2016 Virginia Tech WR target and Maryland verbal commitment Tino Ellis blogged about his recruitment at Recruit Diaries. Among other things he discussed Randy Edsall's termination, D.J. Durkin's hiring and how he remains committed to Maryland. It's an insightful read (and the website itself is a really cool project started by a 17-year-old).
As most of you know, I committed to Maryland over the summer, just before school started. Since then, a lot has change for the football team. Coach Randy Edsall was relieved of his duties as head coach and left the school, and the school hired DJ Durkin as his replacement. Coach Edsall and I had a great relationship, and I actually spoke to him after his termination. I wanted to wish him well in his future endeavors. As a recruit you have to be prepared for any situation and make sure you commit to a school because it is right for you not because of the coach. I definitely committed to the University of Maryland as an institution to further my education and not just because of the football program. Maryland has one of the top criminal justice and law programs in the country. The school is located in the number one job market in the country, the Washington D.C. metro area, and is forty miles away from the number four job market, which is the Baltimore area. I plan on studying law while in school, and there is no better place then UMD, not to mention the school's alumni is all over the nation and they are leaving their mark in the field I plan to enter after football. I chose Maryland for life after football, and I can honestly say that once I have my degree, I am excited to use it in whatever opportunities that present themselves.
Although I was saddened by the loss of Coach Edsall, I think that Coach Durkin is a great hire for the school. He proved at Michigan that he could handle the pressure of coaching at a big name, Big Ten school. He has begun to breathe new life into the program and has already made a positive impact by hiring amazing new assistant coaches. I have spoken to Coach Durkin on several occasions and each conversation was very upbeat and positive. I have no doubt that he will leave a great mark on the program and will lead us to new heights. Because of the coaching changes and all the speculation that has been around the program, there have been rumors about me looking elsewhere and thinking of decommitting. I want to say right now that there is no truth to those rumors and I couldn't be happier to be committed to my dream school, the University of Maryland. I also want to say that while I cannot wait to get on campus, I will not be enrolling early. I will be part of the class of 2016, a special class that will help contribute to the team from the start. The class overall has a ton of amazing talent, but there is also a lot of talent on the current roster too. It is going to be great to see all us come together and the final product will be something you don't want to miss. We are going to have playmakers on both sides of the ball. I played both ways at DeMatha, and I can't say I haven't thought about playing both ways in college. I would love to play offense, defense, special teams, everything; but wherever I am needed and asked to play, I will be ready contribute and help the team win.
Comments
Sounds like a level headed kid that knows what he wants in life. Best of luck to him.
Yup, all the more reason why I would like for him to attend hokietown
We can't fault him for being well thought out.
Duuuuuuuuuuuuude, and this thread was all but dead, too
Kid seems smart and well spoken, and appears to be fulfilling a life long dream. But I have never heard anyone call College Park their 'dream school,' and I spent my entire childhood in MD.
"alumni is"???...not so much
Oh come now, we all make the occasional grammar error now and again, don't knock his intelligence based on that one error. We're talking about a 17 y/o that knows exactly where he wants to go and do, which is extraordinarily rare for someone <21 much less 17. Props to this kid!
Overall I thought it was extremely well-written for a 17-year-old. Props to DeMatha for the kid's education as well as his football coaching.
No downvote from me. I see worse on this site often enough, but if you get the drift, what's the point of being a grammar cop? I'll admit, it can grate on me to read college grads make basic grammatical errors sometimes, but it just seems a little mean spirited to castigate someone for it, especially a well meaning kid.
Really?
Agreed, I also grew up in MD, and didn't hear too many of my classmates saying they were going to their "dream school" at UMD. They really haven't had a decent football program since Bobby Ross was there in the 80's. To each is own, I guess.
That's too bad, but it's his career and his school choice.
I'm sure he'll do fine.
No that can't be right, it's only because of Frank Beamers age, Shane Beamers bad recruiting that he didn't commit to Tech!
I think it was "the movement".
As an aside why doesn't VT have a criminal justice related degree field? Or an emergency management/ homeland security one?
Are those career fields that one can't do with, you know, ANY degree if you took a few relevant subject matter classes?
BOOM.
