Hokies Jump into 2017, 2018 Recruiting Classes with Hosting Weekend Heavy on Virginia Prospects

Between the pressures of National Signing Day and the sudden departure of longtime DBs coach Torrian Gray, it's been a chaotic week in Blacksburg, but Justin Fuente's staff isn't slowing down.

Instead, they're inviting some of the top prospects from the class of 2017, and even a few from the classes of 2018 and 2019, to come to Blacksburg for a chance to get acquainted with Fuente and company.

In total, The Key Play has been able to confirm that just over a dozen recruits will make the trek down to Southwestern Virginia for the weekend, as the Hokies work to lay some early groundwork after reeling in a less-than-ideal crop of prospects in 2016.

All but three of the attendees hail from Virginia, with three ranking among the top 10 in the state in the 247Sports composite rating, making it clear that Fuente's bunch are hoping to put an early emphasis on building up their in-state ties.

ATH Devon Hunter of Chesapeake's Indian River HS, DE Tyjuan Garbutt Fredericksburg's Riverbend HS and DT Eric Crosby of Virginia Beach's Ocean Lakes HS have all visited Tech multiple times at this point, but this weekend will give them all their first chances to see how the new staff has already started to reshape the program in Blacksburg.

DE Jordan Williams of Virginia Beach's Cox HS and QB Alex Faniel of Richmond's Glen Allen HS fall just outside the top 10 in the state — the pair's ranked 15th and 16th overall respectively — but both will also be key visitors for the staff to impress.

For his part, Williams says he's hoping to see more of the "academic buildings" on campus, after camping at Tech last summer.

Meanwhile, Faniel wants to use the visit to "hopefully see if I'm still wanted at Tech" following the regime change. He says he's already met with both Fuente and offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen at his school, but this will be his first chance to meet the rest of the new staff.

Some of the younger Virginia visitors will likely receive plenty of attention from the staff as well. 2018 LB Teradja Mitchell of Virginia Beach's Bayside HS has visited Tech before, but this time around he'll be traveling with fellow 2018er and teammate WR Armani Chatman.

Chatman was only offered by the Hokies last month, and he says he's hoping to "learn more about the education, staff, (and) recruits in my class" and "hopefully we can see the basketball team play (against) Clemson" on Saturday.

However, for all of the talented in-state prospects that will be making the trip, some will be giving the weekend a miss.

2017 DE Yetur Matos of Fredericksburg's Chancellor HS won't be among the visitors, according to Chancellor assistant coach Patrick Lilly, but he is planning on coming down "for a more intimate trip another weekend." Lilly added that Chancellor QB Jason Brown, DT George Brown and WR EJ Jenkins are set to visit for Tech's junior day on Feb. 27, and he feels "EJ and Jason have real potential for offers come spring/summer."

John Harris, an assistant coach at Woodbridge's C.D. Hylton HS, lamented that he was hoping to bring some of his charges — including 2017 TE/DE Jarrett Powell — to the event. But since Gray served as one of Harris' main contacts on staff, he's currently unsure whether they'll be making the trip since he hasn't had much of a chance to speak with Fuente and company.

Yet for all the staff's in-state focus, the Hokies will make plenty of time for some of their Carolina visitors as well.

Fuente recently headed down to Charlotte to see 2017 TE Drake DeIuliis of Providence HS in person, offering him by phone after meeting him briefly on Jan. 25, and the pair will get their first chance to spend some substantial time together this weekend.

"I didn't expect (the offer) at all, and to hear it come from the head coach was quite an experience," DeIuliis said. "He sounds like a great guy, he knows what he's doing and he's really excited about the new program, and I can't wait to get to know him a little bit better."

But while he has yet to get to know Fuente, he feels he knows plenty about the program in general.

"They're known for a great fan tradition, and the stadium is crazy," DeIuliis said. "The history of Frank Beamer is awesome, and I think it'll get carried on very well and I can't wait to see what comes from them in the future."

In fact, the 6'6", 204-pound junior says he heard from Beamer several times when he was still with Tech, and DeIuliis even got to watch the legendary Hokie's final home game against UNC.

"It was awesome," DeIuliis said. "The reputation of the fans is definitely true, they're live and active, it was just really cool to experience."

One of his fellow visitors at that game, 2017 WR Austin Connor of Irmo, S.C.'s Dutch Fork HS, will also be making the trip this weekend, but he doubts that it will measure up to the emotions he saw on the field in November.

"I don't know how to exactly describe it, but you could tell the coaches and players and everyone loved him and hated to see him go," Connor said. "He left a legacy."

That was his second trip to see a game in Lane Stadium, as he got to visit for the Duke game as well, but he says the Hokies only offered him last month. Connor says Fuente swung by his high school a few weeks back, then "shocked" him with his first offer.

"He told me a little bit about what they're gonna do and how they're gonna change the offense to a spread offense, and have more receivers on the field, so I'm looking forward to that," Connor said. "He seems like a great coach with the way he turned the Memphis program all the way around, so from what I've seen, he's a really good coach."

This weekend, Connor hopes to "actually see the school for once and meet the new coaches," while DeIuliis said he's looking forward to the "chance to get to know the coaches more, sit down, watch some film" and "see the facilities and see how they run things."

For DeIuliis, who counts schools like Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Boston College among the schools interested in him, the opportunity will be especially valuable, since he says Tech is one of his "top" options already.

"(I'm looking for) a great coaching staff that shows everything up front and doesn't try to hide anything from the recruits, a longstanding tradition, a great atmosphere," DeIuliis said. "Just overall somewhere I have a chance to succeed and somewhere that will help benefit my future and everything that comes with it."