Jackson visited Virginia Tech this weekend.
I will be announcing my commitment this Thursday...— Josh Jackson (@joshiejack17) June 7, 2015
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Jackson visited Virginia Tech this weekend.
I will be announcing my commitment this Thursday...— Josh Jackson (@joshiejack17) June 7, 2015
Comments
Is it Thursday yet?
YES!!
All day long! Come on down, Josh!
Not sure if it's a good thing he's announcing so soon after the visit or a bad thing he didn't commit during his visit...
Maybe he did commit and wants it to stay quiet so that he can have his moment.
I am leaning more towards a good thing. He came here, loved it, wants to work with his old friend Lefty, but needs to go back and take few days with the family. Then decision time. Or as vtfly already said, he committed and is delaying announcement until he is back at home.
I could respect him coming, visiting, having a great time but also not making a decision based on emotion and doing it in the moment but deciding to take a step back and make a wise decision whether that is good for us or bad.
I almost prefer the player that comes and takes his visit, goes home and deliberates than selects Tech over the alternatives. I don't want any players to commit on a visit and then maybe have second thoughts. A sound well thought out selection of Tech is always best.
Case in point, didn't Logan Byrd commit during his visit?
That was pre-Lawson, though....
If not for Lawson, Byrd would still be in the fold. Can't blame him for seeing the writing on the wall
Just wondering if by that rationale would any QB recruit pick us?
It's one thing to see the writing on the wall, it's another to shy away from a competition.
Depends on timing. Right now, if their entire career would overlap Lawson, probably not, unless they're a 5* super stud that will start regardless. Once you start talking about kids who would have at least 2 years of post-Lawson playing time where they know they'll be a part of a legitimate QB competition with a chance to become a multi-year starter, then we'll start bringing in those kids again. I would be pleasantly surprised to see us bring in legitimately talented QBs before the 2017 class, which is why that Joshua Jackson situation is so intriguing.
Let's assume Lawson plays as a true freshman and then spends 2 years as the full-time starter before going to the NFL (best-case scenario, let's throw in a championship or two for good measure. Go Hokies). Any kid that commits to us now will enroll at the beginning of Lawson's sophomore year, redshirt, and then potentially be his backup for one year before having the opportunity to start as a r-sophomore. That doesn't sound like a half-bad situation to me. Opportunity to play fairly early while also likely having adequate time to prepare and learn before being thrown into the fire.
There's a lot of 'ifs' in that situation, and if I'm a recruit who has aspirations to be a multi-year starter, at least one too many for my tastes. And this entirely hinges on Lawson being so good that he has to declare to the NFL early. Something not even Tyrod Taylor or Logan Thomas could attain.
Realistic best case scenario right now for an incoming QB recruit is 2 years of Playing time after a Redshirt Freshman year. If Lawson redshirts this year, any QB recruit who comes in might only have 1 year of potential playing time after Lawson leaves. And by the time any new recruit sees starting QB playing time after Lawson, there's a pretty good chance the coaches who recruited him won't be on this staff anymore.
So let me ask you this: do you believe that QB recruits would shy away based on the assumption they can't beat Lawson in a fair competition, or based on the appearance that he's heir apparent? Has hiring his high school coach made it look too much like the table is set for him?
If I'm a 4 or high 3 star QB and I'm considering VT, I watch Lawson's film and decide whether or not I think I have a shot to win a competition with him. There will be some recruits who nope out on that, but surely there will also be some who say, yeah, I can take this guy.
i read a great article about this argument, which of course I cannot find at all when I want to, basically saying that the culture of the QB recruit has changed dramatically over the past decade. Used to be QB's would go to a program and fight or fail at said program, and as a recruit would regularly comment on "competition being healthy and good". Whereas in recent years QB recruits have a completely different outlook and want to find the quickest and easiest route to the field. That in the face of pure competition with another recruit that same class many will opt to find a better situation somewhere else and decommit.
Still looking for it, but really I think this must be true these days. QBs want to get on the field and play. They are willing to decommit, transfer, etc to get there. More so now than ever before.
My counterpoint is that any big-boy program that could come to him and say, "play here and we'll get you to the league" already has one (if not several) QBs who could compete there. At VT, we have one incoming stud and then.... Durkin, a project QB at best. So I don't think it's a stretch for a QB being recruited to have the following though process: "either I'm good enough to beat this one guy out, or he's good enough to leave early." Not saying that's 100% correct, but it's more reasonable than a lot of thoughts that go into recruiting high school kids.
