2016 WR Phillip Patterson Ready for a "Big Old Hug" from Hokies' Justin Fuente After Re-Commitment

After a few weeks of uncertainty, 2016 WR Phillip Patterson of Virginia Beach's Bayside HS is back in the fold with the Hokies, and new head coach Justin Fuente couldn't be happier.

Patterson retracted his Tech pledge in the wake of Frank Beamer's retirement last month, but on Monday night, he let Fuente know that he was convinced to stick with his original commitment.

"He said that I'm gonna love it when I meet him in person, when I talked to him on the phone, he said the first thing he's gonna do when he sees me is give me a big old hug," Patterson said.

But Patterson admits that the prospects of such an emotional reunion with the Hokies didn't always look good. He rescinded his original commitment just a few days after Beamer's retirement, a move that he said was prompted by the uncertainty that move brought to Blacksburg.

"I wasn't sure about it after the announcement Coach Beamer was retiring because I knew there was going to be a lot of coaching staff switch-ups and things like that, that's my main reason for de-committing," Patterson said.

Given Patterson's relationship with current WRs coach Zohn Burden, who's recruited him since his ODU days, it's not surprising that the coaching upheaval gave him pause about Tech.

But Patterson credits his early interactions with Fuente and new Tech assistant Holmon Wiggins for allaying those concerns.

"I'm very solid on my decision now that I've talked to the coaches and know them a little bit better," Patterson said. "They have good intentions of getting me in there, getting early playing time, just making sure that I'm in good hands. That was my main focus in finding a school."

Patterson said he heard from Fuente last Tuesday night, making him one of the new head Hokie's very first calls in the new role, and he was impressed with how knowledgeable he already seemed about his game.

"When I talked to him, he was sitting there, telling me exact plays on my highlight tape," Patterson said. "It just made me feel special that he actually took the time out being as big time as he is, and he actually evaluated me, and we had a real good conversation."

Patterson adds that he was equally impressed by Wiggins, noting that his youthfulness also made him easy to connect with.

"He's very up front, he's cool. It's easy to relate to him in a conversation, we talk about football and personal things, and that's what kind of got me closer to him," Patterson said. "He seemed like a pretty young, cool coach, and I could talk to him about anything, and really made me feel comfortable. He didn't pressure me, just talked about football things and coming to Tech and stuff like that. He made a pretty good impression on me."

According to Patterson, Wiggins told him he plans to visit Bayside on Tuesday, yet his exact role with the Hokies remains unclear. He's currently listed on Tech's website as the team's wide receivers coach, but the team's made it clear that may change.

As of now, #Hokies say they're listing Holmon Wiggins as the wide receivers coach. Subject to change as staff comes together, however.— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) December 7, 2015

Given his role as running backs coach under Fuente at Illinois State, it would seem he has flexibility. For his part, Patterson said he's still "wondering" about Wiggins' exact role, but he hasn't "heard anything official yet." Similarly, he said he has yet to hear anything from Fuente or any other Tech coaches about Burden's future.

Regardless of who ends up coaching him on a daily basis, Patterson said he's anxiously awaiting the chance to play in Fuente's spread offense.

"That really did attract me a lot, that's the kind of offense I look forward to in college, a spread offense that will get me the ball in space and let me work," Patterson said.

But before he can get on campus for good, Patterson hopes to take another visit to Blacksburg to meet Fuente and the rest of the new staff.

"I definitely want to take an official in January," Patterson said. "I don't have a specific date yet, but I'm definitely going back."

When he gets there, he just might be able to get that hug Fuente promised him.

"I just want to go for the experience this time," Patterson said. "I'm pretty close with most of these guys, I just haven't met Coach Fuente in person. But I definitely want to go there and enjoy the experience, and just enjoy myself."