Law enforcement yes, emergency mangament no. That's why I'm having to go back to college, despite having years in the public safety field, jobs as an emergency management employee require degrees, usually a masters in that field.
Credentials. They'll get after ya.
Oddly enough, we don't require public policy degrees of Congress or the President, but maybe we should!
My dad and I actually started talking to some folks at the state level, trying to come up with a program to work with the VTCC to take advantage of the Corps-only cadets and give them a police/public safety/homeland security option. It would also benefit the Virginia State Police academy and other local police academies. (In sports terms, it would give them a "minor league" or "prep school" of sorts.)
Unfortunately, everyone got immediately hung up on who was going to pay for it.
This is ultimately what it comes down to, though. Would it be cool to have? Sure. It even makes sense. But given that there are dozens of criminal justice and homeland security programs across the state, it comes down to the University's desire to fund it. Which, frankly, would probably be quite low. Without a good return on investment, what incentive does VT have to hire more faculty and administrators for the program, when established programs exist nearby (Radford, GMU, VCU, etc.)? While I hate to say it, universities are businesses. Unless there is going to be a significant financial windfall for the school (which usually come via grants and donations), they are unlikely to start up new programs.
Without remembering all of the details, it was basically like setting up an ROTC-like program, so not a full fledged major/minor. And it would utilize training already set up by the state and feds.
What really annoyed me was that it was literally the first question, even before anyone understood exactly what the program could or would be. I get that is all comes down to money, but is it too much to ask to have a conversation and figure out enough of the broad strokes to even figure out how much it would cost?
Unless things have changed a lot in 3 years VCU is only college with bachelors level homeland security program in Virginia.
VT actually does have quite a significant commitment to this area, although it's not obvious. In the College of Architecture & Urban Studies, Center for Public Administration and Policy, they offer a Master's in Public Administration (CPAP MPA). The program provides a much broader stroke than *just* emergency management or criminal justice and has ties to ICMA and other municipal organizations. CPAP offers a Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security, either as a stand-alone or as an element of the MPA program.
I'm entering my 3rd semester and I love it, even while working full-time for VT. The faculty really allows me to concentrate my research and focus into my areas of interest, and I think it's going to serve me much better than a standard EM/CJ degree program. FWIW, my college path went VT Engineering -> Paramedic -> Criminal Justice/Homeland Security (BS) -> Public Administration. THANK YOU Profs. LaPorte & Pusey, because that engineering stuff has paid off 1000 times over!
I agree Tech has a great graduate level program, but isn't it only offered in the capital region campus? Also doesn't help at bachelors level. I'm in similar career path of sorts. Police officer > firefighter/EMT > trying to get job as a county Emergency Manager.
Actually, it's offered in Blacksburg, Richmond, and the NCR campus. One of the selling points is that in talking to #sauces, there's a lot of opportunity for graduate-degreed city / town managers that have a background in EM / HS, who can avoid the faux pax that so many seem to fall into when the defecation hits the rotary oscillator. I know of three "career" public safety people that MPA'd then went on to actual county/city/town manager posts here in Virginia alone; had they focused on HS/EM they likely would've hit a ceiling.
Not only that - but being able to be a student on campus again is awesome even at my age. I'm a huge fan of CPAP and the MPA program, so anyone that wants to know more, just let me know. And #ThisIsHome so when in Blacksburg, come on over to Thomas Conner House (you know, across the street from everyone's favorite 7-11).
[waving to you from Richmond, where I'm working on the graduate certificate in local government management]
Good certificate program. Bob is a great guy to have in your corner.
Obviously you're a full-time student in Blacksburg, but do you have any thoughts on how well the program accommodates working professionals at the NOVA campus?
I would definitely say it's geared toward the working professional. This past semester my class was taught by Cindy Mester, Falls Church Assistant City Manager, from the NoVa site. The setup appeared to be similar to Richmond. I've found it easy to take one class each semester, but I know some folks have taken two at a time. The classes meet once a week for three hours, video conferences with a separate content channel (for powerpoint or whatever). A few hours per week of reading, a couple of writing assignments, and at least one group assignment in each class (so far).
If you're going to get a Master's in public policy, seems to me that some type of MPA would be the one to get if your organization will pay for it... Although it's a significantly bigger investment of time.
