Miami (Fla.) Central's Donaldven Manning, a four-star recruit who has verbally committed to Virginia Tech, may be the next Floridian to fill that role. Manning follows two Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic alums to Virginia Tech: Brandon Flowers, a 2004 grad who now stars for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Jayron Hosley, a 2009 grad who led the NCAA in interceptions in 2010.
"Once a kid has success at Virginia Tech - a local kid from the Dade, Broward or West Palm Beach area - other kids think they can go and also be successful there, and definitely when it's at the same position," Miami Central coach Telly Lockette said.
Manning said he liked Virginia Tech because of its history of outstanding cornerback production, which also includes former All-Americans DeAngelo Hall of Chesapeake (Va.) Deep Creek and Victor "Macho" Harris of Highland Springs (Va.) among others.
The fact that Flowers and Hosley both came from South Florida was a bonus, but Manning insisted it didn't play a major role in his decision.
"It was just a good school for DBs," Manning said. "I felt I fit in this system. It's not about South Florida."
Then again, maybe it is.
The Hokies' system relies on its defensive backs to have the type of qualities South Florida recruits often possess in abundance. Virginia Tech doesn't necessarily want cornerbacks who have great size; the Hokies are more worried about quickness and ball skills.
"They're not obsessed with how tall a kid is or how much he weighs," Chris Nee, the Rivals.com analyst who covers Florida, said. "They're more looking for guys they know are football players who are going to do what they're going to ask of them. Athleticism's a big thing for them. So is the ability to understand the concepts of what they're supposed to do in a defensive scheme.''
Manning is listed at 5-foot-9 and 163 pounds. Flowers also is 5-9. Hosley is only an inch taller.
Read the whole thing here. http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1317515
If he enrolls early this spring, would he have a chance to crack the two-deep?
