The following are some excerpts followed by my thoughts from an ESPN insider article ($): http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post/_/id/573....
Jeremy Crabtree provided some good insights on Sweat's finalists.
Sweat insists he does not have a leader, but earlier this month at The Opening he identified several things he will be looking at on his official visits.
"Everybody will have amazing facilities, so for me, the visits are going to be about finding the right fit," said Sweat, who plans to enroll early and play spring football at the school he eventually selects. "I want to look at the academics. I want to explore how they support their athletes academically and help them be successful in the classroom. I'm also going to look at the different schemes, too. I want to find a place where they can have had a lot of success using defensive ends like me.
I think Tech's graduation rate speaks for itself. Tech's scheme thrives on having an end that can fly off the line of scrimmage.
"I also want to play in the NFL, so that'll be another thing I looking at is how the coaches develop their recruits and get them ready for the NFL."
Tech's struggled to place defenders outside of the secondary in the NFL. However, it's a bit of a chicken and egg thing as the Hokies haven't had a talent like Sweat come through Blacksburg in quite some time. Wiles and Foster are two of the best at developing talent, and the staff will have to figure out how to sell that despite some recent struggles.
People close to Sweat quietly are calling Virginia Tech the leader, but Sweat himself has never labeled the Hokies as the team to beat.
I have high hopes, but...
At The Opening, Sweat talked glowingly of Ohio State assistant coach Larry Johnson, and his track record with prospects in Virginia is well documented. Sweat also had high praise of Georgia after taking a mid-summer unofficial visit to Athens. Don't sleep on Oregon, especially with their facilities and the ability to sell a top prospect on the "coolness" of the school, but Eugene, Oregon, is a long way from Chesapeake, Virginia.
Another school to pay close attention to is Florida State. The Seminoles rolled out the red carpet on a recent visit, and Jimbo Fisher has become personally involved in Sweats recruitment. It also doesnt hurt that FSU is coming off a national championship and projected to do big things again in 2014
These other four teams are going to be tough to beat out.
Comments
Thanks Joe!
Oh, how sweet would it be to see Josh Sweat lead the #1 defense in the nation on the field as the Marching Virginians play Darth Vader's Imperial March....
Thanks for the info.
Something that strikes me: Josh Sweat seems like a great guy.
He's obviously gifted, and no one gets to his level without putting in the work and earning it.
But, not knowing the fellow, these quotes make me think that he's just a humble great guy which is such a rarity.
Of course, that makes me want the athlete to come to VT, but it certainly makes me a fan of Josh Sweat the person even more.
Just like Nnadi, I think this is going to come down to the good guys and F$U
We're going to have to work all the way up to the Under Armour game to get his commitment in here. I have said it other boards, if we beat OSU at the Shoe, that game will change everything. Noone takes VT seriously on a national level anymore, it's almost like talking about the little brother.."Aww look at VT? aint they cute? trying to run with the big boys"...its time to put on our big boy pants and play physical for 4 quarters and stop being "one play away" and hearing in the post game "well if we did this and then had this go this way" enough with the excuses...get it done...
I know this thread is about Sweat, but this OSU will be the biggest for the direction of the program and may be the last "big game" that Beamer coaches in before the Battle of Bristol(Save for OSU coming into Lane next year)...We need to change the national perception of VT and do it THIS season
You do realize we open the 2015-2016 with Ohio State at home on Labor Day, right?
In terms of what it means to the program, knocking off Ohio State at home when we are the lone showcase game to start the season would be a HUGE feather in our cap going forward. And come on for a second. This is the last opportunity we're going to have to showcase ourselves in Beamer's tenure? Good grief, the hyperbole in there is off the charts. We've had 2 down seasons. Two. Without a botched call in overtime by the refs, we beat Michigan in the Sugar Bowl just over 2 years ago. We are young but extremely talented right now. Enough of the '2014 is a make it or break it year' attitude. Regardless of how the Ohio State game goes, we're going to be a MUCH better program a year from now than we are right now. We're going to get good players to come and play for VT regardless of how this game goes. You're asking A LOT for a team that will very likely be starting numerous players (especially on offense) who were not a part of the roster a few months ago to hinge the entire future of our program under our current staff on this one game, for many, their 2nd ever as a Hokie.
You didn't read the entire post huh? This was in the original post...(Save for OSU coming into Lane next year)...We beat the crap out of Miami last year...they didn't talk about VT...BEFORE THE BATTLE OF BRISTOL, (SAVE for the OSU games) name a marquee game that we'll be playing in already...if we win the coastal then we will be playing FSU obviously...the OSU games are considered BIG games and we keep coming up short, there are no 2 ways about it...we have to go start winning those games...This defensive line is supposed to be faster than it was last year...Our secondary should be one of the best in the country, if not the best...not sure what to expect from the O-Line yet, but we have more depth at RB...our receivers are older and have more practice running the system...not sure what to expect from brewer but Im not expecting him to carry the offense the way Logan had to last year so he should have a "deer in the headlights" look...this is not hyperbole...and I'm not talking about the previous "down" years...I'm just talking on a national scale...if we want to compete nationally and be taken seriously as a playoff contender, we HAVE to start winning these big games...point blank...
I don't think it is unfair to say the Battle of Bristol might be the last showcase game of Beamer's tenure. That is 3 years away, which is a long time in the world of college football. He might decide it is time to retire at that point. I think too many people are imaging Beamer getting pushed out when he leaves, maybe he just decides it is time to hang up the towel.
What happens if Dadi has 3 sacks in Columbus and rips Braxton Millers head off?
Is this NCAA'15 ©? I thought they couldn't use player likenesses anymore?
I've got to stop reading these.. they get my hopes unrealistically high.
Winning will help the hokies landing its top target.
Conveniently timed stats...
Gotta say - well played, Stiney.
To paraphrase Full Metal Jacket, it looks like we've finally found something you're good at!
A win in Columbus would be big for the program and could help land the highly sought after recruits. I am hopeful for the future of VT football and all of the teams in the Burg with the influx of new leadership and coaches. In the end our staff can only work with the players that WANT to be Hokies. Lets appreciate all those who have made the RIGHT decisions.
I just posted this to the other thread but highly relevant. From ESPN:
EDIT: Well that was a fail. Link
I want this kid. Badly.
Hey Josh, come meet Bruce Smith, maybe the greatest DE to ever play in the NFL. Bruce, tell this young man about the possibilities under Foster and how that translates to the NFL. Any questions?
Romp 'em, stomp 'em, romance 'em, finish with a degree you have earned before going on to have a long NFL career - you can do that at Virginia Tech. Ask Bruce Smith, people won't forget you either.