As we mentioned on the new Thekeyplay.com recruiting twitter feed (@TKP_Recruiting), all seven Rivals recruiting experts are now predicting that Rivals 250 defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi will sign with Virginia Tech on National Signing Day.
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=880&CID=1604458
Nnadi, an explosive 6'1 300 pound defensive tackle from Virginia Beach, has been a top priority recruit for the Hokies following the graduation of Derrick Hopkins and the departure of Kris Harley.
Earlier this afternoon, Mike Farrell from Rivals participated in a Reddit AMA where he again seemed to point to Nnadi coming to Blacksburg.
http://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1wwpk7/i_am_mike_farrell_hs_and_cfb...
I have been steadfast that Derrick Nnadi is the most important recruit in this class. While we know that Luther Maddy is an outstanding defensive tackle, and I fully expect that Nigel Williams will be a breakout player this spring, depth is a serious concern. Nnadi not only provides Bud Foster with a space eater at nose tackle that gives some size to a very small defensive line group, but Nnadi also has as much natural ability to defeat double teams and get into the backfield as any defensive tackle in Blacksburg since Jonathan Lewis.
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DAMN!!!!! I hope it's good news on Wednesday from all of our recruits.
I know right, up and down, I am going to be a complete wreck until 8:15ish AM EDT Febuary 5th
How much faith do you put in Rivals? Nnadi has held his recruitment so close to his vest that I'm not sure if ANY of these services know. Trust me, I want to believe, but he's been so tight lipped that I'm a bit skeptical.
It is an inexact science. I think all the recruiting sites are only as good as their direct connections to the recruits. But those sites also build their memberships based primarily on their reputations for accuracy. As we wait for an official decision from Nnadi and the other potential future Hokies, it is always fun to share speculation.
It is certainly fun to speculate and I'm glad you shared it. I hope they are correct, it just seems like 247 is all one way and Rivals is all the other. Fortunately we will find out in 1.5 days, which is good since my nerves can't handle much more.
in this case ... there is no direct connection to this recruit.
How confident can anyone be when dealing with 18 year old males?
+1 but do we really want Sue Heck as the representative for our hopes and dreams?
Thanks French. Is it Wednesday yet?
Fingers crossed!
This makes me more optimistic than last week for sure. Hope we get him and all the others.
Holy crow. Why would you post something like this? Now my hopes are up and my sugar is low. When that happens my breaths get deeper and further apart and then I get light headed. When I get light headed from being so excited about the possibility of landing one of the nastiest trenchers in our history, I start getting spotty vision. When my vision is spotty I can't find my work-Scotch. And when that happens I have a tendency to pass ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
work-scotch should always be in your hand. No exceptions.
Don't pass out, get DirecTV.
Sorry - had to do it.
how I feel going into signing day...
"No whammies no whammies no whammies....."
Those Whammies should look like garnett and gold spears.
Nose tackle? We don't play an odd front.
It's a distinction similar to the "stud" and "end" terminology. We have a nose and a tackle that are both referred to as "defensive tackles" by just about everyone outside of French and the VT coaching staff, mostly because they're largely interchangeable, at least from the outside. I'm not sure if they have different alignment responsibilities based on formation/field location (I usually watch the secondary pre-snap most of the time), so maybe French can answer that.
TL;DR: It's semantics.
Many four man front teams use the term "nose tackle" for their one technique. Derrick Hopkins mostly lined up as a one technique and sometimes eagled on the center's shoulder.
You are right. Although most times a nose tackle is referred to teams that run a 3-4, 3-3-5, or a 50 look, many coaches use the nose tackle term for the one technique in a 4-3. It adds distinction from the other tackle. The term bull is used at times as well. Different coaches use different terms. I know many high schools that run the 3-4 base, but really are in a 50 look. They will have two inside backers with two outside backers up on the ball like standing defensive ends. However, high schools usually refer to them as strong safeties, whereas college and nfl teams would just say outside backers. Terms are used differently by level, as well as coaches preference.
at fsu jerrigan has 2 gap responsibility and the rest of the front 7 had one, i think i read. i.e. fsu has a 1 and 2 gap dt, he can fit in there.
I know Wyatt Teller has moved to the O-Line. In the case of our DT depth, would we ever try and have a guy (Wyatt Teller) play both sides of the ball? I know people will Claim Buds Defense is too difficult to play D and Offense, but Teller can be a Bull in a China shop and close those gaps. He is a monster in size and has a motor on him. any thoughts?
Short answer: no.
Longer answer: heck no.
Legitimate answer: He's got too much upside at OT and he desperately needs the reps and experience. He's fighting to break into the starting lineup there, so IMO it'd be a big waste to move him around like that.
My prediction of French's answer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!11one
Just from a conditioning standpoint he couldn't actually play on both sides of the ball for those positions. He would have to pick one to play and just be a longshot back up for the other.
Back in my day, we would play offense AND defense, sell concessions, park the cars and I would rake the stadium after the game.
And we LIKED IT!
(sarkastika)
If I was your age, I'd be mounting every woman in Wabasha!
Wait, wait. Has she got big thighs?
Looks like French is takin' the Express Train to Tunatown!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh81LMz1sPo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
It looks like Chuck is taking the ole log to the beaver!
One, who in this day and age could play on the line on both sides of the ball? Two, his skills align better to the OL than the DL. I think he's on the OL to stay.
While Rivals is now picking VT all the way, 247 has gone from 60% VT to 49% VT just over the weekend.
I wonder why they went down.
247 Sports
Maybe they figure if one is wrong the other will be right?
Dunno, but in the last 5 days at least 4 analysts have completely jumped from VT to FSU.
When the weekend the started I thought it was 47% VT and now it is 49% VT but I could be wrong. Most analysts on 247 changed their predictions last week to FSU last week and some picked Tech over the weekend.
If you go to the website, you can click through all of the predictions in the order in which they happened. There were two VT predictions made over this past weekend, one of which was a change from uva. But in the last week, there have been close to a dozen* fsu picks, half* of which were flips from vt... *estimating
Either way its all speculation regardless of which site. We will all just have to wait and see and hope for the best
Per 247, Hokies and Noles are tied and Derrick's as confused as ever. Anyone making any guess right now is purely speculating or flipping a coin. 38 hours....
It's going to be a looooooooooooooooong 38 hours.
I hope so...I love signing day.
I don't understand all of the suspense. I mean, all of these recruits have been invited by Frank Beamer to come to Blacksburg for free and play football, right?
Of course they're all going to say "yes."
Duh.
This NSD is like a continuation of the entire frickin season. Right down to the end.
I think our NSD is turning out better than our season. our class should end up top 25 and potentially top 15 if we sign every target (unlikely)
YOU!! -Coach Fondue
(p.s. - And our spring game attendance!)
You are right, we won't sign every target but, we'll get what we need, our world class coaches will train them and mold them.
It's great to see this group so excited for each guy and to wish them well when they decide to seek their lives path somewhere else.
So rare to find sportsmanship like this anywhere.
Mike Farrell has changed his prediction to FSU.
(I still think it's a best guess.)
He said earlier he was waiting on a source to confirm Nnadi to Tech. Guess he didn't get it and assumed FSU. Well 6 of 7 are still predicting Tech.
Alls fair in recruiting. Best of luck to Nnadi at FSU, it's tough to say he didn't make a good choice. Hopefully we'll see him on the field and emerge victorious.