We actually kind of do at the undergrad level. In political science there are three options: the legal studies option, national security option, and general option (which is what I did). The first option is designed for those wishing to go to law school. The second option is designed for those wanting to work in national security, foreign policy, or homeland security. In the sociology major you can choose to focus on criminology which is good for those wanting to go into law enforcement or criminal justice work in general.
Nubinile graduated in 2000 b.s. sociology/ criminology. Became a social worker in DC.
Tip of the cap for social work.
As a current law student, it actually makes zero difference what one studies in undergrad. The best advice I received about going into law school was to improve my writing skills. Thus, any subject that requires a lot of technical, argumentative writing is best (not artistic). Any classes in crime, justice, the Constitution, etc, will only provide an extremely superficial preparation for law school.
The most common major for law school is political science, and VT has solid program. Although, its probably better to get a degree in something else. Law schools are looking for diversity, thus a degree in something different (i.e. Foreign language) is plus.
I agree.
I'm more in favor of general degrees (potentially with specializations in areas of interest) than highly specialized degree titles.
For public policy, it doesn't so much matter what your degree is in, as your education is simply providing you with some research, writing, and thinking skills in addition to some specialized courses in your area of interest.
Highly technical areas (engineering and science) are different.
Since this was bumped earlier this week VT did add a criminal justice related major last year. I worked in admissions and it was a big buzz. I can check later for the official title if anyone wants.
Edit: Criminology http://www.admiss.vt.edu/majors/index.php/majors/major/CRI
While it's obvious that I'd rather him switch to the good guys, I really can't complain about this. Ellis is a guy that knows what he wants and is going to a place that's is a good fit for him and his goals. Best of luck to him.
Once Haskins de-commits it'll be a different story.
That's true, if it were to happen.
That's the reason he went there, he had a Haskins on his shoulder.
Big if
Want to pick the numbers for my next Powerball ticket?
Haskins flips to Ohio State - ESPN
almost had me. clearly all smoke and mirrors
It's Tino Ellis. That means he is still looking around. Tech could still be in play.
I know both schools, Tech is the better university by far.
But if he's looking into criminal justice, we don't even have that degree path here for him.
That's a great point - not all schools have all degree programs. If a student has a specific interest, then it makes sense to go to a school that offers a degree in it. I think sometimes we don't give these 18-year-olds enough credit for thinking beyond athletics. VT certainly looks attractive for STEM, pre-med, Vet Med and many others - but there are simply some degree programs we don't, and won't, have in the near future. Kudos to the kids that realize even the NFL is at best a temporary profession.
Virginia Tech not actually having nursing or occupational therapy (what I ended up choosing) is what kept me in Bristol, despite having declared I was going to be a Hokie since Kindergarten. I could've done a pre-major and went to Radford afterwards, but that wasn't something I was interested in since I was wanting to dive head first into programs, already having a lot of college credit coming out of high school. I almost decided to give up on my career aspirations and come and major in political science and/or journalism just to be in Blacksburg but I decided that I couldn't see myself doing that. It's definitely hard to give up your dreams of attending a school because your dreams of being a certain thing get in the way. I wish Tino were going to be a Hokie, but much credit to him for following his heart in a decision that couldn't be easy.
247 is still saying Tino will take an OV FWIW.
I AM NOT GOING TO ALABAMA! - Nick Saban
This is like kids that say I want to get my degree in Engineering...so they go to FSU or Auburn
Or a degree in physics at tech /s
Wait, Tech has a Physics department? When did this happen?
http://liberalarts.vt.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/criminology-major....
So there's this. Is this not what he wants to study?
I honestly didn't know that was a thing here at VT. Leg up for some fine detective work.
I didn't know it was either but I have a friend from Radford (the city) who is an Air Force MP, but eventually wants to get a degree and be a police officer somewhere. He really wants to go to Tech, so a few months ago I was helping him with some research on doing that.
Didn't know this existed it must be new but only 21 credit hours in criminology is well Criminal.
This is actually a little different. After doing some digging I learned that this is the new version of what I studied. I was a Sociology major with a concentration in Crime Deviance. Evidently that concentration no longs exists but instead has been turned into the new major of "Criminology" (which interestingly is still technically offered by the sociology department according to the link).
