I didn't see one for February or March, and with Spring one day away, decided to start a Spring thread.
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Report on the TSL subscriber recruiting board that 2027 DT Xzavier Whittington has decommitted from BC after visiting VT. May get a commitment from him soon.
6'2" 325lb DL from Aberdeen, MD, class of 2027.
3 star, .8650 composite rating
247 sports bio
Yahoo Sports article on BC decommitment
couple recent CBs to the good guys
Yeah scuttlebutt is that he really likes VT
would a DT with that size signal a shift in defensive philosophy? His prospect rating is within our historic norms but he's probably 30-40lb heavier that most HS DT's we've recruited.
seems like for the longest time (part system, part recruiting limitations) we would roll out 285-295lb DT's that both played a 1-gap attack style. I think JHam and maybe to some degree Seifkis tried to go with a 2-gap nose but we never really had the size up front for that.
Very few DTs are actually over 300 pounds coming out of high school and 325 is way above the norm, so it's rare for any school to land a guy who's that big as a recruit.
I overlooked his weight. Totally correct to see a kid that big in HS.
He's only a 3 star but, they probably see this kid athletic enough to be taught what he needs to get good at.
X gonna give it to ya!!!
Relevant Crystal Balls this week
OL Junior Saunders - VT
LB Noah Glover - UGA
OL Carter Jones - Clemson
DT Xzaiver Whittington - VT
RB Gary Walker - Clemson
A dozen years of disappointment on our recruiting abilities makes this so hard to believe. Prove me wrong, coach!
Did you see the last class?
I will get excited when a new and different pattern emerges.
I think there is also the issue of, with the entire free agent system we live under, no one is confident that many of the players signed out of high school will be with the team long enough to have a meaningful impact. Of course, some will - assuming that the coaching staff stays here for more than 2 years. It's just that 1 good recruiting off-season if not enough to wash off what we have all lived through the past 15 years. It is good, don't get me wrong. Just some people are going to take the 'let's see what happens on the field before we get too hyped-up' attitude.
Sure - there is zero guarantee that Franklin can re-establish VT Football.
But I feel like there's ample evidence that he can recruit, and he can recruit to VT.
The last class was definitely encouraging, but from my memory it also felt like it was a lot of guys who were committed to PSU and probably mentally sold on playing for Franklin there. His firing was pretty sudden so those guys were left in the lurch with only a few months until signing day. He obviously still had to re-recruit them and convince them to sign with VT, but that was probably an easier task than recruiting "from the ground-up" where the recruits have lots of time and options to explore. He has to sell new recruits on VT without already having them in his pocket. Not saying he can't do it, but I just feel like it will be tougher than the last class
I agree it was 'different' - not necessarily convinced it was 'harder' than a typical recruiting class:
These are great points, and i definitely agree that his 2-4 weeks of class assembly was insanely impressive. I guess I remain hesitant that the PSU brand, fanbase, and NIL game may have been driving the results more than we'd like to admit. Franklin has definitely proven that he can recruit well. No doubt there; I just wonder how high he can take us knowing we don't have Big 10 money or the donor level of PSU.
I'm sure he will be better than Pry or Fuente's results. When I said "prove me wrong" I was really referring to the idea that he could get elite top end talent here with any regularity (which is what the embedded tweet was about). I've lost faith that we can ever land a consensus 5-star for example. So I welcome him to prove me wrong
He was doing it:
To be clear, I don't expect us to all of a sudden recruit at PSU levels. But I think we can recruit at Beamer levels once again. That means maybe one 5-star every 5-10 years, and 6-10 4-stars every class, putting us top 30 in high school recruiting year-in/year-out.
EDIT: I also think he'll bring a competency to roster management that we haven't seen since Beamer/Foster retired. Fuente had all roster that was at one point 14% running backs. Pry had so little depth at OL that we could barely field a scout team. These things won't happen under Franklin.
Beamer levels of recruiting should be doable, I agree with that. His ability to recruit was one of the main reasons I thought he would be a good hire for us. Ideally we could be a bit higher - like low 20s or even get a top 20 class every few years. But that is the part that I find hard to believe. Sounds like you and I are making basically the same point though.