Your last point is probably the biggest issue. Even if Lawson only stays 3 years, there's a very good chance there's an entirely new offensive staff in place along with a new HC. Buuuuut, we're just not gonna talk about that one cause I'm sure opposing coaches are doing quite enough of that already.
Considering the strong sentiment that Lawson sees the field in some capacity this year, I'm really hoping we can get at least 2 QB commits this year. As you mention, after Brewer and Motley finish their eligibility, we are essentially down to Lawson and Durkin post-2016. I have a feeling Durkin will end up switching positions sooner rather than later, especially if we can snag a few more QB recruits. The guy is just way too talented to sit on the sidelines. Lawson playing this year really accelerates the timeline for 2016 commits to see the field.
And regarding the last point: I'm really hoping we can stock the QB depth chart with talented guys who can fit a potential new HC's scheme. I would really hate to see us scrambling to reload the position when a coaching change occurs down the road.
Agreed. However, I think we'll see one a year until Lefty's done here. As for that last bit, I fully expect to see us heading in the spread/no-huddle/mobile-QB direction once Beamer's done. It's the type of offense Virginia talent fits best, it's the way college football has generally been trending, and it's the type of offense Bud wants to compliment his defense. Not saying RichRod will be the guy, but someone who shares his offensive philosophy will almost certainly be the next HC.
Completely agreed. The spread et al. is the style I've seen our offense transitioning towards with the way our recruiting is shaping up and with the concepts Lefty has built into the scheme. It would be foolish to choose a new HC with an offensive philosophy that completely scraps what we are building here now. As I've mentioned before, I think Whit/Bud will choose an offensive guy who fits our personnel and can create as seamless a transition as possible.
If Jackson comes to VT, it's not as though he's some kid who doesn't have a good resource for advice. His father probably knows the score as well as anyone on the planet.
Based on a few things including his relationship with Lefty....he is VT.
It's between VT and Northwestern...per the twitters.
Oh dear God don't let him go to Northwestern. Even people in Chicago don't give a shit about Northwestern. And not in the way people in Boston don't give a shit about Boston College. Chicagoans like college football. (Not as much as Da Bears, but still, they like the sport.) They're just all U of I or Notre Dame fans. Northwestern is an afterthought.
Slight OT, but heard somewhere that Ryan Williams re-injured a knee? Anyone confirm / give more insight?
The official story is he had a scope done on the none previously injured knee, precaution not because of injury.
So is he still active / planning to be part of OTA's and fall training?
Probably better to discuss Ryan Williams on the Ryan Williams thread.
My B. Couldn't find the appropriate thread for some reason.
IF he comes and IF he starts can we always have the QUACK chant when he runs out on the field for the opening drive of each game?
If not, can our offense be dubbed "The Flying V" if we land him?
i was thinking that it's how they should ALWAYS come out of the huddle. What a great running gag that would be.
I'm good with that.
And I also needed a post on this thread for obvious reasons.
*reading thread*
*sees this comment*
*reads username*
Ha!
+1 for a Jurassic Park gif
Anyone know what time he is committing?
11:30
....Central Time.
12:30 Eastern Standard Time
Eh, minor details
9:30 Pacific.
And poor fernley will have to get up in the middle of the night to get the news in real-time in China.
Muthaphucka.... I was up for a conference call to UK and I miss the whole damn thing.
Are you sure about that? I haven't seen it specified anywhere, but most of Michigan (including Saline), falls under EST.
To be honest, I had no real idea what time the announcement was or in what time zone. But after surfing the web I did find a link to watch the commitment live (below), and you were right it is 11:30 am EST.
http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-4609990298025527324/watc...
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
Virginia Tech!
He pulled the Tyrod. "University of.....Virginia Tech"
and it is Virginia Tech
Hooray!
University of Virginia Tech
BOOM! Welcome, Josh!
He's a Hokie! Looks like we might have to wear orange a little more often though...
I only break this out for the big commits...
Yaaaayyy legs for all!
Watching Josh's hudl tape gets me pumped for him to come to campus! He's smart, knows how to take a hit, is extremely accurate and has the intangibles. I watched him play a playoff game two weeks ago and he looked sharp. I think he'll be able to adjust to the speed of the college game just fine. I'm very excited to see him compete for the Hokies!
Do you have any idea what you just did to me by bringing this article up again in the current state of the football program?
Nope, and to be honest I haven't seen it yet.
