I don't think this is an April Fool's joke everyone. It's being reported by more than one source.
I'll be following his progress very closely. I enjoy hearing about a good two sport athlete, and I've always loved the toughness he displays on the hardwood.
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Son of a... Beat me by 19 seconds
EDIT: Since my other forum post should now be deleted, I'll just copy/paste my opinion on the topic here...
Devin Wilson, at 6'4" 190 lbs, could add some size and some depth to our receiving core. We have seen the heart and hustle he plays with on the basketball court, and I think he would be a great fit on the football team. He's easy to root for, and it's been a little disappointing to see him lose minutes after showing so much promise during his freshman year (although it's a result of our improvement as a basketball team). I'd love to see him make the team and make an impact on the football field.
Wilson was a 3-star WR coming out of Montour High School in Pennsylvania. He had offers from NC State, Akron, Ohio, and Temple.
Gotta go fast!
All that for $1.
Leg!
Somehow he'll still manage to get called for a blocking foul instead of a charge
I can see it now while he's running a route...
*Defender throws Devin to the ground*
"Offensive pass interference, Devin Wilson of VT."
Very interesting.
I think Bradshaw steps up this year. I was hoping for it last year, but this will be his 3rd season. I also expect one or two of the freshman that arrived early to contribute.
Basketball players on the football team?
Blackshear to tight end confirmed.
We could use Leday's tenacity on the football team.
He'd make a hell of a MLB!
Isiah Ford will walk-on to the bastketball team to fill the sudden gap in the PG rotation.
We actually recruited him to play basketball as well. It's one of the reasons he came here.
I am not good at sarcasm this early.
I don't think we really recruited him to come play b-ball. He met with the coaches when he was here and was told he'd be allowed to walk-on from what I recall.
So......just dreaming this might work.....he's a redshirt-junior in 2016 football season, right? Never redshirted in basketball, I think you have 5 years to play 4 in all sports.
Yes, when he started college, his NCAA eligibility began for all sports. Meaning that after 5 years, he can't play any more sports on the NCAA level. He started college 3 years ago, so he has 2 years of eligibility left for football (1 year left for basketball).
Someone mentioned it on another forum, if he stays with football entire season would he now have a football scholly instead of basketball?
Yes. For a multi-sport athlete, his/her athletic scholarship only counts against one sport. The way the NCAA has drawn up the rules, there is a whole hierarchy of which sport the scholarship applies to, depending on what sports the athlete participates in. As it pertains to this discussion though:
(1) If you are a scholarship athlete and play football, you count against the football scholarship limit no matter what the other sport(s) are.
(2) If you play basketball and sport other than football, you count against the basketball scholarship limit.
I don't know if this is still a rule but I think it can still count against basketball since he didn't play football for the first 2 years he was on campus. There used to be some sort of weird rule like that on the books but I'm not sure it's still around
Yeah, the rules have changed in this area over the years because of how people were trying to bend the rules (generally, schools were trying to get extra football players and hiding them as scholarship wrestlers, etc.). The NCAA currently uses a hierarchy to determine what sport a scholarship counts against for a multi-sport athlete, with football having the highest priority. All that to say, Devin will count as a football scholarship next year if he's on both the football and basketball team.
Very interesting... If he is able to walk on this spring, and get a scholarship for the fall, that would give Buzz an additional scholarship for Basketball. Devin sits on the football pine, and we add another good player to the Buzzketball squad.
Just to clarify-- Devin is already on athletic scholarship, so he wouldn't get a second scholarship. If he's on the football team this fall, his scholarship would move to count against the football scholarship limit and would no longer count against the basketball scholarship limit. This is due to the hierarchy of how the NCAA determines what sport to apply an athlete's scholarship against. An athlete's scholarship is only counted against one sport.
That is why I said we would have a basketball scholarship open up. He would be counted against the football cap, not basketball. We have a much higher football scholarship cap than Basketball.
Right, I was just clarifying the first part of your comment about walking onto the football team. If he's on the team, he will count against the football scholarship limit. The football team cannot have him on the team as a walk-on.
Yup, but he would actually have to make the team first.
