By BilldozerVTon April 21, 2013, 9:06 AM | 7 comments
According to a recent ESPN insider article they have Michigan listed as "In the Driver's Seat" and have Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina listed as "Other Candidates." They do mention us as a potential dark horse though...but come on, really?
Hand raved about his visit to Michigan, and it seems as though the Wolverines have positioned themselves well with the No. 4-ranked prospect. He has said he would like to keep everyone in suspense, but Michigan has a secret weapon. Mattison has been personally recruiting Hand, and the two have developed an excellent relationship. Plenty can happen between now and his decision, though, so it should be fun to watch who grabs the outstanding lineman.
By VT_Warthogon April 20, 2013, 11:58 PM | 2 comments
After I read that Jacob Park was supposed to be at the Spring Game I expected/hoped for a commit. While driving home I realized I heard nothing about him so I ran a little twitter search and discovered he was actually at an Elite 11 Camp in Washington DC today.
Here is the article (free) that discusses his performance. He is listed as a "Top Performer" and receives praise in a lot of other articles with regard to himself and the Elite 11 Camps. It also talks a little bit about his timeline and his other offers. A little excerpt,
Remember Kevin Newsome? QB at Western Branch, transfered to Hargrave to play against better competition his senior year. Rivals 250 player, Top 5 in the state of VA, all-important, must-get recruit for VT?
He ended up going with Penn State, where he was a lock to play QB. I remember his recruitment well. I, along with many, was bummed when he chose PSU to be a QB, knowing he wouldn't end up as VT's QB of the future, but possibly as a great WR, ROV, FS maybe even Whip.
Anyway, here's an update on him, published yesterday on ESPN's Big East Blog: Kevin Newsome at Temple
Due to an error in paperwork sent to admissions at Va Tech I have to enroll in June I can choose to open up recruitment or stay committed— Drew Harris™ (@Hollacide) January 15, 2013
By 757Hokeyon December 30, 2012, 2:21 AM | 3 comments
We all know how great of a job we've done with our '13 class. I know nothings final until Feb 6 but there's no denying the potential in this class that is estimated to go down as one of the best, if not the best class in VT history. Fortunately for us, our staff turnover [fingers crossed] is expected to happen on the offensive staff so the most prized gems of our '13 class won't be in a bind, but Harris and Hodges are top talent that we don't want to lose.
According to JC Shurburtt, National Recruiting Director for 247Sports, offensive lineman Jonathan McLaughlin switched his commitment from ECU to Virginia Tech. Rivals.com rated him as a 3-star offensive tackle. He spent this year prepping at Fork Union. According to Andy Bitter, he'll try to enroll in January. However, if he isn't approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse, he'll return to Fork Union and enroll in June. He's the fourth linemen to join Tech's 2013 class (Braxton Pfaff, Parker Osterloh, Kyle Chung).
Here are his highlights from his senior year in high school (Mauldin, SC).
A few things jumped out at me when I watched his film. He pulled a bunch (from the back side), and handled himself in space. He quickly located the defender and either suffocated them or drove them out of the play. He had active feet in pass protection. He stepped into the bucket, and kept his feet chopping. He put a lot of defenders on their butt. I am sure French will add something more substantial than that.
The Frankinator is out on the trail taking care of business.
2014 is shaping up to be an elite recruiting year, and while most of the focus has been placed on the one-in-a-lifetime group of elite defensive linemen coming from the Commonwealth, the Hokies are quietly setting the table for a secondary that could help them return to the elite of the elite in college football.
By InEnemyTerritoryon November 8, 2012, 11:12 AM | 1 comment
The boys in Bristol had an update on recruiting on their site this morning. I took a few minutes to rummage around in there, and I noticed something. In admittedly little time, I took a look at the list of offers (not commits or even "considering", just offers) for FSU and Clemson, and then ours. What jumped out at me was the sheer numbers. FSU offered something like 110 four-stars (not including 5 or 3-or-less stars), Clemson, something like 80-90 four-stars. We had 64 total offers. Now, I realize that we're set up for maybe our best recruiting year ever, but if I take one string of spaghetti and throw it on the wall, it may stick, it may not. If I throw a plate of it at the wall, I can guarantee you that some of it will stick.
In February, linebacker Holland Fisher attended Virginia Tech's junior day and promptly committed to the school, nearly a year before he could finalize his decision in ink. Just a week later, Ohio State offered him a scholarship. Later that spring, Alabama did the same.
