Virginia Tech Football Recruiting: Victor Greene Discusses Hokies Offer

Bud Foster bets on major growth spurt for 2016 RB/OLB Victor Greene.

Courtland's Victor Greene [Greg VanNostrand \ Star Exponent]

The first time Bud Foster got a look at 2016 athlete Victor Greene of Spotsylvania, Va.'s Courtland High School, he had little doubt the Hokies would be interested him sooner rather than later.

That observation surprised even his head coach.

"The first time Coach Foster ever met him two years ago, Vic was about 178 pounds, but he said he'd thought he'd pick up 20 pounds real fast," said J.C. Hall, Courtland's head coach. "I was skeptical, but lo and behold, he weighed in at 202 pounds the first day of camp the next year."

The junior isn't exactly a physical specimen just yet, standing at six feet tall to go along with his 200-pound frame, but his rapid growth demonstrates he's far from a finished product.

"I think Coach Foster sees real potential for growth in him," Hall said. "Once he gets into the training, getting three square meals a day, he's got a real chance to grow."

That confidence in Greene's potential led the Hokies to offer him a scholarship in early August, his only offer so far.

But Foster's early involvement in Greene's recruiting speaks more to the defensive coordinator's relationships in the area than it does what position he might play in Blacksburg. He currently plays both running back and outside linebacker for the Cougars, and Tech's staff is still undecided on where he'd fit in for the team.

"They told me they wanted me just as athlete for now, and to keep working on all parts of my game," Greene said.

But Foster did certainly make it clear to Greene that a permanent move to linebacker is a very real possibility in the future, and he adjusted accordingly.

"I didn't play a lot of linebacker before, but I definitely asked to get in there more once I found out they were recruiting me like this," Greene said.

He's rated as a 3-star recruit by the 247Sports ranking at OLB, but that's no guarantee he'll stay there.

Hall thinks he'd fit well at either position, and still has plenty of time to figure out where he'd be best suited on the field.

"Lots of linebackers were also running backs in high school," Hall said. "It's just about making big plays when the ball's in your hands, and Vic certainly has that capability."

While Greene has yet to make defense his full focus, Hall says it's easy to see why the Hokies might consider him a good fit for the front=seven even as they watch him play on offense.

"He ran for a thousand yards as a 15- and 16-year-old," Hall said. "You just look at him and see a fast twitch guy with lots of explosiveness."

The staff thought enough of Greene and his athleticism to invite him up to Blacksburg to watch the Hokies take on UVA, and while the weather might not have been perfect, it sounds like it was still a positive experience for both parties.

"It was definitely cold to start off," Greene said. "But it was a great place to be, the fans were really involved in the game. I like their style of play too."

Before the game, he even got to meet with Foster and Frank Beamer in the head Hokie's office, an experience that certainly resonated with Greene.

"I think it really impressed him, being in Coach Beamer's office," Hall said.

Now he's looking forward to his next chance to get to Tech, which will likely come for one of the team's upcoming "Junior Day" events.

"I'm hoping to get to the Junior Day the Saturday after signing day," Greene said.

That would put him back in town on February 7, but his coach doesn't plan to let him stay idle in the meantime.

"I just really want him to grow and mature as a leader," Hall said. "He has all the attributes for it, I just want to see him work on the little things to really hone his craft. But he's a hard worker, he'll get stronger."

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