Discuss and share any recruiting topics for January 2024 that don't warrant their own threads. Commits and decommits warrant their own threads.
This recruiting thread is used to share information regarding VT-specific targets, PWO offers, scholarship offers, visits, camps, and general news, in addition to larger trends. In the interests of limiting load times, favor linking to tweets rather than embedding. And if you want to embed, please check the thread to see if a tweet was already embedded prior to adding it yourself.
[0] Please do some digging to share original content (e.g. embed the original tweet, not a link to another post/website with said tweet), add context / relevant information and respect the Community Guidelines.
[1] New commitments, decommitments, portal entries, etc... deserve their own thread. Please read the brief best-practice tips at the top of the recruiting forum
[2] Scared money don't make money.
[3] Pry Marve 2024
[4] We must ride on the wings of the Pry-beast
[5] Scholarships to all the VA Top 10
[6] There is NNOOOOO number six.

Comments
https://247sports.com/player/malik-washington-46133328/
89 rated QB from Maryland
Errrrr....January 2023 or January 2024?
Don't stop him, he's rolling.
Semantics
Sorry, we're still well within the grace period for putting the wrong year on stuff.
The grace period lasts until December 31; it must be true, George Washington said it, I saw it on the internet. ;>)
We're still in Checkuary.
https://wizzley.com/sniglets-words-that-don-t-appear-in-a-dictionary-but...
Could I get the definition of what a "check" is?
For our purposes, any form you have to write the date on.
We're close to being past all of that.
It's sort of, but not exactly, like this:

That's just how it feels when someone points out you don't know what year it is.
I actually dated something 2004 the other day....got the 4 right, but took a whole 20 years off it
You're really in trouble if you start it with a 19.
2004 = 20 years ago
Leg, but I'm pretty sure that's more than 20 years being added on.
tell that to my back
Maybe it's not the years, but the mileage.
I'm a 1975 Yugo with 575,000 miles.
And my knees
Wait til you hear how long ago the 80s were
Had they had one, this last year would've been my high school class' 40th reunion!
I think technically last year was my 30th. I got the notice through the mail after the reunion had already been held. Apparently, it was mainly done through a facebook group that I never knew existed because I don't social media.
Last year would have been my 40th reunion too.......of my college class.
Was talking to wife the other night about a song from the early 90's and realized it was like me in the 90's talking about a song from the 60's which is wild.
Now why do you have to go and say something like that? You just ruined my day, lol
Let me ruin it further. If Back to the Future was made today, Marty would going back in time to.... 1994.
Just in time to catch the opening of Forrest Gump
O M G
I believe "great Scott" is the exclamation you were looking for
Nailed it
Rage Against the Machine's Debut album came out in 1992 and is 32 years old now.
In 1992 if you were talking about a 32 year old album, you might have mentioned Elvis is Back!, Elvis Presley's 4th studio album.
I think this constantly
Sorry to break up the nostalgia party. For the record I would watch the crap out of a modern back to the future
https://247sports.com/player/iverson-howard-46130520/
88 rated RB out of MD
I didn't realize there was decent HS football near me. I work 7 min from this high school.
QO is a Maryland powerhouse. I live in the Kentlands neighborhood across the street from the school, and they have won multiple state championships since I've been here. Top notch program. Oh, and this kid is a stud RB.
Shows you how sheltered I am! I work up the street at NIST. Even play tennis at QO high school sometimes.
I went to Damascus and live in Germantown now - When I was in HS, we had won states like 3 of 5 years (played in the championship 4 years in a row) and got curb stomped by QO the few times we played them. IIRC, they were/are up a division from DHS due to their size.
Right around the time Clarksburg split from us was when we started getting destroyed by them
Yea! My sophomore year was the first year for Clarksburg.
I feel like I had this conversation on here before, may have been with you. I graduated from Damascus in '08.
Yea, now that you mention it, I think we have had this conversation. Haha I was '08 too.
Give me every single athlete who is named Iverson
Man, can you imagine if we had gotten AI to be a two sport athlete at Tech? I know it was at the same time we had Druck, but you get your best athletes on the field however you can. And he would've been a program changer a la Vick on the court playing with Ace Custis...
