2016 LBs Tavante Beckett and LaRonde Liverpool Anxiously Awaiting VT Offers

Rising senior linebackers Tavante Beckett and LaRonde Liverpool are currently enduring one of the hardest parts of any high schoolers' recruitment process: the waiting game.

The pair have each collected a few FBS scholarship offers so far, but now they're forced to wait on pins and needles, hoping that some of their favorite programs follow through and extend them an invitation.

"Everybody always gives you lots of love, and everybody says 'you're so close,' but it gets old," Beckett said. "I'm still waiting."

Beckett, an outside linebacker with Chesapeake's Indian River HS, and Liverpool, a linebacker from Virginia Beach's Landstown HS, aren't entirely without options heading into their final years of high school. Beckett has offers from Marshall and Delaware, while Liverpool has a pair from Virginia and N.C. State.

Yet for both of the Tidewater recruits, Virginia Tech rates as one of the schools they're most anxious to hear from.

"It's just a great program, and it's been like that for so long," Liverpool said. "I've been speaking with them a lot, just hoping."

Both Liverpool and Beckett visited Blacksburg for the team's Junior Day on February 7 to see the program up close. Neither came away with an offer, but it certainly solidified their interest in earning one someday.

"It was a cool trip, I really liked the school, and what they had to offer with their education," Beckett said. "I thought I was close to an offer, and that was really what I wanted to get out of the trip, but it was still cool."

Latepost but I fw it #HokieNation pic.twitter.com/MvxhdJ4OM7— Tay (@Tavante4) February 10, 2015

Liverpool says he got to spend his time with Bud Foster and Bryan Stinespring, his lead recruiter, and he was similarly impressed by the staff's academic presentation.

"It seems like they have everything I'm looking for, their business program seems great, and that's what I'm interested in," Liverpool said. "The campus was great. I've never seen anything like it before."

Beckett also got to spend some quality time with Stinespring, earning a personal tour from his main recruiter after he ran late getting to the event.

"I got a one-on-one tour with him since I was a little late showing up," Beckett said. "But I got to talk with all the coaches, including Coach (Frank) Beamer. I got to meet with him, which was great."

But the end of the visit had a familiar ring to it.

"They just said 'keep grinding, keep working and it will come,'" Beckett said. "I asked them straight up why they haven't offered yet. But they just said to keep working, to get a little faster."

Despite this growing frustration, Beckett still has plenty of ties to keep him interested in the Hokies.

"I grew up a Hokie fan, Michael Vick was one of my favorite players growing up," Beckett said. "I know a lot of guys that went there or go there now. They were always one of my favorites, one of my top schools, but after my visit, they look even better."

Beckett's connections to the squad stem largely from his days playing at Oscar Smith HS. He spent his first three years on the field with current Tech players like Jaylen Bradshaw, DeShawn McClease and J.C. Coleman (who he notes is his "god-brother").

He says his move to Indian River was only precipitated by a sudden move by his family that landed him outside Oscar Smith's boundaries a bit unintentionally.

"I wanted to go back (to Oscar Smith) after the move, but it didn't work out that way," Beckett said. "It's not like I wanted to leave there, it just happened."

But now that he's preparing to finish out his high school career with Indian River, Beckett hopes to build on what was an incredibly successful junior year.

"When (Josh) Sweat went down last year, I stepped in and played his role," Beckett said. "I had 135 tackles and 15 sacks. I can block punts, sack the quarterback, and when I intercept the ball I don't just go down, I can make a play."

If Beckett's strength lies in his versatility, Liverpool says that when coaches turn on his film, they'll be impressed by his consistency.

"I'm just always doing my job," Liverpool said. "I may not be the fastest dude or the biggest dude, I can't jump the highest, but I'll always be where I should be."

Both acknowledge that building explosiveness will be key going forward to help entice more programs to start offering. Beckett and Liverpool each have impressive frames, standing at 6'1" and 6'3" respectively, but adding speed will undoubtedly start earning them some more attention.

"I gained a lot of weight this offseason, I'm 217, about to be 220," Beckett said. "But now I need to focus on getting my speed back, getting better than it was before."
The pair of linebackers are hoping to show off their progress by hitting the recruiting circuit in coming weeks.

Both Beckett and Liverpool will be heading to College Park for Maryland's Junior Day this weekend, while Liverpool is also planning a trip to Clemson (the school he says he hears the most from besides the Hokies) for another Junior Day.

Beckett notes that he doesn't have any future plans for other visits just now after also stopping by N.C. State and Old Dominion in the last few months.

As for another trip to Blacksburg, he says that's on hold until he gets the call he's been waiting so patiently for.

"I don't have any plans to go back until I get the offer," Beckett said. "It doesn't seem like there's any real point until then."