The huge benefit this would be for the basketball team has wiped out my excitement to see Wilson on the football field because I question whether or not this is really something Wilson wants or was he approached by someone to make this move in order to take advantage of the NCAA rules and open up a basketball scholly. Football has so many scholarships available that having a player soak up one while only contributing on special teams is not so painful, but having the extra scholarship the basketball team is a much bigger marginal increase. If there is a JUCO basketball transfer announcement soon I would really wonder if Devin was approached (and maybe he was and loves the idea), but some TKP investigative journalism would be awesome if this situation arises.
Several assumptions here. I hope you are wrong about Devin's abilities, we might have a gem there able to contribute, although I realize that's likely a long shot. I truly hope, however, that no one "approached" him and is presssuring him to do something he doesn't really want to do. I find it hard to believe he isn't all in for football, too, just owing to the extreme amount of work and dedication necessary to even walk on at VT. Now, if Fuente's staff approached him out of a desire to examine the possibility of him filling a need on the team, I'd feel differently.
I hope you are right as well that if he was approached it was from the football side and not the basketball side. It would be a huge smudge on our programs' integrity if it was not. I have no evidence to say there is anything going on other than a guy wanting to play football it just seems like there is a lot to gain in the basketball program and involves a player whose minutes have been diminishing. Here's to hoping we get to watch Wilson pulling down jump balls in the endzone for the next two years!
obviously he has some skills. 3 star coming out.... if it was signing day and we just signed a 3 star and asked him to walk on I think we would be pretty excited about it. I realize he hasn't played in a while but I think its a good addition. to be honest should have came last year when we were all praying the paper boy got on the field. I expect him to have a chance to contribute. or maybe this is some weird freaky Friday trick by the head ball coaches....ill give you devin if you give me Isaiah lol
He isn't on the roster on Hokiesports.com , so for now I'm calling shenanigans
Until I see him on that roster, it's all a nice a fairy tale
People who are trying out aren't on the roster since, you know, they are trying out to make the roster.
Exactly. He's not walking on (because he can't, per NCAA rules, he has to count as a scholly) and he's not on the team yet, nor should we expect any official word yet. So no shenanigans or fairy tales. He's trying out. That's the news.
Our OL coach plucks guys from the DL, our TEs were all QBs, now our receivers are coming from the hardwood. Where does it end?!?! Can't we just recruit guys who play the right sport and position??? /s
Not until we build an entire football team out of spare parts and then use it as a Lacrosse team to defeat UVa on their own territory.
Y'know...y'know...damn, that's a good idea, isn't it? Good thinkin', somebody call Whit.
ohhh DEVIN Wilson. I got really excited for a sec
Seriously, the guy looks like he has springs in his shoes.
Still not sure why David Wilson quit football.
Just don't get hit in the neck, dude.
Because doctors advised him that another hit could paralyze him. He's got a neck issue.
sigh....
Swing and a miss, 07Hokie.
My thoughts exactly. I mean if you're going to be a professional athlete than you should have the athleticism to just turn your head when a hit is coming and take the blow on your shoulder ...
Do we really need to add the /s?
Eeeeeeexactly
There were a few comment threads above related to scholarship count implications. Wanted to provide for reference the applicable NCAA guidelines. It's outlined in Figure 15-3 on page 210 of the 2015-16 NCAA Division I Manual.
The quick summary as it applies to Devin is he will count as a football scholarship (and will not count as a basketball scholarship) if he's on both the football and basketball teams.
I would really like to see him be able to contribute to the team as a receiver. I hope he makes the team because he can help us win. As quick as he is on the court, I expect him to be tough to cover - just a lot of football to catch up on.
Can you imagine Zack LeDay or Chris Clarke running down the field as they try to cover him?
LeDay no, Clarke at TE, drool. LeDay is actually not all that quick. His intensity would be great at a LB or DE spot, but as Buzz has pointed out before, he shouldn't be as good of a player as he is for how un-athletic he is. It just shows his work ethic and toughness.
I think TKPer TheOneWhoGobbles mentioned this before any other website: http://www.thekeyplay.com/comment/409028#comment-409028. So I'm just going to assume that is Devin Wilson.