What always annoyed me is that Fuente had like 3 classes in a row that were pretty much equal to beamer-level ranking. He just was nowhere as good at player development (and roster management like you said). I mean, 3 classes in the mid-20s should mean we had a good roster. and yet his last couple years (aka when that class was supposed to be upperclassmen and team leaders) we were struggling to make bowls. and then his ability to recruit guys just fell off a cliff. Our recruiting has basically been cursed since the Devyn Ford big dog remarks haha. I think we have gotten like 1 top 200 player since then. oof
Fuente built his recruiting rankings on positions that we already had enough players within while woefully underperforming in recruiting elsewhere on the roster. I think at one point we had 10 RB recruits alone on the roster.
Like me playing ncaa on the xbox
Don't forget – that recruiting drop off also correlates with Bud Foster leaving. I don't think the two are unrelated.
Sad but good point. Especially because bud was also excellent at coaching guys up even if they weren't top end recruits. His coaching ability was always going to be impossible to replace when he retired but not being able to replace his recruiting (which should have been possible) has killed us
It's nice to actually be optimistic about the program.
This is where I am. After over a half century of Hokiedom, I've seen the highs and the lows, the comes and the gos, but aside from a couple of good years, I don't recall anything like what Franklin's already done and I'm all in, keeping that front row seat on the hype train and flat out unashamedly optimistic. I'm already in his debt for lifting my spirits as basketball has fizzled out.
16-0 Baby
I'll have what he's having! Cheers!!
Same, but I'm optimistic every year. I just can't help myself.
Cautiously optimistic.
The infrastructure around the program still has a lot of work to do. My hope is that Franklin will be able to successfully lobby for getting the improvements and mentality in place.
I don't think Franklin lobbies, I think he tells.
2027 3*/4* Ath/S Tristin Hughes committing on Thursday. Multiple Crystal Balls to the Hokies.
Rocky River, OH?
That's B1g 10 territiory.
Google maps says it's 6 hours and 12 minutes from Rocky River to Blacksburg. Technically outside of the 6 hour radius but I'llAllowIt dot gif.
Like you said though I don't feel like we ever get recruits from Ohio, even though it's not that far away. And Ohio has a huge population. I'm guessing they do all go to Big 10 schools
Ohio has a ton of college football options close by:
B1G
B12 - Cincy/WVU
SEC- Kentucky
MAC - 4 schools
Whatever conference Kent St and Akron are in
ACC - Pitt/Louisville
And a lot of the football powerhouse schools are Catholic All-boys schools that feed ND.
From Cincy and even the Akron/Cleveland and Columbus areas, you can get to Tech in right about 6 hrs.
You mean it's JMFF Territory.
Who threw a big bag at him?
I want this guy
2027 DE/DL from Durham 247 profile
Perkins just got a CB to VT, so did RB Tai Phillips
Feeling good about 4 pm
We just got the Four for Four. We have 4 defensive line commits for the class of 2027😤🤣
Build That Wall
Crystal balls in for Anthony Roberts before his commit date tomorrow! 6'2 185lb WR from NC.
I like this class so far. Very strong average rating
Bat signal up
Missed on 4 🌟 Athlete Carter Bonner today. Went to WVU.
So it looks like Bonner goes to St Frances Academy in Baltimore along with our current commitments, Buchanan and Taylor. According to 247, 10 of the top 23 prospects in the state of Maryland go to that school. Who can they possibly play that would be able to complete with that much talent?!
Buchanan is listed at McDonough not St. Frances
St Frances plays many of the WCAC teams but also a national schedule.
Teams like IMG Academy
It's interesting seeing PSU's class (while strong) has only one kid from VA/MD. Everyone else is from PA/NJ/Midwest.
Unsure how much this matters in the portal era, but it's definitely not a bad thing for the Hokies
They have 5 more commits, but basically the same average ranking (88.00 to our 88.14). I think it will be very interesting to see how things compare on signing day.