The option pass/end around with Druck handing off to AI would've been utterly lethal.
Not nearly as lethal as our basketball program with him though, good lord. Forget winning the NIT, that vaults us into 1/2 seed in the big dance territory.
Saw Ace Custis play in HS. He was at our rival school, Northampton High School. Him and 6'5" TJ Washington from mid 90's Hokie FB Team were banging it around in the paint. Man he could play.
You're a eastern shore guy? I spent about 7 years over there after graduating from VT
Oh yeah. Born and raised there. From Accomac. Left in 1993 for the Air Force. Ended up in Southern Oklahoma working at an Oil and Gas Refinery. Been in Oklahoma since 1994.
I worked for Accomack Co. from '07-'13, lived in and around Onancock the whole time I was there. Wife was born and raised there. We've been in the Outer Banks for almost 10 years now, but her whole family is still there
Dang, I visited the Accomack once...
QB/FS Class of 25
Maury HS
Read that as QB/FB for a second and got really excited.
That QB Lead play looking to exact some revenge for any roughing the passer penalties
Just imagine Sam Rogers with an arm and some quickness just devastating some poor soul stuck in a one-on-one matchup.
When Over, Around, and Through are equally available and effective options regarding a linebacker.
The oft talked about triple threat.
Edit: He can beat you with his arm, legs, and
decision-makinghitting that truck stick button.Didn't Sam take a coaching position somewhere in VA?
Hanover High School.
He was at his alma mater, Hanover High, for a few seasons. Not sure what he's doing these days.
Edit:

90 rating as a S, ranked 10th in VA
https://247sports.com/player/kendall-daniels-jr-46140362/
The last guy we got who played QB and safety at Maury turned out pretty good for us. Just sayin'.
https://247sports.com/player/jeff-overton-46136402/
86 rated RB from Woodbridge
is it stanford being on the west coast? :P
Guess they've decided to start recruiting their conference footprint
Offer is from the Orange not the Trees.
Yup, and I noted in another thread that that hire is already paying recruiting dividends on the trail. However, it might be just guys he was recruiting to UGA so now they are showing him love by adding Syracuse. Time will tell if he actually puts together a strong class.
With some of the color schemes recruits have used, it's been pretty difficult to tell the color of the "S" and I've wondered who the hell it was supposed to be.
Pssst it's Cuse
OSU looks like the only real outlier here. But I'm thinking that's not what you meant, but idk.
Oh, that's exactly what I meant. If Pry wants him, great, but I see a top ten list like this and I read it as "5 schools that really want me, 4 schools that gave me an offer, but have other pans in the fire, and one school I really want to go to, but there's no way that offer is committable." Kind of like an aspiring engineer saying he applied to VCU, VT, NCSU, Charlotte, Clemson, and MIT.
when people try to name drop a "fancy" school, I like to say "oh, so it's like the Virginia Tech of the Northeast".
"MIT", hmph, never heard of it. Is that a 2-year school?
#Space2VT
We could use some otherworldly athleticism on our roster!
Leg for the profile name.
So, Cuse is the new UGA? I presume that would been a bulldog sign if released a month ago.
It will be interesting how 2024 goes, but VA has a lot of talent and VT will be in the mix. Could be special. Could be a lot of near misses. Pry and Co. can prove their strategy and recruiting chops with this class.
https://247sports.com/player/ari-watford-46125561/
94 rated Edge player from 757 would be astronomical get
His Composite score is 98.10 and if the scores for the 2025 solidified today he'd be a 5-star (he's the 29th player nationally).
I have only been loosely keeping up with high school ball in the area, but Maury is legit. They've gotten good good here recently
These are the recruiting battles we need to start winning.
Class of 26
Left Tackle
DePaul HS, NJ
HUDL Highlights
I was today year's old when I learned Bucknell had a football team...
very surprised not to see a Rutgers logo on there
There it is again, that big orange S. I feel like we have seen it on a lot of recruits lists where we are in the "final" group lately.
this isn't a final group for what I gather... this is listing of offers he has received
3* DE out of Georgia
5* name
Every time he gets a sack they can blast AC/DC "Funderstruck"!