Haha no I just have a friend on the team who tells me stuff because he knows I'm kind of obsessive about our football team
Damn OneWhoGobbles nicely done. You're now officially a #sauce in my book. Spanish-Jack-Level-Sauce
Screen name game is strong with this one
If you're obsessive about Virginia Tech football, then you've found the right place. Welcome!
If I didn't trust all of you not to toy with my emotions, this would be something that would make a great joke, particularly on this date.
You trust us not to toy with your emotions? You're going to lose that bet.
Wonder if Devin will have any trouble prying #11 away from Jack Click's iron grasp.
I remember when we signed him for basketball....and it was really late...like May or June....it was odd that we offered a football player to play basketball. Not much was expected out of him in hoops, his freshman year was a shock.
I expect Wilson will contribute. And Buzz will be able to add a player....which is great because the market is nutz right now for transfers.
Is it 100% he's staying with the basketball team? Not questioning his drive or athleticism to do both but that is a lot of work if he is gonna be playing <10 minutes a bball game. I remember when he committed he chose basketball because he saw potential for a better opportunity there. I wonder if that's changed in his mind now
A buddy of mine(I'm still at Tech) walked on from the baseball team as a wide receiver. From talking to him, it can certainly be tough but it is starting to get a little more recognition now. I think the new coaching staff allowed to have a clean state to start more or less. Best of luck to Devin.
UPDATE: If Wilson's scholarship spot opens up, it could give us room for Delaware PG Kory Holden
The 6'2'' Holden averaged 17.7 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.0 rpg, 39.4% FG, 38.8% 3PT, and 79.5% FT in 36.3 mpg last year. He is from Salisbury, MD and as a sophomore would redshirt one year and have two years remaining. He would be able to step in after Seth Allen graduates.
So it sounds like Fuente and Co. reached out to Buzz to initiate things. Interesting.
If you look back to 2009 the numbers of receivers in a season with at least 20 catches (roughly 2 catches a game, less than that and I dont know if its fair to really count them), Fuente does use on average a good amount of receivers. This number could be inflated slightly because they do consider there Y a receiver at times, but really he was more of a Tight End, its kind of like having Bucky Hodges (who I didnt count for us, but probably should have) lining up wide. Anyone they considered a true "Tight End" I excluded, I also excluded any instances where a Running Back was a primary receiver, just to see if how many receivers they were using from TCU through Memphis.
With that in mind, there were some seasons where they really only used 2 receivers, but it makes sense why they are trying to add numbers, the offenses they ran at TCU and Memphis used a good amount of receivers, more than we are used to, I dont really know what that tells us? Im excited?
I also looked at the top rusher's carries as a percent of all carries to understand RB rotation. Fuente rotated backs more, but I think a lot of that came down to the fact that they just didnt have a dominant back to use regularly. Also Paxton Lynch starting pulling more carries, same reason our top back carry percentage was not much higher, Tyrod stole carries, Logan Thomas WAS our lead back...
looks like Wilson is doing just fine.
OMGeesy! That's ball skills!!! Do that a couple more times and you're on the team.
I think he is on the team no matter what. No does he see the field is a different story, with effort like that I think he will.
Certainly seems like he's trending towards making the team, but if the coaches don't think he is likely to see the field, I don't think they'll want to use up a scholarship. If he was just trying to walk on like a normal student, I'd agree he'd be a near lock at this point.
So I've only seen him catch two balls but they've both been fade routes. Looks like he might be our redzone threat behind Bucky. Also interesting to see he has a number (89).
Now that's an outstanding catch, and against a really good defensive effort to boot. Even my wife watched it a half dozen times...that's saying something. Wow.
Give him the #11!
Uh, yes please?
Paperboy, v 2.0. Love it. Great effort and concentration.
Mike Barber tweeted that Devin has a roster spot and will be playing both sports as a senior.
https://twitter.com/RTD_MikeBarber/status/730430701603041280
I am so pulling for this kid. Really like what he's about.
The only way Mike Barber's background Twitter photo could be any better is if instead of a VT football game, he showed the UVA spring game turnout next to their basketball turnout.
Two notes I'll add, if Barber's tweet is true:
(1) Per NCAA rules, Wilson's scholarship would move over to count against the football scholarship limit, thus opening up another basketball scholarship.
