, four interceptions and one fumble recovery. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native was selected 80th overall in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, and recently joined the Atlanta Falcons in March of 2025. He enters his fifth NFL season having recorded 217 tackles,10 tackles for loss, two sacks, six quarterback hits, six passes defensed and one fumble recovery during his first four seasons with the Raiders.
Serving as the honorary captain for the Gamecocks will be George Rogers who played for South Carolina as a running back from 1977-1980. Rogers rushed for 5,204 yards and 31 touchdowns during his collegiate career, finishing with 202 career points and 27 games with at least 100-yards, including his final 22 starts for the Gamecocks. He remains the program’s all-time leading rusher and helped elevate South Carolina football to national prominence. Rogers was awarded the 1980 Heisman Trophy after leading the nation with 1,781 rushing yards, becoming the first and only Gamecock to win the award. He also earned first-team All-American honors from eight different outlets and had his No. 38 jersey retired during his senior season. Rogers was selected with the first overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints and made an immediate impact, rushing for 1,674 yards on his way to earning NFL Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors. He later joined the Washington Redskins in 1985 and capped his career by winning Super Bowl XXII in 1987. Rogers retired following that year with 7,176 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns across seven seasons in the NFL. In 1997, Rogers was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, becoming the first South Carolina Gamecock to earn that honor.
In recognition of the Aflac Kickoff Game’s “Kickoff for a Cause” mission and leading into September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, each honorary captain will be accompanied by a current or former Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta patient from the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, who is a fan of the teams playing in this year’s game.
Aflac and Peach Bowl, Inc.’s “Kickoff for a Cause” initiative focuses on supporting research and treatment for childhood cancer. Since 1955, Aflac independent sales agents, employees and The Aflac Foundation, Inc. have given more than $191 million to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Peach Bowl, Inc. has donated more than $22.5 million to create the Peach Bowl LegACy Fund that is currently supporting 18 clinical drug trials for children.
The 23rd edition of the nation’s longest-running kickoff game will represent the 21st meeting between the Virginia Tech and South Carolina football programs dating back to 1905, but their first matchup since the 1991 season.