Loeffler Goes North to Recruit 2016 PA QB Brandon McIlwain

Hokies offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler may be spending his coaching days south of the Mason-Dixon line right now, but he hasn't been afraid to venture back to the Northeast when it comes time to recruit quarterbacks for Virginia Tech.

Loeffler landed a pair of dynamic northern QB commits for the 2014 class in Andrew Ford and Chris Durkin, and he's after a third for the 2016 cycle.

Brandon McIlwain — a 4-star dual threat quarterback according to the 247Sports Composite ranking — may hail from Newtown, Pa., but he's giving some thought to coming down to Blacksburg to join the Hokies.

"Tech has such a great campus and great facilities," McIlwain said. "And Coach Loeffler is such a smart coach and has been around some great quarterbacks, and he tells me I could be a big part of things there."

McIlwain got a chance to experience Tech firsthand last week when he visited for the Hokies' prospect camp on July 14.

"I loved it," McIlwain said. "It was a great experience, getting to meet the staff and see the campus."

The head coach of McIlwain's Council Rock North High School, Adam Collachi, sensed how positive the experience was when he talked to the rising junior immediately after the camp.

"I spoke with him when he came back and I think he came away very impressed with the staff," Collachi said. "He walked away with a great feeling about the campus and the program."

The Hokies only offered McIlwain on May 1 of this year, but Loeffler has had his eye on the athletic passer for some time. He first reached out to Collachi last year and has since stayed in constant contact with McIlwain.

"He came up to visit me once during the school year last year and now we talk on the phone at least once a week, even if nothing's going on," McIlwain said.

McIlwain may be on the smaller side at 6-1, 205 pounds, but his outstanding athleticism and competitiveness are clearly the traits that attracted Loeffler's attention.

"He's a dynamic athlete and his competitive nature is just something I've never seen before," Collachi said. "His willingness to prepare and become a real student of the game really set him apart. He's just as competitive in practice as he is in games."

McIlwain's abilities were immediately apparent to Collachi. He entrusted Council Rock's complex offense to McIlwain from the moment he joined the team.

"He's been starting since day one as a true freshman," Collachi said. "And we run a spread offense, hurry up, no huddle. But he got it down and we let him run the ball some too."

But even though he runs a spread scheme, McIlwain feels he'd thrive in any offense.

"I think I can play anywhere," McIlwain said. "Under center or shotgun with quarterback runs, it doesn't matter to me."

Collachi agrees that one system or another won't limit him.

"No matter what the situation is, he'll thrive. He's that dedicated," Collachi said.

However, he does need to work on a few things in his final year of high school.

"He's still young, he just turned 16," Collachi said. "He's fundamentally sound, but he can definitely work on his decision making, protecting the ball more. He can learn to play for another down more often."

Loeffler has earned a reputation as a coach that can develop young quarterbacks, and McIlwain admits that's part of what he looks for in a program.

"The main thing is looking at how I can work with the coaches, if I think I can form a good relationship with them," McIlwain said. "I also definitely take pride in my education. Academics wouldn't necessarily eliminate a school for me, but it's very important."

But McIlwain isn't shy about also saying that he wants to get on the field quickly.

"I want the potential for early playing time," he said. "I don't really want to wait. I know a starting job isn't guaranteed, but I want to at least compete for one right away."

Loeffler can certainly offer a chance for some healthy competition, given that Ford and Durkin are complete unknowns for now, but plenty of others schools are making pitches to McIlwain. He has 22 offers from schools besides Tech, including Penn State, South Carolina, Florida, Auburn and Ohio State.

He recently camped at Ohio State and Penn State and has a visit to South Carolina coming in the next few days, but he insists that he has yet to narrow things down.

"I've visited so many schools and I've got a couple more coming," McIlwain said. "I'm keeping in touch with everyone that offered me, but I don't really have any clear favorites quite yet."

McIlwain said he plans to announce towards the end of the summer, but Collachi thinks that the Hokies are in good standing with him so far.

"He's highly academically motivated and he also wants a good tradition, and Virginia Tech certainly fit those criteria," Collachi said.

If the Hokies can land McIlwain, Collachi thinks they'll have earned a solid presence in the locker room.

"He's very charismatic, a natural leader," he said. "Everyone on the team and in the hallways at school sort of gravitates to him."

If 2016 rolls around and the Hokies are still looking for someone to take command under center, Loeffler just might be glad he made the long journey north to find McIlwain.