Bat signal up
New Crystal Balls for safety Elijah Butler
4 🌟 OL Elijah Hutcheson clowned the Hokies to set his mom off. Put on a VT hat but flipped it to Florida after getting his mom to react.
Ouch. What he say fuck us for?
Yeah what was that about
Don't want him if he doesn't want to be here but, the clowning is a maturity deal. Probably will end up like a certain OT that was ranked top in the nation and did absolutely nothing at UNC or now Syracuse.
He helped us dodge a bullet
Let's be fair: If he had put the Florida hat on first, then switched to VT, we'd have been cheering him.
I think the big red flag was how he clowned his mother.
Doing the bait and switch, without updating the person sitting next to him, is a much smaller red flag.
Or maybe he and his mom just like to joke around with each other. I didn't like it but having a sense of humor isn't immaturity.
Lot of people joking she had already been spending the Florida money so it got her good. Chances its true? Well....
/ssss
So, do we pick him up next year when he transfers?
I know our recruiting ranking is solid right now and we're getting some good guys, but it would still be nice to get some actual 4 stars. Missed on a couple here recently. Hopefully that changes here in the next few days/weeks
Think bigger, we need to flip Sweeney from TTU and get a 5* Edge.
Yeah i'm not complaining about our recruiting class but it'd be solid to get a guy or 2 from the top 5 in VA. Can't just focus on VA recruiting but we certainly cannot avoid it either. It's Franklin's first real recruiting class so it's not worrisome yet, but it would be awesome to get a big in-state name no doubt
At this point, I'm thrilled to see a slew of the highest ranked 3 ⭐️, composite 4 ⭐️ as common place and land a couple of true 4's.
Previous recruiting seemed to hover around 85, 86 as common place, general recruiting for too long and our results showed it.
Franklin's foundation is a welcomed shot in the arm. IMO, If this translate to improved field results (in theory it should) , his recruiting foundation will rise.
At this point in time, we're pulling in the floor of our recruiting class. We'll be landing the bigger fish closer to signing day.
I wouldn't worry too much... 18 of the top 50 players are uncommitted. 8 of the VA top 15, 7 of the MD top 15, and 8 of the NC top 15 are uncommitted. Kentucky has the 10th best class with just two 4-stars and eleven 3-stars.
I'm not exactly a recruitnik, but it's obvious that classes aren't shaping up in the same way the did in 2018. Kids are keeping recruitments open longer. Coaches aren't seeking commitments as early.
I'm not suggesting that we're all of a sudden going to nab a few of those 50 guys. Just saying that there is plenty of time to land guys who haven't announced, and flip guys who have announced.
In Franklin we trust (whether we like it or not)
Risky move to be putting Mom on the spot like that.
3* IOL Carter Mathis
Gainesville High School GA,
6-foot-7, 305-pound
Top 2 VT & NC State.
3* DE Alex Johnson - Catawba Ridge (SC)
6'4 230 has an OV scheduled with VT
Offers from GT, Georgia, Duke, Louisville, and others. He's also set to OV with BC, Vanderbilt, and Michigan.
This sets my #DBU heart fluttering like a Hunter Caldwell pass.
Some good smoke from our camp on this one
Dang, he would be our highest ranked recruit since Dax I think.
That's a hockey name.
Sounds like a two horse race between us and UGA, though there's some mixed reporting that Penn St might be back in it. Initially some people said they were in it, but backed off that so they had bad info. Then some new rumblings they might be making a late push for real. What's funny is watching the PSU fans claiming they never wanted Bourque in the first place, how he's overrated and just wanting the biggest NIL bag when it looks like he was going with VT and then doing a 180 any time a report goes to their favor.
It is awfully hard to believe we would be able to beat out UGA for a top 100 recruit. But hey bring on this new era of hokie recruiting
Por que Penn State no want Borque?
Porque no quieren pagar lo que sea el precio, en mi opinion. Sorry, I can't resist a Spanish moment.
Ayyyy Chachi jajajajaja
Is he still announcing today? Does anybody have any between the tea leaves insights outside of anything that's already been posted here?
I have it on good authority that he's going to pick a P4 school.