Likewise, man. Damn near had a heart attack. Any time someone digs up an old thread about someone who isn't yet signed is like a flag for "decommit."
Dang. I thought for sure we had lost him when I saw new comments on this.
Sorry. Just wanted to add my two cents after watching him recently. He signed already and is planning to enroll in January, but I think he's like all the other recruits and watching closely to who gets hired.
Just be aware, that there's no "signing" for early enrollees. He's signed off on his financial aid paperwork but that's only binding on the school. That being said I heard he is enrolling as planned this winter.
Well, yes. But see below for my thoughts.
I'm no insider or anything but I heard he's going to enroll this winter as planned.
I certainly hope so.
I have a feeling that no matter what happens with the coaching staff, SL is most likely gone, which I wouldn't think would bode well for our chances of keeping him.
This is the plan. I think he's firm, unless something bad happens. I know he has strong ties to Loeffler, so we will see what happens.
o.O
these are good points. I don't see very many scenarios where SL is still in Blacksburg come 2016
I think Bud might give him another year depending on how the offense ends the year
This may be the only way that SL is around.
We better hope so, otherwise we are going to have a true freshman backing up Lawson for the 2017 season.
By goodness, i hope:
1) we still have Lawson next year
and
2) we play Lawson next year, and not wait until 2017.
Even if Motley beats out Lawson for the starting job, Lawson will get more playtime by default of not being the 3rd string QB. The bigger potential problem is 2017, if either Lawson or Jackson leaves/decomitt we are in for a world of hurt. Basically leaves us with moving Durkin back to QB or starting walk on Jack Click
I'm worried that Lawson will transfer after this year though. I don't think we can afford to keep his athleticism at bay on the sidelines and not give him a chance to develop during games (i.e. Tyrod circa 2007)
His High School coach is on staff if he is retained Lawson might stay even if Loeffler leaves. You start the quarterback that gives you the best chance of winning, hopefully that is Lawson but if it Motley you play him
I have been curious about this part of the entire coaching change. Guys like Chuck Cantor, Thomas Guerry, Max Warner, our defensive QC coordinator Joe Perri (bet you nobody knew about him), and even Beamer's secretary, Diana Clark, are they all on the chopping block too or are they safe?
Cantor and Guerry are not the coaching staff but members of the Athletic Department so they will be safe.
Do not forget Javonn Quillen. He is the next coming of Tyrod. From 10-0 Hampton High.
I got a feeling he's gone to UGA if it's a commitable offer
Guy I work with who's from Michigan sent me this link last week. The article says that Josh plans to stay committed as long as Leoffler remains on the new coach's staff.
http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/
If we get the right offensive-minded HC hire, I could honestly see Loeffler staying on as a co-OC/QB coach. The guy is an Xs and Os wizard and knows how to recruit and develop QBs, and if a hot shot offensive coach (Herman, Morris) comes in to install their system and call plays, I can envision Lefty staying onboard in that capacity.
Would add Fuente to that list as well. Otherwise, I agree.
If Loeffler stays on as co-OC, I think just about every VT forum/message board will implode.
Probably so. But I believe if we get one of those offensive HCs, his role as an OC or co-OC would basically be in name only. Herman/Morris/Fuente would be driving the ship and calling the plays. I think having Lefty's primary responsibility as a QB coach and recruiter would be a good fit with one of those coaches.
Yeah, I just think it's funny and I would just watch the world burn. Last co-OC deal was O'Cain-Stinespring, which caused plenty of heartburn. Just combine that with a guy that very few seem to have much faith in, at the point where we have an opportunity to transform the program, and some people might jump off the deep end.
well...max warner got us Lawson. Can you imagine this season with Lawson's contribution? I didn't think so. Totally worth it. then there's Jackson. If he can help us even half as much as Lawson has, then I say we keep Loeffler just to secure Jackson. /s
I see what you're saying in that Lawson and Jackson are very unproven. But, if we were to lose Jackson, and say Lawson were to transfer if Lefty and Warner are gone next year (maybe he wouldn't but Lefty and Warner were a big part of him coming), we're in dire straits at the QB position. We're looking at Motley, Jack Click, and maybe having to move Durkin back over from working with the TEs. Unless the new coach could suddenly pull a recruiting miracle and snag some good QB recruits, I think we would be in trouble if we lost Jackson. In serious, serious trouble if both he and Lawson were to go.
Assuming all of those players leave/decommit, I don't think that Motley starting next year would be the worst thing ever. Not ideal, but obviously if he gets injured then we're done for a year.
