Virginia Tech secured another JUCO prospect for its 2016 recruiting class on Thursday. Mississippi Delta Community College product Demetri Moore signed with the Hokies. The 6-6, 305 offensive lineman joins quarterback Jerod Evans, who signed with Virginia Tech on Wedbesday.
IT'S OFFICIAL: Demetri Moore is a Hokie!!
#Sandman16 :memo: @dakingmetri pic.twitter.com/5ThSphJnaH— HokiesFB (@HokiesFB) December 18, 2015
Moore is rated as a 3-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite. In addition to Virginia Tech, Moore had scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Georgia and Auburn.
ESPN's insider evaluation summarizes Moore as having the right attitude and size for an offensive lineman, but his skills and fundamentals need refinement to match his mindset.
STRENGTHS: Prospect with nice combination of height and bulk on a well-built frame and demonstrates good playing strength and an aggressive demeanor. Flashes ability to deliver a good pop on contact and roll hips and when he does can generate good push. Flashes good quickness to work to second level and get a piece of targets. Can fight to stay in front of pass rushers when gets hands on... AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Needs to improve angles working to second level. Needs to watch pad level and in pass pro can set high and get top heavy. Needs to work to improve hand placement...BOTTOM LINE: Moore is a tough, aggressive OL. Looks willing to scrap to try and get job done and has some good raw tools, but needs to continue to develop and be more consistent with technique. May need to slide inside to OG with a move to a mid-to-upper tier FBS program. Size, experience and raw ability should gain him interest.
Comments
Much hip-thrusting.
Guerry never disappoints with the hints.
Fuente & Company have hit the ground running.
He chose us over Auburn straight up. That just warms my heart to say.
He grew up an Auburn fan I believe.
Guys, we aren't supposed to beat out all these SEC programs for recruits. I want #sources.
But seriously..... we beat out Grimes for this guy right? Haha.
Grimes is at LSU not Georgia or Auburn
Jeff Grimes is the OL coach at LSU. J.B. Grimes is the OL coach at Auburn (former VT OL coach from 1993-1997, very well regarded)
Yep. J.B. is kind of an OL whisperer (if that's possible haha). And a very good recruiter.
Jeff Grimes that is. Former VT OL coach J.B. Grimes is at Auburn.
Edit: SevenLayersofPlayers beat me to it.
We seem to be taking a lot of talent away from SEC teams. I think I could get used to this
Couldn't agree more! But we do need to see how they produce on the field
O-Lineman commit? I'll wait for French to translate the film for me before I get excited:
You can't teach feet. He has feet and a legitimate left tackle starter frame. I am happy.
Reason # 835 as to why I am not a coach:
I would be happy if our entire recruiting class was filled with O-line recruits this year.
Dang, that's like #1835 on my list.
Of course my list of reasons as to why I'm not a coach is a very long list. Maybe the longest ever. In the world.
Look...I love signing great kids, but this sudden transition to juco guys is a bit jarring to me. Does anyone else think that we're overextending a bit, going for the immediate plug-and-play instead of the development route? Someone tell me this strategy is in line with the new world order?
It's something a lot of other schools do that we've never really done. JUCO guys come in with experience at a higher level, so maybe they'll come in and contribute right away. They only have 2 years of eligibility, but it should help us in positions of need to buy our staff time to get recruits who factor into a longer strategy. At least, that's how I see it. Definitely a new feeling for us.
I think it just shows Coach Fu is practical in his approach to solving problems directly. Having a "way" and a method is good. It helps create consistency. Sometimes there are extant circumstances (like 10 years of abysmal recruiting) that require an adjustment to get the necessary pieces in place. I've been impressed with his management skills so far.
Ditto. You said my thoughts on this well. A couple of plug and play studs won't hurt the team as a long as we continue to recruit and build depth the correct way. If the theme becomes to constantly recruit from Juco then I might begin to worry about his methods.
But like the Loeffler experiment, we need to give the new coach time to develop his system and players.
I feel like we are emphasizing these JUCO recruits because they give us the best chance to be a ACC contender as soon as next season. A true freshman wont always make that impact.
Within the past 3 days we've landed guys at the opposite ends of that spectrum. First, we got TJ Jackson, who is the epitome of a high-ceiling, raw, developmental player. That kid won't be expected to see the field until his r-sophomore year at the earliest, but could develop into an outstanding player.. Then, we grab Demitri Moore, with offers from a handful of SEC teams, to play now and fill an immediate need. That, my friends, is how you recruit your biggest needs - help now, building blocks for the future.
You're not wrong, but a little piece of me always goes back to the Auburn principle:
Grab a Cam Newton for this year and languish until you find the next Cam Newton.