Supposed to announce close to 4pm today. Really feels like it's toss up but Wiltfong did put in a crystal ball for the Hokies this morning.
Wiltfong is at On3 now for those wondering why there's no 247 crystal ball
Duane Brown's son committing today at 4 PM. His mom ran track at VT. We're one of 3 finalists.
I think he is going to be a Cane🤢
Yup, committed to Miami
Bummer. Might be one we can flip later down the road though
Gross
How did Duane let his son go there??? Then again they probably have a big bag for him.
Apparently to someone I know. He was never coming here. He just kept hokies around to make parents happy
Sounds like my daughter's college search. She really wants to be down south where it is warm - particularly Georgia or South Carolina as those 2 have 5 of her top 6 picks - but still has VT on her list. Pretty sure the only way she goes there is if she does not get into anywhere else. But hey, the official visit is still to come. And VT is one of the few places that has Advertising as a major, which is what she is most interested in.
VT is still south.. Not like she is looking at Syracuse.
But the question in not whether it will snow this year; but how much will it snow. And unfortunately, the answer is expressed in feet.
And it might impact graduation
During football season I meet a lot of Hokie alums who just moved to Chicago who are always nervous about Chicago winter. I tell them they lived in Blacksburg they'll be fine. It's also not as windy here as it is on the Drillfield.
True, but not south enough for her. She really liked William & Mary's campus and one of the programs there when we visited, so that is in her top grouping. But still cooler than she would like:
Clemson
College of Charleston
Emory - but she's not getting into Emory, and she knows that is a massive long short
University of Georgia
University of South Carolina
William & Mary, which is the geographic exception that proves the rule of wanting to be in Georgia or South Carolina
My daughter chose William & Mary and absolutely loved the place and her time there.
Don't do Clemson, I made that choice and always regretted it. It looks pretty but it's not. South Carolina and Georgia are much better options. Charleston too. Although if she got into W&M, South Carolina won't be challenging enough for her (neither will Clemson).
You would prefer Columbia over Clemson? Could not disagree more.
I'm assuming he ment the universities, not the towns. Columbia didn't seem too bad. And my wife talked to a couple of female students there about safety. They did say they felt very safe on campus, but also said they don't go off campus alone, which kind of surprised me. The area right around it looked good to me. Maybe it is just how far off campus you have to go or we did not go in the wrong direction. Doe it have a major crime problem?
Was not like Winston Salem and Wake Forest. Man, that went downhill real fast when you left campus.
I just remember the sorority houses having bars over the windows in Columbia. These beautiful historic southern houses. With bars over the windows.
Columbia, SC is a really not nice town. USC campus is nice, but you get a few blocks away and it gets Not Nice fast.
College experience there, I think,, would be below par
Yes, I'm a Hokie and I experienced Blacksburg for my college experience, so... Hell yes, I'm biased.
From what I've heard from my wife's dad and immediate family that grew up there.
#Accurate
Mostly the culture. Clemson is a big culture shock if you're coming from NOVA or Jersey, SC is less of a culture shock because there are more people from out of state. Academics at Clemson are slightly better, but I felt like I was the smartest person in a lot of classes which I don't like, when I transferred to Tech I was right in the middle.
As for Columbia vs Clemson, idk that much about Columbia although I've never heard complaints from people who went there. Everything off campus in Clemson is really spread out, including off campus housing that people live in Jr & Sr years. Buses aren't great so you have to drive to get to everything. Some of the fraternity houses and apartments complexes are in different counties. Grocery stores were also kinda far, that may have changed. There is a big risk of drunk driving. Also a lot of kids go home over the weekend so it can sometimes be hard to make friends.
I haven't been to a game at Clemson since 2018, but it was a lot like Blacksburg (which I haven't been to since 2017) - 6 bars in a central downtown that everyone goes to. Every time I've been we've walked from rental to tailgate to football to bars, really easy.
It is a lot like Blacksburg except it is super lame.
When I was there the bars closed at midnight on Saturdays because they weren't allowed to serve alcohol on Sundays. That's changed, but it was a massive bummer back when I was a freshman. Still, a lot of people go to church on Sunday so Saturdays are probably still pretty dull.