Now the strange part about the whole situation is that VT doesn't have a Criminal Justice program because Radford has one. When I went on my first OV to Tech it was explained to me that a school can't have a CJ program if another school within a certain vicinity has one. Since Radford has a CJ program and since they fall within this vicinity, Tech's hands are evidently tied. I tried to do a quick google search that could explain this and I failed to find anything. All I know is what I was told.
Something like this could explain the lack of a football program at LOLUVa, too.
UVA has a football team?
It's just a rumor. No credible evidence.
Yeah a friend of mine at Tech is actually a criminology major. Super smart guy, I was kinda surprised when I read this thread and everyone was saying there was no such thing. All this said, if what Ellis said is true in that he wants to go into law after football is over, it's easy to see why he didn't choose the Hokies if half of us didn't even realize the criminology program existed. Ain't nothin wrong with being an engineer, architect, or business major though. I know Kendall is/was a finance major as I had a few classes with him this past semester and many of the incoming freshmen have declared business as a major...just sayin
What saddens me the most about this is that Tino Ellis seems like a really, really great kid. Honestly, he sounds like he'd be a great Hokie. Guess he felt his calling at UMD...
Maybe he should pay attention to the media, though:
"4-star QB Dwayne Haskins still committed to Maryland but considering all his options"
Four-star Maryland quarterback commit Dwayne Haskins confirmed Monday he hasn't backed off his verbal committment to the Terps, but he's in "equal contact" with a handful of other schools.
He's supposedly still taking an OV to VT
I'm sure he's keeping with his commitment...
For now
He's not that good. There. I said it.
He was a better DB this year at Dematha. Saw several games last two years. They are loaded with talent but he still does not get targeted that often. They have other studs - I get it - but he is living on camp success in my opinion.
He is a great athlete obviously but I think we are covered at wr. Not sour grapes - just my opinion.
We need as many WR as possible this year since the offense Fuente runs utilizes many different targets. We are likely losing Ford next year which leaves us a bunch of true sophmores or RS-Freshman and Cam. We aren't exactly loaded with Defensive backs this year either
Ellis would be a great player in a position of need.
He's a great fit for VT, and it's a shame he's going another direction.
Ford isn't leaving after his junior year. He needs to put on a minimum of 15lbs of muscle before he goes to the NFL. He's too thin. He's the best receiver in Virginia Tech history but there are many wide receivers in college that are much better.
I'm not a hater... I love Isaiah Ford... but I'd bet the farm on him staying through his senior year.
I hope you're right but that doesn't change the fact that we need as many wide receivers as possible
Agree that Ford will likely stay all four years, but if there aren't many returning receivers in the country that are "much better" than he is. I believe that CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout have him as the 4th best receiver in the 2018 class, which would equate to a first or second round pick.
He should probably stay all four years, but he is for sure one of the top receivers in the country and statistic wise the best receiver in the ACC.
Isaiah Ford: 6' 2" 188 lbs
Antonio Brown: 5' 10" 181 lbs
Odell Beckham Jr.: 5' 11" 198 lbs
Brandin Cooks: 5' 11" 189 lbs
T. Y. Hilton: 5' 9" 180 lbs
Emmanuel Sanders: 5' 11" 180 lbs
Jeremy Maclin: 6' 0" 198 lbs
Doug Baldwin: 5' 10" 189 lbs
Allen Hurns: 6' 3" 205 lbs
John Brown: 5' 11" 189 lbs
Willie Snead: 5' 11" 195 lbs
If you're using size has his detriment, I would think twice before betting the farm. Plus, at his age, putting on 10-15 lbs shouldn't be problem.
I thought Beckham was much taller than that.
yea he's at least 6 feet tall
He's listed as 5'11" and 198 lbs like Chazz Michael Michaelz said on NFL.com, giants.com, and ESPN.
Yea I saw that, I have seen other sites and things on tv where they listed him at 6 feet. its really not that big of a deal to go back and forth on this though.
He plays big.
FTFY
How about 40 times too?
And let's also not forget about arguably the thinnest guy in the NFL...DeSean Jackson. As a Skins fan I feel like the guy gets "hurt" every freaking time he touches the ball, but still the guy has had a successful career in the NFL so I feel like anyone saying Ford is too small might actually need to think twice about that one.