A piece of me thinks this is exciting. But another piece of me thinks this is Kentucky Basketball, without the sustainability of continuous one-and-dones.
You can't fill out a whole roster with JUCO players. The sustainability still comes from regular recruiting. If you aren't able to spare a couple spots for JUCO players then you aren't doing a good job developing the bulk of your talent anyway.
I think we are having our cake and eating it, too. We are securing those guys who are going to step in and play immediately and contribute and then we are also getting in those guys who aren't going to be ready right away but in a couple years week be able to step in and be playmakers.
It's like signing Cam Newton who is ready now and at the same time signing a Deshaun Watson, who will need a couple years to be ready. You're making sure the present and future are accounted for in the same swoop.
This. I agree, if you only rely on JUCO kids, there can be problems. But behind Jerod Evans stands Dwayne Lawson with 3 years of eligibility and Joshua Jackson with 4.
If we win a national championship like Auburn did, I will be happy to languish until we find the next guy.
I understand where you are coming from. I don't think you'll see VT go JUCO for QBs often. Find holes, fill holes, develop talent. As far as OL, they are so hit-or-miss that I don't see the downside of supplementing w/ some JUCO's.
Tom Herman's first QB at Houston was a JUCO kid from the same school, and Brewer was a transfer himself. We have quite a few young OL I can't wait to see developed.
It's wild how quickly the concerns about recruiting have changed, for the good.
I'll believe this Fuente guy is a good recruiter once I see him sign a good player instead of these lowly 3 and 4 stars.
/s
Competition and Depth
Everything else is just overthinking it.
If we found a couple Cam Newtons out there, we're in for a good, good time.
That's aiming high but why not?
I'm gonna be honest, I think I would take both a Kentucky Basketball and a Cam Newton scenario...
I think of JUCOS providing us with a much needed shot in the arm for the time being. If VT has
with JUCOs then why not keep it up?
I remember watching Cordarelle Patterson shredding NC State's defense in the CFA kickoff game a couple years ago in his first game at Tennessee and thought to myself, "hmm, maybe we should sign JUCOs."
We signed 2 JUCOs. If 2 guys break us we have a lot more problems than any of us think.
There we go.
What guitar man said. We NEED plug and play guys but will continue to develop guys as well. Not sure how signing Evans and Moore could be seen as anything but hugely positive!!
Welcome to the Internet! Shopping is on the left, sports forums on the right, and watch out for all the porn.
We've been "Developing" O- Lineman since Dooley. Not doing well. It's our achilles heel. Getting a dude whose this big and talented is a no brainer. "Always with the negative waves Moriarity"
Although O-Line is the one other "position" Tech has put a fair number of guys into the NFL. DBU and OLU.
Seems hard to believe, doesn't it?
I don't see any problems with JUCO/transfer players coming in. When you're an above average, but not elite, recruiting program, there will always be holes in your team, due to attrition or players just failing to pan out. Sometimes you have to bring in a few of these types of players to plug those holes. VT has lots of young, developing O-linemen and QBs in the program right now. I think it's great to get a couple veteran guys like Moore and Evans (and Brewer) to plug in while the youngsters continue to develop.
This class isn't very big, isn't all that great, and there's been a good bit of attrition. They could use the bodies.
I wonder how these JUCO guys affect the graduation rate? Are they only on scholarship for two years to complete their 4 year degree? Hopefully all or most of their credits transfer but that's not always the case, right?
Think of the JUCOs guys as immediate depth.
They'll have to earn they're way out on the field, so its not automatic plug-and-play. If Coach Fu's system is easy to learn, then it probably attracts top JUCO talent hoping to get on the field (considering they have to prove themselves right away to be considered a draft prospect.)
I like the fact that the simple, high-scoring offensive system is attracting top talent. A few years of scoring points in bunches and VT will be attracting top high-school talent as well.
do we actually know anything about the level of complexity of Fuente's offense? It's entirely possible that his offense is equally as complex as Lefty's and that Fuente is just a better teacher. It's also entirely possible that Fuente's offense is significantly simpler. I honestly don't know. I'm just wondering if anybody knows for certain.
We do. We will have an extended series of Fuente's offense this spring. Fuente uses more formations than Loeffler, but less pre-snap motion. The series where pre-snap motion is utilized, it is simplistic. His system isn't looking to trick you into an alignment error. Rather, his system forces a defense to defend multiple plays off the same backfield action. That is as much as I can say without spoiling the big series.
I can't wait to read it!! I can't say how much I really appreciate everything you guys do. I never played a down of organized football in my life and reading the stuff you guys put out has made me appreciate the sport so much more than I ever had before. It's awesome to learn and I really appreciate what you guys do. I will make another donation to TKP after the dust settles from the holidays. Thanks again for being awesome.