Yea, the church piece is big there, and I don't think I could be a student there for that reason (no disrespect if that's your thing, it's just not my thing). I've heard that campus more religious than ND.
But I'd also be surprised to learn the student experience at SCar is much different.
You'd be going to church too if they were funneling cash to you during services
cash typically flows the other way at services....
Yeah, for regular people. Not Clemson football players.
Wait a minute, ot is just for the Clemson football players and not every student, well thats an impremissible benefit then, they should get introuble for that. If everyone got a bag then it just a normal student benefit.
I mean, my wife works for Chick-fil-a corporate. We can absolutely be bought, and have been already.
Yeah same. If it's not your thing it's not the place for you. Same goes for dressing up for football games. SC has similarities, but I think it has a larger percentage of students from out of state (MD, NJ, New England) so I think there's a lot more kids who aren't going to church.
Only sort of accurate. Mom loves VT but Duane wasn't in his son's life until very recently. Duane also doesn't really care for VT and makes very little effort to maintain a connection to the university.
Did something happen? I always figured he would be a proud Hokie as the coaching staff at Tech turned him from a TE to a first round OT. Maybe he would have always made the move and been successful, but I always have the coaches credit for recognizing the potential and molding the clay well.
Crazy, I ran track with Duane in high school and here we are talking about his son.
The first, second, fourth, and last lines in your signature look like they could also be your response to your statement.
I'll not be satisfied until we get consistent 6* commits!
Ok, MacArthur
LET'S FUCKING GO!!!!
HOKIES!
Looking at the 247 class calculator, adding in the top remaining players who are "warm" to us to get us to a class of 20 gives us a class score of 249.79.
In 2026, that would be 15th nationally, 2nd in the ACC (Miami)
2025, that would be 16th, 2nd (Miami)
2024, that would be 17th, 4th
2023, 17th, 3rd.
I would be more interested in what the composite average would be as that is you true indicator of how good the class is.
Crystal Ball for another burner (10.41 confirmed 100m) RB who is announcing tomorrow. TX2VT is back. Javian Jones-Priest
Oh we got him!
Recruiting related - when did Kolby Crawford start covering FSU instead of VT?
He just graduated from VT and he got hired at Noles247, I'm not sure why VTScoop didn't keep him but he did a phenomenal job covering the Franklin hire and I wish him well, Noles247 is a great site as well if you love college football.
I'm unfollowing him because I don't want to follow FSU. Makes me sad, but also happy that he's finding success. He deserves it. Very impressive young reporter.
Big transfer portal loss. Program in chaos under Franklin
I can't even keep up with the people who keep up with recruiting
Has James Franklin lost control of the program?
And the locker room?
We simply can't have nice things, can't we?
Have to continue to settle for 8975 composite 4⭐️ recruits as the norm. Geesh!!!
The whole problem is that he was at Twisted Track Brewery in Roanoke yesterday.
He was? I was just there Friday. Had I known that, I would've gone Saturday.
I read that as Twisted Back Brewery, and thought, "Yeah, that makes sense. A bad back would have me out of commission for a while."
I sneezed yesterday as I was moving something and my back went out. Brews definitely ensued. Then I read this...
Coincidence? You judge.
I've definitely pulled muscles before from sneezing. Getting old sucks.
Beats the alternative as I always say...
So you're saying pulling a muscle from sneezing is better than snarting?
I'm not sure about snarting, but it's probably better than sharting. Sort of depends on the muscle being pulled. Wait, I mean which muscle said sneeze might result in pulling that muscle.
Or, I just meant getting old beats the alternative of not getting old.
Anyone have issues where they sneeze once, and then have like 10 follow up sneezes? or is that just a Soup family trait
My FIL, my wife both do that. I'm a one huge sneeze and done. The number of sneezes they produce each time is something else.
Wife is always 6 consecutive sneezes.
Oh nope this happens to me too. My fiancee likes to taunt me by saying "come on, gimme another!" while I am incapacitated. She's lucky I'm a forgiving sort.