And DeSean Jackson is just a little faster than...well, just about every receiver in the world. If he's a 4.52, he doesn't get a sniff of the NFL.
And he's injured a lot.
I'm not quite sure I understand your logic. The only wide receiver that is within 1 inch of Isaiah Ford outweighs him by 17 pounds. Actually, if you were to mathematically calculate the weight to height ratio here, Isaiah Ford would be tied with Emmanuel Sanders for the lowest weight to height ratio.
I obviously think Isaiah Ford has legitimate NFL potential; however, he really does need to put on a good amount of weight to play in the NFL given how tall he is. It's one thing to be 188 and 5'10". Quite frankly, that's a pretty rocked up frame. Its another thing to be 188 and 6'2".
A lot of those guys who are close to him in size also have world class speed. Ford is fast, but he isn't Maclin or Brown fast. He will have a chance to be a really good NFL receiver but if he can get up to ~205, he will be a higher pick but not just because of his weight, but because he will be physically abusing anyone who tries to cover him on the field.
There absolutely are not "many" receivers in college better than him. By the time he leaves here, he will be the top receiver in the ACC if he isn't already for next year.
he is leaving after next year. unless he has a MAJOR MAJOR set back. #sources
Yeah, I think he is a better DB than he is receiver.
My brother is an FBI agent and was an English Major at VT. You don't need to be a criminal justice major to go to law school.
Right you are. My roommate was a history major and is now in the Uniformed Secret Service.
Party!
I mean I'll put it this way...I was advising a 17-year-old girl last year about attending either UVa or Virginia Tech. She really wanted to go to vet school. I was trying to convince her to go to Virginia Tech because of A) the strength of the agricultural department and B) We actually have a vet school. She responded back "Well, you can major in anything you want to and go to vet school afterwards."
After a few weeks, she finally decided to attend VT over UVa but it took a lot of convincing that actually majoring in a subject field that will relate to your future endeavors is a smart idea. If Tino wants to go become an FBI agent or something to that effect, going to UMD and majoring in criminal justice isn't a bad way to go.
Yeah, some grad/professional programs don't require a specific degree, some do. If you get a history degree, you probably won't have a strong basis for vet school. It could be done with the right electives, but at that point, what is the purpose of your major? Glad she made the right call. Going to VT for biology, biochemistry, or APSC is the right track for vet school. Strongly recommend biochem; it makes first-year coursework more manageable in vet school (my wife will attest).
The FBI loves to hire lawyers especially ones that have a bachelors or other degree level in another field, accounting, computer science, even know a guy who majored in forestry and then went to law school then FBI.
I would bet that this upcoming season will be it for Ford, his development is being noticed by NFL and he would be likely a 1st or 2nd round. If he is back it would be his choice to stay.
I really think he stays all 4. He made some big plays but he is not a slot guy so he needs to bulk up more to handle the physical NFL corners. The extra year on campus will put him in a better position for a better NFL career and likely a higher draft pick.
I'd say it's more likely than not he comes back in '17. I seriously doubt he's a 1st/2nd round pick after next season.
I also wouldn't be surprised if his stats took a step back next year - even in a new system. And that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
Agreed, Ford isn't fast enough to be a 1st/2nd round NFL pick.
And we have probably seen Ford's most prolific season. Next year will feature a lot more WR's getting reps than the cluster that was this year's WR rotation. We are so fortunate that neither Ford nor Phillips got hurt, we had really painted ourselves into a corner.
Yeah I know he's been great for us, but in the NFL I'd say he's a great hands, possession type receiver.
It's a new year, new coach, and 30 some odd days to NSD. Anything can happen. Anything.
Also, Locksley not on his shoulder any more.
You never know. Some things might change still.
Robin of Locksley?
Haskins just switched from Maryland to Ohio State. Any chance that Ellis sees the writing on the wall and decommits from Maryland too?
Has made several statements that he won't but who knows.
Yeah unfortunately it doesn't seem likely. But man it would really break their hearts if he flipped too. One can dream I suppose..
there is a good amount of people believing he will re open his recruitment to see if he has different feelings now that his "QB" ghosted him.
If maryland doesn't land a QB this class then I could see Tino leaving for sure.