That's fits right into what I've always thought about Loeffler...he was more interested in the defense's weaknesses and errors than his offense's strengths.
It just seems like there is more things popping lately than ever before leading up to signing day. Will the JUCO signings cause some of our commits to be left out in the cold? Or in other words, how many openings did we start with & did we already have enough commits to fill them?
Save the negativity for another thread. Let's now welcome Demetri to Hokienation.
Don't think it's negative at all. It was a legit question and nothing personal towards our recent signee at all.
The numbers always work out. We had attrition before last season started and these early enrollees count against last year's numbers.
The numbers will always work out.
Get the talent on board. The numbers always work out.
Oh Hell YES!
Demetri looks like he already has the physical tools to play. He is a great addition to the O-line class. Vance will correct all his Vice when spring ball starts.
The kid doesn't look two years removed from high school. He looks like he's 30 already! That's a man right there!
Nothing like getting a commit on a Wedbesday.
... Today's Thursday.
Sorry, Evans signed on Wedbesday. My bad
What is this Wedbesday you speak of?
/s
Right now I think Fuente is a kid in a candy shop, finding the underrated kids he hoped would come to Memphis but probably wouldn't. I'm not going to be worried about egos until the "star-ratings" start looking gaudy.
I think going from a local school to a national school too quickly might be too much drama to manage.
I love you all.
Are you Drunk?!
Are you not?!
do a bear be shittin in the woods and wipe their ass with a rabbit when they are done?
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Do you ever not have an appropriate gif?
That's why he's the sheriff 'round here.
VTGuitarMan each night before he goes to bed.
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And when I get up each morning:
don't forget to eat a healthy breakfast
haha yea right you wish!!!!
you know your more like this right now
Love you buddy. That's why I sent a holiday donation check and got drunk.
Ok, so the drunk was on me.
CJF: "Who do I need? Where can I find him? JUCO? Can start right away? Good."
Now we just need Malcolm Pridgeon.
I am out of Viagra but am sporting some wood now despite that.
A leg for SCH
Classic Musky
That's so Musky.
Do we know if he's a January enrollee?
Looks to be
Welcome home, Demetri.
On a related note, it's really hard to find a Vice City wall paper that doesn't scream UM (I mean, I get it and all, but I still want something we can post for O-line guys)
Don't look now but our recruiting ranking has shot up to 26th according to 247. Fuente basically cut it in half in the span of 2 weeks.
Thats sexy
Calling it now. We crack the top 20 by signing day.
If this comes true imma track you down and call you a genius prophet. Daggon it im so amped for next year.
Not 26th. 36th.
Yep, but it was around 50th last week. So moving in the right direction for sure.
He makes that brick wall look small and feeble.
i like going the JUCO route to fill in the gaps of need; and beating out the SEC for the same recruits, too? Win-Win
"Dead period."
Apparently, you can get a lot done over the phone.
you can't teach feet. he has good feet. Regarding Yosh Nijman and Jonathan McLaughlin, I am reminded of this Sean Connery line from The Hunt For Red October.
"When he reached the New World, Cortez burned his ships. As a result his men were well motivated."
The gauntlet has been dropped. There is now competition at every spot on the offensive line.
Unrelated, this seems like an excellent opportunity to say "the average rooskie doesn't take a dump without a plan."
FRENNNNNNNNNCHHHHHHHHHHH
Listen, I'm a politician which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops. But it also means I keep my options open.
"Ryan, some things in here don't react well to bullets." Yeah, like me. I don't react well to bullets.
Easily one of my favorites movies and books as well. I'm slowly working my way through the Jack Ryan series and I freaking love it.
"You heard the torpedo hit the hull. And I was never here."
"Next time, Jack, write a g**d*** memo."
"How did you know that his next turn would be to starboard?"
"I didn't. I had a 50/50 chance. I needed a break. Sorry."
"That's all right, Mr Ryan. My Morse is so rusty, I could be sending him dimensions on Playmate of the Month."
"Selling pre-atomic submarines to people who don't leave full addresses.... good day, Admiral."
Oh wait, that was the 1960s Batman movie. A classic!
I'm glad to hear the next generation say so. I remember when Red October was published, and the excitement of reading it knowing our subs were chasing theirs around. From then till about Rabbit Run I read everything Clancy wrote as soon as I could get my hands on it. But I have wondered how those books would be received by readers who didn't grow up during the cold war. I'm glad to hear you don't have to remember that era to appreciate them.
Class of '14 grad here... Love reading the early Clancy books and how they related to that era!
FWIW I am a history major who's intensely interested in the Cold War era so I'm probably not the best example.