We were talking about sneezes.
Well played, sir.
Dammit man take your leg
Been happening to me a lot recently. So f'ing annoying.
I'm a 3 sneeze guy myself. Also have a photic sneeze reflex.
That's me, 100%
I once sneezed and burped at the same time and that hurt
The hiccup sneeze is a diaphraginal nightmare
Ngl I had to google it but I did confirm that's not a real word. Interesting use there, Matt...
The world clearly needs an adjective that relates to the use of the diaphragm. I simply met that need.
Edit: apparently "Diaphragmatic" exists, but I like the uncomfortable nature of mine better
Yeah diaphragmatic is to diaphragm as diaphraginal is to diagphragina
I have all of the problems with sneezes, sometimes chain sneezes, three or four and I'm done. Other times, I might sneeze 20 times with a few seconds in between them. Never sure when it's going to be over until it is, but I never, ever sneeze just once. I also regularly have the hiccup burp thing as well.
In addition to my one big sneeze and done, I also am a one big hiccup and done guy too. I can't remember when I hiccup more than once. I'd say 99.9999% it's a one and done.
Got inordinately drunk on EM club draft beer my first week of AIT at Ft. Knox and had to walk it off with another idiot I'd never met. I got the hiccups and while I didn't keep the time, I'm saying 30 minutes of walking and listening to this other guy whine about the girl he left behind before they finally stopped. In the morning, my sides and stomach muscles were as sore as if I'd just hit basic from the hiccups.
Pro tip - do not sneeze with a broken rib. Those who say you cannot prevent a sneeze have never sneezed with a broken rib.
Or after hernia surgery.
you beat me to it. i had inguinal hernia surgery about 15 years ago... those sneezes are scary.
This tangent discussion of sneezing inside of the Spring recruiting thread (at a time when our recruiting is going better than it has for 15 years) is peak TKP. Well done everyone.
I love you all
Well it is peak off season. Basketball and football are done. I honestly don't care about any of the other sports in the active discussion board. Baseball (bah), Wrestling (nope), golf (really?)
This forums ability to side piece a topic is nothing to sneeze at.
🧦🧦🧦
26 new comments in the recruiting thread!! Must be some real action! Oh. Nope. Peak TKP offseason with a sneeze vs shart debate. Love it!
Having just had my bilateral orchiectomy three days ago, I've not had any issue with sneezing or coughing being painful since then. Only had minor soreness for a day or so. Played league pool Tuesday and Wednesday night with no issues as well. But then... I seem to heal extra quickly.
I would rather not have that solution to my sneezing or coughing being painful.
This^^^^!
Ouch!
Try after double flank hernia surgery.
If you pinch your nose closed with your fingers when you feel a sneeze coming on you can usually stop it from happening
Maybe you can, but it never works with me.
I had to look up the definition of "snarting" (it's exactly what I thought it would be), as I hadn't heard that term before. I've learned my one thing for the day, can I go home now?
just adding to the thread
This gif know as "the trifecta"
Is the Jones-Priest announcement being broadcast anywhere?
EDIT: found an answer, it'll be streamed on his Instagram account @Javian.JP
What's the timeframe?
I think it's 4:30 EST.
GOT HIM
And the 4⭐️ Hit Parade continues!!!
We've said countless times....
The man isn't just hauling in 4⭐️'s, he's collecting Michelin's like they're going out of style.
This puts us solidly in the #2 spot in the ACC - both in the total number and in the Avg. composite.
Now, we hold our breath until December....
What the hell is wrong with coach franklin? We havent picked up a new recruit in 4 days?
Also hasn't won any games. I think he's gone soon 🫠
Tomorrow that should change
Is he really picking us? I mean, the final 3 aren't that intimidating but I had thought other big teams were after him.
Just got a prediction for him on ON3
Who are you guys talking about?
Kaden Buchanan
4* OT from Friendship Christian (Lebanon, TN)
6-5, 330 lbs
We got Kaden😤
Are we recruiting him for football or volleyball? /s
Sinjin Smith - Beastmode
Leg just for remembering that name.
