2016 DT Joe Goff Looks in the Mirror with Hokies' Vinny Mihota, "Astounded" by Visit to Tech

When rising senior Joe Goff of Alexandria's Episcopal HS met the Hokies' Vinny Mihota last weekend, it must've been a bit like looking in a mirror.

Like Goff, Mihota is an athletic defensive tackle listed at about 6"5 and 264 pounds, an almost exact match of Goff's 6'5", 265-pound frame.

Given their obvious similarities, it makes perfect sense that Mihota was one of the current Hokies tasked with showing Goff around on his trip to to Tech's Junior Day event on Saturday.

"I got to ask him some questions, and it was great," Goff said. "He was really honest about the work ethic it takes to be in the football program."

Tech's staff is hoping that Goff was sufficiently impressed by Mihota's personal testimony about the program that he decides to follow in his footsteps and add his significant talents to the Hokies' ranks now that he's gotten his first look at campus.

"I was just astounded by the first view of the stadium as we got there," Goff said. "Now I feel like I've got a really good understanding of what they're about, their tradition as one of the most powerful defenses in the league."

As a Northern Virginia recruit, Goff has gotten the chance to learn about Tech's defensive legacy from the man primarily responsible for building it. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster was the first coach in the country to track down Goff and offer him back in November.

"Coach Foster reached out to me in November and told me that he'd been following him since the end of our season," said Panos Voulgaris, Goff's head coach at Episcopal. "Then he made the offer, and when I told Joe he was just extremely excited, realizing that all his hard work was starting to pay off."

But Foster's interest in Goff likely isn't just limited to his capacity as the designated recruiter for the area. Even though Goff plays both ways under Voulgaris, Foster seems to think he's destined for the defensive line.

"I think he's more of a defensive lineman, he plays really low and bends well, with good leverage," Voulgaris said. "Virginia Tech sees him as more of a defensive lineman as well."

Yet Volugaris notes that hardly means it's a lock he ends up on defense, given his athleticism on both sides of the ball.

"I've heard from two dozen other FBS schools about him, and everyone has different assessments, there's no concrete definition," Voulgaris said. "But he'll definitely play both positions again next year."

Goff is currently unranked by the 247Sports Composite and rated a 3-star recruit by Rivals, but Voulgaris believes that belies his true talents.

"His athleticism is great, he moves very well for a guy that's 265 or 270 (pounds)," Voulgaris said. "He just moves side-to-side really well. And he's very coachable, he embraces the work aspect of football."

Goff says he'll be focusing some of his work in the offseason toward getting even bigger so he can continue to intimidate opposing quarterbacks.

"I have good size, but I'm always working to get bigger," Goff said. "I just want to work on getting to the QB, making stops in the backfield."

Voulgaris says one of his keys to getting more attention will be taking his superb athleticism and applying it more consistently.

"We talk a lot about being aggressive through the whole play more consistently," Voulgaris said. "Just being dominant. If he does that, he'll be alright."

The Hokies will be watching his work closely as his senior season nears, and Goff says he's taking Tech very seriously at this point.

"Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, Boston College and Army, who just offered, they'd be my top schools," Goff said. "All are great schools, I'd love to play at any of them."

It seems that the Hokies will get another chance to keep persuading him to commit in person. Goff was sufficiently impressed by his first visit to Tech he's already planning another trip to Blacksburg just a few months from now.

"I'm really excited to get back there for spring practice," Goff said.

Maybe when he does, Mihota will get another chance to show him what life as a Hokie has to offer.