He put us in his Top 5 in early December.
Class of 25 DB/WR. Out of Virginia Beach.
Looks like Hokies are also recruiting his cousin, Quali Price, who is also a DB/WR but in class of 26.
Do we have anyone with some inside knahlij on this one?
Also, Knahlij is Power. Thus, when we receive his NLI, we need to post

Dang, my two favorite cartoons as a kid
He-Man never skipped leg day. NEVER.
Beamer needs some leg days after seeing him at the Ladies basketball game the other day. Significant weight loss all around but the legs were concerning.
That's concerning considering that bout with throat cancer he had about 11 or 12 years ago.
sources say that girls go to cahlij to get more knahlij
Big, if true.
I don't even care if he's any good, I want us to get him just because his name is awesome.
Just make sure to aknahlij his mom on the official visit.
This is the #2 Athlete in the Class of 2025
#60 overall and #2 in Virginia per 247Sports
Mines is primary recruiter.
I'm not sure what's more surprising: Turner Ashby having one of the best football players in the country, or Turner Ashby still being named Turner Ashby.
Yep Bowen is 6'7"
And in that "crowd", Pry looks VERY small!
Dang. As a TA alum, this has to be the highest rated recruit to ever come out of there.
Probably the only rated recruit
When I was in highschool TA had some really high profile baseball players
Also true
Nick Marshman would like a word.
I have to say... I've watched this kid play. I like him. I think he has potential to be a contributor somewhere for VT. However, he isn't close to the same athlete Michael Holmes was (3* recruit from Harrisonburg High School who played with Landon Turner) and he was a touch slow for P5 football. Now, I need to caveat that statement with the fact that he ran behind the worst OL In VT's history (most likely).
This one is interesting to me.
This is interesting. I always think of that Michael Holmes Era as being right around the time our talent level dropped dramatically from Jones, Williams, Evans, Wilson to below average and borderline P5 caliber
Holmes was in the 2011 class. He redshirted the year David Wilson and LT3 led the running game to the Sugar Bowl where Danny Coale absolutely fucking caught the ball.
In 2012, Holmes was 3rd string, (but scored the most TDs among our RBs), behind Coleman and Gregory. The primary OL was Becton, Wang, Miller, Farris, and Painter, and as an offense, we rushed for less than 1900 yards on the season (3.7 ypa)
In 2013, Holmes was no longer on the team, and the rushing offense plummeted to less than 1600 yards on the season (3.2 ypc)
We didn't consistently start hitting over 4 ypc until 2018, until dropping to a 21st century low 3.1 ypc in 2022, bouncing back to 5.0 in 2023
and here is to hoping that 2021 and 2022 remain century lows
Okay yeah, so then my memory isn't as bad as I thought it was getting. Haha.
Thanks for this.
But here's my point about Holmes and Matthews. I was on the sideline at those games Holmes played in high school and to this day, outside of Chris Hart and Alex Owah (who never did anything in college), and I've seen Matthews play, there really is no comparison between the two.
Again, I think Matthews can find a spot, and the staff has shown they are excellent evaluators of talent, but those Valley District kids can be challenging to evaluate.
Anyone from the valley area period is hard to evaluate in any sport. You could have a guy that on film looks like Jerome Bettis playing against a little league team, but that's because the level of competition he was playing against was absolutely abysmal. I played with a guy that won the D3 version of the Heisman, in high school I can only remember him running the ball once in 4 years. In the bull run district there isn't one school that runs a modern passing offense, the only school that had a half way decent pass offense just had their coach of 17 years resign. Clarke county runs an inbred version of the read option that in no way translates to the college version. With all that said my girlfriend is the Athletic Trainer at Harrisonburg and said she couldn't get a good read if he was any good or not because they blew the doors off them so fast he was resting by the second half
This is partially true (that's why camps exist). The Valley District is a region that finds good athletes in cycles (see my original post about this subject). My sentiments remain about Holmes (and there were 4 D1 level athletes on that same team - Stiney and Beamer offered another OL when they went to see Turner and Holmes on a recruiting visit - but only two decided to play football in college), and I've been around a whole lot of high school football at various levels.