2017 would need to be the year of the freshman QB that the new coach recruits.
Tom Herman took a guy who was Houston's starting WR at the beginning of last year to being a Davey O'Brien and Maxwell semifinalist QB for Houston this season. Jackson and/or Lawson leaving would not be ideal, but if we landed Herman, he could probably find some QB depth elsewhere on the roster while he recruits his own guys. Durkin would definitely have to come back to QB, maybe even give a guy like Joel Caleb (played QB in high school) a shot. All speculation of course, but it's going to be interesting seeing what our QB depth looks like after the coaching transition.
There's also the possibility of finding another Brewer. Grab a kid who's graduated, started elsewhere, and can come in day one and be the guy for a season or two if needed.
you're forgetting one key thing: Sam Rogers.
If that happened maybe Jacob Park would give us another look
I want him as QB coach but not co-OC. Or, if we get an honest to god offensive guru HC, Scot can keep the OC title so long as it's a situation like Morris at SMU, Meyer at OSU or (gasp) Johnson at GT, where the official OC position is more in name only.
Might be OK with that. I definitely believe in Loeffler as a QB coach and would be OK with him staying on in that capacity.
There is no doubt the message boards would be ablaze with colorful commentary on the decision to keep him on board.
I seriously doubt if that happens but I wouldn't be extremely upset with it. I don't think Loeffler is a bad guy. He could stand to learn from a guy who is known as an offensive minded guy in this game. If my memory serves, Loeffler has gone from Addazio to Chizic to Beamer. Coaching under 3 consecutive Defensive minded coaches has got to have it's challenges. Who knows, maybe Loeffler could turn into a rock star with the proper guidance.
Addazio is an offensive coach. Loeffler was his QB coach at Florida.
OL/TE coach at Syracuse '95-'98
OL/TE coach at Notre Dame '99-'01
OL coach at Indiana '02 - '03
OC/OL coach at Indiana in '04
OL coach at Florida '05 - '08
OC/OL coach at Florida '09 - '10
HC at Temple '11 - '12
HC at BC '13 - present
thanks for clearing that up. I shouldn't have assumed he was a defensive coach. I guess with the elite defense and non-existent offense he has in Chestnut Hill I figured he had to be a defensive guy...the fact he's an "offensive minded" coach and he's currently fielding the worst offense in college football is pretty damning. I know that his name came up a little bit as a possible replacement early on in the conversation. I certainly am less interested now than I was then....
I would like to think that we as fans would be supportive of every one of our coaches. I think Lefty takes a lot of grief for some things that have been entirely out of his control. Under his watch, we have operated with no huddle and up tempo, we have improved significantly since he got here, and most importantly the talent in both the QB role and the other positions have improved.
This. There are plenty of gripes to be had, but we are trending upwards on offense for the first time in a long time.
Which means it probably isn't a bad decision...
I have my own connections within the MI high school realm, since I live up here. That article was written before Frank announced his retirement, by the way. While SL is the main connection for Jackson at VT, I still think with the right coach Jackson would consider staying. He seems to be very high on everything Virginia Tech, It's unusual compared to a lot of top commits here in MI how into the Hokies he is. A lot of the top recruits around the state aren't as voiced as Jackson.
No chance Loeffler stays.
Was just going to comment this. 0% chance.
If Lefty's tenure was determined with a majority vote by the fanbase, then I can see where you get 0%.
Being that absolutely no one has a clue who the next HC will be, much less what that HC decides to do with his offensive staff, I would at least bump that up to 1%.
Otherwise, #sources?
Seems really strange to me that he would commit now when he could wait until the next coach was hired and then make his decision. I guess the fact that he wants to enroll in December is what is accelerating his timeline, but even then we know Whit has reached out to recruits and said that he wants the next coach hired before guys have to enroll in December. It just doesn't seem realistic for him to think that Loeffler would still be at Virginia Tech when this is all said and done. Unless he was sold on Virginia Tech the brand and campus then what exactly is he committing to?
Look up.
Even if you don't like the all-black uniforms, Jackson does.
This, this made my day.
But wait... I thought flashy uniforms to help with recruiting was a fallacy
It still might be, but this just proves it doesn't hurt.
noice!
if the kids like it I'm all for it. My fashion sense is not important.
Good news on the Jackson front:
This is awesome. Not just that he's trying to sell other recruits on VT. It's looking like he's close to a lock right now.
Also awesome Gilbert has us in his final two.