Which brings back memories of playing Side Out on a computer in the dorms.
Remember watching him and Kirch Kiraly both playing together and as rivals.
Randy Stoklos was his go to partner. Those two dominated.
EDIT: If it weren't for the likes of these folks, we may have never had the sand volleyball courts on the Prairie and be asked packed as they were when I was living in O'Shag.
I was primarily a setter who had a spinning spike maneuver when faking the set. If I tried that today, most likely end up in traction.
Never had much time for them, I was too busy trying to watch Misty May.
This is freakish!
As a (girls) volleyball dad, I can tell you that playing middle is difficult. You have to have hops, timing, spacial awareness and its crucial to have quick lateral steps to get to the correct spot for blocking.
But most men's players are very tall (6'8"+ at middle), and very lean. To do that north of 300lbs is crazy.
NC State was pretty confident they'd land him
well they were wrong
Firmly in the ACC's #2 slot for recruiting rankings in the average composite (the only metric that matters in the rankings).
TEU?!
https://www.on3.com/rivals/news/virginia-tech-secures-huge-commitment-fr...
Commitments get their own post
Got too excited! I'll drink a cold one in penance.
I hope your penance is delicious
Franklin has 5 🌟 Defensive End Chris Whitehead coming on an OV this weekend
5* QBs, DEs, and CBs are the most important to me. Those positions can affect the game so much more than a player at another position.
Derrick Henry would like a word on behalf of 5* RB's...
Sure there are outliers but most RBs need a decent line to do well, Doug you really think Henderson would have done well behind the lines we've had at Blacksburg, especially when he would be a key player to stop as our QBs haven't been the best passers for a long time
I mean, Tuten did great behind that line.
But to your point, no matter how well Tuten played, he couldn't elevate the team past 6 wins. You could put great college RB there - Derrick Henry, Trevon Henderson, Saquon Barkley, Adrian Peterson, Darren McFadden, Ricky Williams, etc - that's still a 6 win team. Maybe we get to 7.
If you swap 2024 Drones for 2010 Cam Newton, and that team's floor is 8 wins, they might 10/11 (I think Cam Newton has had the single best season of any college football player post-integration, but I digress).
I agree QB is definitely a difference maker probably 95% of the time as well as having high performing lines.
I'm just saying a dynamic RB or WR can change a teams trajectory. Swap out Reggie Bush for a Michael Holmes and tell me how good 2004 USC is?
Theres a reason you should always play road to glory with a qb
Russell Wilson at NC State vs. Wisconsin
Reggie bush wasnt the best RB on that team. When it was crunch time the ball went to Lendale
But we beat them with out Reggie.
Wow!
I get it, you don't like my takes; but what you just posted is literally the hottest take i've ever read. That's basically saying that Jordan wasn't the best player on the bulls and when it was clutch time you get the ball to Horace Grant.
I think he is referring to usc running the ball with white on 4th down trying to ice the game in the championship instead of using bush
Edit: just reread and maybe im wrong on how I'm interpreting the comment. Idk
It's not really that hot a take. Just look at the stats - White had more carries, more yards, and more TDs than bush did in both 2004 and 2005.
Bush was the more versatile, electric player. I also believe that was taken out of games early once a win was nearly inevitable.
But you're misremembering that team as well IMO. Matt Lienart was also a heisman winner and a heisman runner up. It's not like that team was just Reggie Bush and the band.
Leinart was definitely a game changing QB, and as a whole that USC ream was pretty stacked but Bush was a big reason for how good they were. Defenses had to scheme around him, find ways to stop him, prevent him from getting the ball; and no one could.
Same with Chris Johnson at ECU or Fournette at L$U or WR Desmond Howard; no one could stop them (in college).
Bush was electric and was all over the field which caused match up issues, but out of the backfield (traditional RB) Lendale was better.
Steve Smith and Dwyane Jarrett were also matchup nightmares. Every skill player was drafted. They had two Hiesman winners, That defense was nasty. There are maybe 3-4 worse examples (2001 miami, 1995 Nebraska) as a single player dominating. Chris Johnson is the best person ive seen listed as he had very little around him, but not 5*.