HHS isn't even fielding an entire team these days (I'm sure your GF doesn't have a great time watching those games). Their Varsity squad looks smaller and slower than some of the JV teams we had there in the past, so against HHS there really isn't much to read.
Agree.
I see you're in Woodstock so most likely a Central Falcon? If you recall a few years ago, Luray had a kid named Dalton Griffith. Dude was a stud on the football field and looked like a man amongst boys in the the valley. Couldn't believe he never got any FCS offers, I thought he was at least that caliber. Ended up as third string QB at Frostburg and is not on the current roster.
Conversely there was a kid who played at Harrisonburg High School who was really good there... However, his only offers were from schools like JMU (1AA at the time). He ended up at JMU as a development kind of kid. Then found his way to the league with a pretty successful NFL career for Andy Reid when he was with the Eagles. You may recognize the name - Akeem Jordan.
It's really interesting to see how some of these kids pan out, or don't.
Yup, I remember Akeem.
I remember the kid from little ol Riverheads too that wound up at Pitt and got drafted into the league. Can't remember his name and too tired to look it up.
Yeah, it's kinda crazy how some of those more "highly recruited" guys from the Valley don't necessarily pan out, but those under the radar kids do.
Sometimes it's a challenge to project for sure!
I believe you are thinking of Mike Herndon.
UVA just offered as well
Stud linebacker from Alabama, via Manassas, VA, Shawn Murphy just entered the portal.
No. 2 recruit in VA in 2022. 4 star. 0.95.
Anyone know if we have a line on this kid?
Pls & thx
Pry was his primary recruiter at Penn State.
👀
I would throw in a few hundred toward the NIL deal
Talk about a quick fix, this would be a hell of a get.
Dude REALLY did not want to play close to home, committed to play in Trailorhasse.
Damn, coulda been a good one here.
We didn't tamper soon enough
Braylon Hood
Varina HS
Class of 26
LB/TE/FB
HUDL PROFILE
Why'd we offer him twice?
I know, I know, should be in the #dadjokes thread. ;^)
more like the #badjokes thread amirite
anyone else think this was a diagram of how to motorboat?
Jayvon Gilmore
Class of 26
Quarterback, Gaffney HS, SC
6'6 190 lbs
HUDL Profile
6-6 QB?
Sounds like a quality prospect at TE
Need to get him some solid BBQ to fill out and bulk up that frame though.

(after he adds the beef) Did you know that
Logan ThomasJayvon Gilmore is bigger than Miami's 3 starting linebackers?And only a sophomore!
Ari Watford picks clemson
still plenty of time to flip him to the good guys
We'll keep an eye out for him in the portal in a couple of years.
Can't say I am surprised. But, lame. Would have been a massive W for Pry and honestly would have been punching above our weight if we got this guy
Maury has not been kind since Kam
Oof, feel sorry for him
Fuck Clemson
🤢🤮
I don't know about this one.
No #sauces, but this one feels a little different. I'm usually the first one to be salty sour grapes over a top VA prospect going elsewhere but this one has a different feel to it. On3 still has us the leader even after the commitment (which I know isn't the gospel).
The gut says this isn't as cut and dry as it appears on face value.
My brother who married into the Clemson clan texted me shortly after this announcement to thank me for providing his team with yet another top VA recruit. I HATE, HATE, HATE, that those Klemp$oning idiots can just dip into our state and take top talent. You would think I would get used to it but seeing it over and over again is like ripping the scab off the same wound every time. We have got to get back to beating those fools on the field and in the recruiting game in order to win the conference. Or maybe just watch the ACC implode and see where we end up from there. Freaking ridiculous! I so hope they suck again this season and start to grumble about Dabo's inability to adapt to the new game and fix their problems.
Any intel on who is visiting this weekend, or who might commit? Saw somewhere that over 20 recruits are in town, just wondering who, and what our chances are
Great article behind 247 paywall highlighting some of the kids coming. Looks to be our first big Junior Day with the past 2 weekends being smaller more intimate affairs. A bulk of our in state targets coming along with a couple from Maryland, NC, SC. Sounds like a couple of them are pretty high on us and are likely to commit to us once they are ready to announce. One player on the list who is a 5 star that insiders feel like we will get big dogged for but good to see us getting kids like that to visit IMO
Not sure that it has anything to do with this weekend. But, it the general knahlij is we most likely have someone in the boat.
