BREAKING: Missouri true freshman transfer EDGE Javion Hilson has Committed to Virginia Tech, he tells @On3SportsThe 6'5 250 EDGE will have 4 years of eligibility leftHe was ranked as a Top 55 Recruit in the 2025 Class (per On3 Industry)https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/AatwtnEblZ— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 6, 2026
BREAKING: Missouri transfer Edge Javion Hilson has committed to Virginia TechThe 6-5, 250-pound defender will have four years of eligibility remainingStory: https://t.co/dd6SoCogLn pic.twitter.com/OYdtu95ROp— Kolby Crawford (@kolby_crawford) January 6, 2026
The Cocoa, Fla., native was a Rivals five-star out of high school (four-star by other three).
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5* !!!
We need a meme of blue chips in allmarooneverything..
Darn kids, always trespassing!
Wait does this mean he's a first guy in last guy out kinda player?
Nice get at a position of need.
holy crap!
The trend I'm seeing is we're targeting a lot of young portal players.
You mean like for consistency, and with talented players?
Great idea!
I just looked at his HS highlights. Nasty! This kid looked well coached, setting a good edge but slanting inside when it appeared called for. Really good hands, getting them into the defender's chest. And fast. Then I saw he ran 11.39 100 meters. Yeah, he is fast. It appears he has a good motor but would like to watch some game tape from Mizzou to verify. Going to be a stud for us.
Mizzou fans saltier than ped st fans. Like sorry guys, he just ain't into you.
If I were a Mizzou fan, I imagine I'd stay salty.
Maybe upset at all they paid for Mose Phillips and he cant see the field.
Let's be fair, Mose had 5 whole tackles last year. I'd hate to know how that breaks down in $$/tackle...
...but more than that I'd love to know that number.
About $80,000 a tackle, per estimates
You know what they say, Missouri loves company
Holy shit. Don't think we've ever had a 5 star DE that I can remember. Not sure how his transfer rating is only 87 for a freshman.
Hard to rate players that didn't get many snaps
This is where they shouldnt bother then. If he didnt play, his rating shouldnt change much. Definitely not 8 points. Guess it all depends on which "talent analyst" they assigned his profile to, did the guy have his coffee and donut, did he sleep well, did he have a fight with his wife....
Where was he a 5*? I'm only seeing 4*s everywhere
Rivals apparently.
Rivals had him as a 4* https://www.on3.com/rivals/rankings/player/football/2025/?state=fl
It was before rivals and on3 merged
Fun fact: if you look at recruiting rankings all the way back to 1980, we actually had a 5* DT signee back in 1997.
Tyrone Robertson, out of GW Danville was comfortably one of the top 32 signees that season for the Hokies.
As you stipulated, he wasn't a very memorable player for us. He Prepped the 97 season at FUMA, then signed with UGA in 98 where he played out his college ball.
Flamed out after his rookie season in the NFL.
Then there is that criminally under-ranked DE recruit from around 1981 who only ended up as one of if not THE best player we ever had and went on to be the all-time NFL sack leader...
BRUUUUUUUUUCE!!
I don't know if I should be more impressed by Franklin's job immediately improving our recruiting to top 25 in a matter of weeks or by the level of talent he's bringing through the portal. These transfers are (for the most part) coming from P4 (and relatively big name schools as well). It's likely a combination of his recruiting skill and a bigger wallet willing to pay for the level of talent we're getting. Either way, whoa....
He seems to be bringing in promising kids, but mostly young with 3-4 years to play. Not a lot of starting experience, but should compete for the two-deep.
Hopefully, he can build a culture and a budget that will enable us to hang on to these players after we develop them.
This is already our best recruiting and portal class in forever. I think its safe to say he has proven he can. I remember reading from few people on here that his ability to pull from portal was in question. not anymore, answered.
https://www.thekeyplay.com/comment/1344921#comment-1344921
👀 looks encouraging
Physical tools appear to be intact.
Ummmm...WOW!!!!
He REALLY goes hard after players in yellow....
But then seems to give up right at the end-may be a concern.
Most of those practice reps they aren't supposed to hit the QB so it becomes two hand touch. Don't think he turns the motor off in a real game but guess we will see. I am just surprised Missouri kept him off the field.
I think it was a joke
I thought there was a thing about using the /s.
I've heard tell it eliminates confusion like this, because I thought he was serious also.
I thought it was abundantly clear that it was a joke....
Again, regardless, the /s solves the problem. Ltrepeter obviously didn't realize either.
It can be hard to read sarcasm (from a practitioner of it), and you never know who may not be used to watching films and doesn't know what the yellow shirts mean. I mean, we've had players slow up in other situations, and it WAS a concern. 🤷♂️
ARGH beat me by 17 seconds
Dammit
Homey just straight up pours a pitcher of beer right down his throat directly to his stomach
He probably told his wife he'd only have one beer
Like my wine loving friends put it, they only have one glass of wine...but it's never allowed to be empty until time to go home or hit the rack.
Since I am a long-time wine lover and collector, I can relate!
Nice gullet...
Hopefully GT doesn't find this tape and come out in their gold jerseys.
Franklin working his magic and doing exactly what he wants to do (long term) in a very creative way.
He stated that he wants to build his team through high school recruiting while filling the gaps with the portal. He obviously needs to utilize the portal in a heavy way in years 1 & 2. But he is targeting young portal players who will potentially be here for a number of years. He is accomplishing both things at the same time and its freaking beautiful!
A good pass rush can help alleviate some weaknesses in the secondary so ALL ABOARD. I am pleased to see the portal work is trending to the guys with more eligibility left and not the super senior 7 year grad transfers we seemed to rely on too heavily in the past.
Brevard County, FL Represent!!!
The only time this Raider has ever been happy to see a Tiger.
Rockledge High School!
My wife and kids are all Commodores.
Yeah I like DE's that are 6'5", 250 lbs. and run like a deer
This guy was an underclassmen commit to Bama under Saban and decommitted after Saban retired.
Very exciting talent.
Javion gonna cause some havoc
We prefer to use the term Chaos now
Hard. Smart. Tough.
Maui Wowie this kid's HS film is impressive. Very physical. Keeps feet at contact which makes him very good at shedding run blocks. But, he can also get in a gap with quick twitch.
His pass rushing skills were more speed and brute strength. Technique needs work.
I stumbled on a few clips of him at a camp of some sort and he was dipping and ripping and being violent with his hands. Seems like the kind of kid who will thrive under good coaching and polish his game with ease.
Nice pull.
At this level speed and brute strength is already a massive improvement over what we had, I think. Adding technique and playing alongside a DT that knows WTH to do should scare the piss out of any QB and OC.
...but how is he on late hits/roughing the passer?
Hard to tell from any of those clips since he had to put the breaks on in every single one of them.
On Kolby's Corner (it should really be "Kolby's Korner") last night, Kolby was saying this guy is legit legit
It's not? I always thought it was. Definitely should change it to Kolby's Korner.
It's not! Such a missed opportunity. Need to let him know he needs to change it.
Reminds me of the tosh.0 sketch when kiffin was still at bama - kiffins krimson korner
Fear not he has kiffin kajun kast