At least now you're acknowledging that Bush was a game changer. That's all my original comment was suggesting; RB's can absolutely change a season and so can a prolific WR. I used Desmond Howard as an example, but so was Moss, Marvin Harrison.
I'm in full agreement with OP about the QB position and both lines, (i will disagree with the CB sentiment though).
I'm not arguing which is more of a difference maker but that RB/WR can absolutely be game changers.
edit: also Lendale White was good but he was no where as good as Bush. If you were a schoolyard captain, you're picking Reggie Bush 101 times out of 100 over Lendale.
Devin Hester was a game changer, doesn't mean he was a good RB. You put prime Hester on this past years team and maybe we win 1 more game.
Also Bush was shut down by a freshman LB in 2004. Its very rare a 5* QB is shut down by one player, CBs still can take away half the field, and yea DEs can be shutdown by one player, the havoc they typically create makes the rest if the defenses job much easier.
We can agree to disagree. Cheers!
lol you probably couldn't have picked a worse example. Not only was Bush splitting time with White, but that team was pretty loaded - 8 first rounders, 9 second rounders, and a half dozen other guys who got drafted
Cam Newton win a championship with Nick Farley and a whole lotta nothing. That had to be the national championship team with the least nfl talent
It had the fewest draft picks of any national championship team in the BCS/CFP era
It also had the worst blue chip ratio until Indiana
Add OT, and I'll agree with you.
OL is harder to project. 5* OTs are usually pretty good, but you can have a mid 3* OT or a 2* like Jonathan McLaughlin who end up being first round picks more often than the other positions he mentioned.
Think you mean Darrisaw!
Both, right?
McLaughlin was an undrafted rookie free agent.
https://www.espn.com/blog/arizona-cardinals/post/_/id/25920/cardinals-en...
Must just be thinking about Darrisaw then. McLaughlin was really good for us though
Agree and think about the effort required to recruit a 5* (and now the NIL), one 5* OLine doesnt make a huge difference than 5 well coached 3*. One really good OT doesny matter if Parker Clements is on the other side of the line.
Any 5* is great but trying to out compete UGA, Bama, OSU, Oregon just doesnt mske sense for the other positions.
Up to 13 ranked class
And we still have 2(?) silents??
Our offense, over the last 4 recruiting cycles, has 19 x 4* skill position players and 3 x 4* OL, while the defense has 14
Every committed player in the class is top 100 at their position in both 247 and composite. Doubt that's ever happened before and I wonder if it'll stay that way.
Genuinely shocked to hear that it's this good.
I started to sour on the College Football video games because "even in a video game world, there's no way anyone could recruit a top 10 class at VT."
AND NOW WE'VE GOT A TOP 15 CLASS IN REAL FRICKIN' LIFE?!
Let's the man cook!
Signal is up
all the TEs
https://www.instagram.com/p/DY-Q8PygGwm/
Funny way to spell QB there
I want the regen of logan thomas who will be the holy sun to carry us to the promise land
How many other top recruits do we realistically have a shot at? Could VT get another big fish and have a recruit average of .9000? There are a few other big names we are in the running for
Whitehead I have a very high feeling with. Matthew Gregory and Myles McAfee are two i feel well with. Junior Saunders is another. And a couple more. Plus flips near signing day
Bat signal is up again this weekend can't get any better could it?
Well we do have a 5 🌟 visitor on campus
That would be incredible
Would make up for what the baseball team did to me
The anticipation is excruciating
Who is it?
Luke Braham, WV OL
https://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2026/may/30/west-virginia-ol-luke-bra...
He's a 3 star.
Don't look now, but the Hokies have a Top 10 class
And the number 1 class in our hearts! Cause we're good enough, we're smart enough, and doggone it, people like us!
Noah Glover, the number 3 prospect in Virginia and our top LB target committed to Miami
Glover was never coming here. He always had some big out of state school as his top choices
Whitehead i believe we actually have a shot but a small one
Can safely say he's Noah gonna play here.