Yep. I applied to the Naval Academy mostly because of that book, and the thought that our subs were playing hide-and-go-fuck-with-the-Russkies every day. Good thing I got wait-listed, else I wouldn't have been a Hokie.
I shudder at that thought.
Competition and depth. Quality depth as well, Grimes recruits have some seasoning on them, we're returning 4 starters plus Yoshua. By my math we are returning guys that have started 86 games combined.
Hokieboner...
Is it fair to say McLaughlin has regressed, or am I just remembering all his bad blocks from this season?
He hasn't improved. To me, with a new OL coach, both McLaughlin and Conte are guys who could be at risk of losing their jobs. Nijman needs to get bigger. And Kyle Chung could push Eric Gallo although I think Gallo had a heck of a first year at the center spot.
The one thing I worried about this season that didn't happen was Gallo acting like a freshman.
I'm worried about the offensive line too. They really lucked out this year by keeping the starting 5 together with no injuries, and still were underwhelming, esp. in pass-pro.
Brewer (and Motley) took WAY to many hits.
By my count, Moore makes 20 scholarship linemen. 4 SR, 5 JR, 5 SO, 6 FR, depending on Hoyt
I think there will be some attrition there. We know Alston Smith won't be back. He participated in Senior Day.
I believe that count includes Smith and Willenbrock who are not returning for their r-Sr years. So the number is 18.
I for one think it's better to bring in Junior College guys to fill holes in the roster than either 1)raiding an under performer at another position or 2)bringing in a walk on.
Seems that Fuente and Buzz have nearly identical recruiting styles.
Hopefully, as both programs raise will get more kids out of high school than Junior college, but really, look at how many kids we've brought in from Fork Union. Really, this isn't that new of a phenomenon for Hokie Football
.
part of the issue is we assume that since kids go/we place them at fork union the will come to VT 100%. That has not been the case the past couple years.
new staff has a ton of ties in the JUCO power circle that is Mississippi and surrounding areas and we're getting to pick top kids from that area.
And there was rejoicing and much hip thrusting.
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That will always make me laugh. Leg to you
Also, a 6'6" 305 OT that is the PULLING lineman in some of those running plays? Nimble feet!
Another key player to make McMillian's life easier, hopefully good pass rush blocking. Our current o-line, even though they played hard, was very inconsistent and relatively effective. Our QB were to frequently getting punished by teams we should have been able to handle.
Looks like possibly brighter day ahead
Question: When they say a 2/3 star recruit, but 26 JUCO player, is the star ranking the initial rating they had out of HS? If so, then a 2/3 star recruit out of HS would probably be a 4-star out of JUCO right?
Not necessarily. On 247 the rankings and ratings of JUCO players are current, i.e. JUCO rankings & ratings. And those ratings are still potential/skill based. A 2-star HS prospect who goes to JUCO may grow into a 4-star JUCO prospect by developing and demonstrating improvement on the field, but it's not automatic.
Also plenty of JUCO prospects aren't even rated as HS players because they are un-recruitable due to academics.
Forget JUCO/non-JUCO. This kid looks like a very talented player. He has the feet. He has the reach. He has the legitimate size (not a guy with a frame too small to carry the mass.)
I am normally very opposed to going the JUCO route, and if we see them getting JUCOs every year, I am going to grow concerned. The bad part is that if you sign a JUCO to start immediately, and they aren't ready to play immediately then you have doubled down because you don't have a young player and you don't have time to develop the JUCO.
French, do you feel Austin Clark will be able to contribute much this year?
Honestly, I have not seen Austin take a single rep since the last drive of the first half of the spring game. Until I see him with my own eyes, I have to reserve judgement.
Fair enough, thanks for answer.
Just like people anointing Lawson as the starter last year- until we see a player at full speed against other DI players, it is a crap shoot. For Clark, I have seen five plays (all of which were pass pro against walk-on defensive ends.) It isn't enough for me to have any idea. He was not a player we saw clips of in the VT snapchats from fall camp.
I don't check TKP for a day or two and I miss out on all the fun....I feel like a third wheel.
Always late to the party....
With your additional context, that gif made me chuckle uncontrollably.
If anything, your timing was impeccable, coming in an hour after French got done addressing all the questions so you got the fresh answers without having to sift through 100+ memes if you didnt feel like it.
The JUCO route is a good way to get players that are ready to step in to quickly rebuild/re-inforce the O-line. It is probably not a long strategy, but it is a quick fix. It will give the recruitment process a chance to get ripe true freshman to develop from the start.
Fuente has a plan, and so far it is looking promising. Time will tell.
247 Sports SonofaCoach Film Breakdown
I'm ok with JUCO. We start seeing succes and the recruits will come. Look at Clemson.
JUCO OL Demetrius Moore talks about his decision to sign with Hokies