Editor's Note: Alex Koma is a 2014 Virginia Tech communications graduate (Summa Cum Laude) that's joining the team to primarily cover recruiting. --Joe
A year ago at this time, Chance Hall of Roanoke's Northside High School had no interest at all in attending Virginia Tech.
But now, just a few hours before he announces where he'll be committing, the Hokies are among Hall's top five schools.
Northside head coach Burt Torrence attributes the change to the efforts of Tech's new offensive line coach, Stacy Searels.
"A year ago, he wasn't really interested in Tech, which really shows what their new offensive line coach has done with him," Torrence said. "He really paved the way for (the Hokies) to enter the conversation."
Hall is rated a 3-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite that plays both offensive and defensive tackle for the Vikings, but the Hokies and most other teams seem to see him playing on the offensive side of the ball in college.
"Most everyone think he projects favorably on the offensive line," Torrence said. "He's started on the defensive line since midway through his freshman year, and he's only been playing on offense for a year, but he's still got great potential there."
The junior is deciding between Tech, Virginia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame tonight, and his athleticism makes him a tantalizing prospect for schools across the country.
"He's supremely agile and really moves his feet well," Torrence said.
This agility is particularly impressive for someone of Hall's size; even at his young age, he's already 6'5" and 295 pounds. Yet Torrence still thinks there's room for him to grow.
"He's broad shouldered and in a year, he'll be 315 or 320 pounds and still be lean," Torrence said. "If he gets in a college lifting program with someone like (Tech Strength and Conditioning Coach) Mike Gentry, I can hardly imagine what that could do for him. The sky is really the limit."
As Searels tries to put his stamp on Tech's program, it's hardly surprising that he'd go after an athlete with such obvious physical gifts, but he's not the only Hokie staffer to make an impact on Hall.
"He really respects Coach (Bryan) Stinespring," Torrence said. "He's always recruited him the right way."
Even though his experiences with Tech have largely been positive, the recruiting process still seems to have worn on Hall. 247Sports reports he's received nine total offers, with overtures coming from Duke, Maryland, North Carolina and Old Dominion in addition to the five schools he'll choose between tonight.
"2014 isn't like 1999 when it comes to recruiting and it's been overwhelming for him," Torrence said. "He's a quiet young man, and the amount of contact has him really feeling burnt out. It's been going on for two years now really and it's pretty trying."
But now that his long road towards commitment is ending, Torrence thinks whichever school lands Hall will be very fortunate.
"He's a pleaser. He wants to perform well for you," Torrence said. "He understands and listens well, and you just can't ask for much more than that."
Comments
I love to see local kids playing for VT. I hope he picks us.
Good to see you writing for TKP now, Alex!
This would be a great pick up. If chance chooses to become a Hokie, VT would get a local kid whom has great potential and physical gifts and it helps establish Searels regionally as well for VTs OL recruiting future.
A 6.5 and 295 physical marvel. Coach Searels can do wonders with this young man after getting Genttryfying. Hopefully he stays close to home.
I didnt know we had made up that much ground. I still think we are the major underdogs here.
Hall selected Tennessee.
fuck! I wanted this kid. That's 2 "local " O lineman that left the area for Out of state schools.
We need to fix whatever is causing these recruits to go elsewhere and fast. If the Hokies don't have a 9 or 10 win season this year these recruits will continue to go to other programs.
Searles has had success in the past recruiting local OL prospects. Hopefully he'll have better results with 2016 locals.
Have you looked at our O-line Depth Chart lately?
First Team: 2 Seniors, 2 Sophomores, 1 Freshman
Second Team: 2 Seniors, 1 Sophomore, 2 Freshmen
Third Team: 1 Senior, 1 Junior, 1 Sophomore, 1 Freshman
"Others": 1 Junior, 1 Freshman
Redshirts: Fab 4
By my count we have 14 o-Line underclassmen (redshirts, freshmen, sophomores) this year! That's not including random walk-ons, scholarship guys that will make a position change and guys that will take a medical redshirt. If we wanted to, we could play a 2-deep of nothing but freshman.
If I was a run-of-the-mill 3-star OL prospect, I don't see the appeal of VT. Unless you outplay 6 of the 10 freshman/redshirts already on the team (most of whom were 3-star prospects themselves), you're not going to play until your r-Junior year. We're not Wisconsin or Stanford, we don't have a tradition of sending o-linemen to the NFL. We're not Alabama or FSU, we're not the big swinging dick of college football. We have a great o-line coach but he's new and unproven at VT (and no guarantee he's going to stay).
Quit believing that "if the Hokies don't have 9 or 10 win season this year, recruits will continue to go to other programs" when the evidence contradicts that. The team he chose over us hasn't won ten games since 2007! The reason why recruits chose different schools is never black and white. Maybe he loves the coaching staff at UT. Maybe he wants to get away from home. Maybe he wants to play in the SEC. Maybe his family grew up Volunteer fans and he wants to play there because of that. Maybe he doesn't want to go to a school that has 60% dudes and unpredictable weather. Maybe he has a high school sweetheart/friends that are going to UT and it would make the transition more comfortable.
Recruiting is so complicated that winning 10 games again isn't going to change anything (winning the NC would though).
Love the comment but I'll have you know the weather is incredibly predictable!
Just bipolar...
"Maybe he doesn't want to go to a school that has 60% dudes and unpredictable weather."
That sentence is perfect. The rest of this post makes so much of sense. Keep doin' what you're doin', ChoppinWood.
If he took a Chance it would have been another great Hall.
Edit: Too Soon? Too Late?