Was General Knahlij in Star Wars or Star Trek?
Either way I think we have a new name to add to the TKP lexicon.
We'll have our chance in November.
Derek Zammit
Class of 26
Quarterback
6'1 185 lbs
DePaul Catholic, Lincoln Park, NJ
HUDL Profile
I definitely read his name as "Zerek Dammit" lol
I refuse to read it any other way.
Maddox Cochrane
Class of 26
Left Tackle
6'7. 270 lbs
Benedictine, Midlothian VA
HUDL Profile
Class of 26. So a sophomore in high school at 6' 7" and 270 pounds. Good lord.
Andrew Olesh
Class of 25
Tight End (#1 TE in PA)
3*
6'5 210 lbs
HUDL Profile
Do we really need to offer him 13 times? Seems excessive
Good one. I award you 🧦🧦🧦.
Kaden Mowl
Class of 25
Lineman
3*
6'7 330 lbs
Oakland HS, Murfreesboro TN
HUDL Profile
In addition to the cut of his jib, I likes the sound of his town...
6-7, but that manbun is pushing 7'
Damnit. I was originally trying to find that gif but I couldn't remember it
Joshua Blackston
Class of 25
OT/OG
6'5 275 lbs
Paul Lawrence Dunbar Maryland
Not rated
HUDL Profile
This offer really resurrected his recruitment.
Elijah Crawford
Class of 25
Defensive Line
6'4 265 lbs
McDonagh School Maryland
HUDL Profile
Malik Clark
Class of 25
Wide Receiver (HS State Finalist in 100m/200m in track)
6'3 185 lbs
Rock Hill, South Carolina
HUDL Profile
Anthony Baxter
Class of 26
Offensive Line
6'4 335 lbs
South Pointe High Rock Hill South Carolina
HUDL Profile
boys go to Jupiter to get stupider, girls go college to get some Knahlij...
glug glug!
https://www.thekeyplay.com/comment/1241199#comment-1241199
lol, that's not a surprise... my bad. Apologies for unwittingly stealing your comment.
Chazz: "oh yes apologies!"
*swims in turkey legs*
I will concede that GGC is at least 10-times wittier with the comments and he deservedly is turkey-leg royalty. I mean, if I could give him my turkey legs, I would, but that's like me giving Elon Musk one month of my salary. GGC is already drowning in those legs.
Give them to me instead 🙂
Totally agree on everything you said (seriously GGC how do you come up with this stuff?)
And my comment to you was completely TiC based on the positive response you received 😋
You merely adopted the shitposting. I was born in it, molded by it
To itrepeter: these are all far too on topic.
Thanks for that!
average size of those OL recruits was 6'6" 302 lbs! That's some big high school kids. I thought I saw a couple of kids from St. Xavier here in Cincy got Tech offers, but I don't have X so not sure how I am gonna give it to ya
Villagrana said on the Inside the Tunnel podcast that they are actively trying to recruit more size on O and D lines. And, they definitely are backing that up with these offers.
What you did there, I see it
Yup, prior to this weekend it was a DMX reference but now it could be interpreted as a Vince McMahon reference 😬
He looks sh$t faced.
Ahhh...DMX. Haven't heard that name in a while. Fun fact: my son arranged and played on two of the songs on DMX's 'Undisputed' album released back in 2012.
Kamden Tiller
Class of 25
CB/FS
6' 160 lbs
Glen Allen High School
HUDL Profile
Pry Signal up for a Class of '25.
Carter Stallard.
Wait, we're getting the sign stealer? Was he no longer welcome in Michigan after Harbaugh left?
/s
Tauqeer Davis
Class of 26
RB
5'10 180 lbs
Archbishop Carroll HS Wash DC
HUDL Profile
Tyreek King
Class of 26
WR
6'0 165
Knoxville Catholic HS
HUDL Profile
Shekai Mills-Knight
Class of 25
RB
6'2 210 lbs
Baylor School Chattanooga TN
Not ranked on 247
HUDL Profile