(2) In addition to playing both football & basketball in the 2016-17 school year, Devin could theoretically return to play another season of football in 2017. Under NCAA rules, one has 5 years to exhaust 4 years of eligibility in each sport, so by virtue of the fact he will a true senior this fall, he'd have another season of football eligibility in fall 2017, if he and the coaches wanted to use it.
I'd like to think Whit approached Fuente and told him about how the Basketball team could be really good next season, especially with another open scholarship and that he had just the new athlete to take up one of those 85 spots, a kid who was recruited by D1 schools to play WR and who has a really strong work ethic.
But mostly, about how good basketball could be next season, with an eligible transfer with a paint presence.
See, I'd actually be really disappointed if Whit applied any leverage to this at all. It's Fuente's roster and if he does or doesn't think Wilson is good enough to be on it then that should be the end of it.
I'm with RebJanus on this. I doubt very much that Whit had anything to do with it. That's not his job. The sense that I've gotten so far with Whit at the Helm is that he understands what his role is and he doesn't meddle in other people's business. He hires people to do a good job and he lets them work. Whit stepping in and suggesting an athlete should change sports to free up scholarships seems very anti-Whit-like to me
The most important and most under-rated part of most executive jobs. And he IS good at it.
Yeah, meddling in and micromanaging your football program is how you end up like UVA.
I think making all the wrong hires for all the wrong reasons wrecked them as much as that meddling littlepage.
And may it ever be so.
Amen. I'm feeling good about that BM so far.
I also felt good about BM.
Nope, Fuente and Co. Approached Buzz.
I doubt it
This right here is why I never expected him to not get a spot. Even if he was just serviceable, you can easily absorb another bench warming WR on scholarship. Buzz needs as many scholarships as he can to build the team the way he wants. Wilson shifting his to football is much more palatable than having to have another kid transfer. That he could be a contributor is just frosting on the ca...ice cream on the pie.
Nobody said cake. Nobody.
Man, you must really like Walgreens to make it your avatar...
True Story. When my fiance (gf at the time) and I were walking around NOVA looking at potential places for her to live when she moved up here we passed a few people wearing ball caps and she leaned in and asked "Why are there so many Wisconsin fans up here?"
I have been teasing her about it ever since. I keep joking that I'm going to get her a Wisconsin hat to wear to Nats games
Great news! Looking forward to see how it goes.
I'm really excited about this. I hope Devin does great things in football this year, but I'm not entirely sure how this helps us in hoops at the moment. With Wilson being a rising senior, his scholly is already available for the current recruiting class of 2017 (the same class Alexander-Walker just committed to). So does this now free up another 2016 scholly instead? Also: don't we have two 2016 scholarship spots that it looks like Buzz is not going to use anyway? (Unless Markell Johnson does reclassify and commits to the good guys). If I'm wrong, correct me but it feels like VT hoops just got another open scholarship for the 2016 signing year that they probably weren't gonna use anyway.
This would make the scholarship for Devin immediately available to Buzz. Buzz does have two open scholarships currently and Devin's would make a third but it doesnt hurt Buzz to use it one way or another. Worst case, next season, barring changes, you see guys like Matt Galloway or Greg Donlon get a year on scholarship instead of being just a walk on. It still allows Buzz to recruit the scholarship for whichever class he prefers between whats left in the Class of 16/Transfer market, and the Class of 2017.
Right on. Thanks for the detailed explanation. It's good Buzz now has at least one more option for this or next recruiting cycle, however things decide to shake down. Although, if VT doesn't use those scholarships I hope Donlon and Galloway get them. They've worked their nuts off for this program and totally deserve it.
All ramifications of not being able to find a good player aside, does unused scholarship money go back into the program, or is it lost?
I am assuming you mean the money set aside for the scholarship assuming it gets used. No it does not get lost, it doesn't have anywhere to go but back in to the program.
if a player transfers and is sitting out a year, does his scholarship count against the limit?
Yes it does.
in that case, this does a lot. It means Buzz can draw good transfer players that will take up a scolly next year even though they won't play until Wilson leaves.
Exactly. Transfers taking scholarships but sitting has hurt the depth of the team in years past but the extra spot will help to build depth for later seasons.
The only thing Williams has to be careful of is bringing in a guy that will sit and have 2 years left, putting him in a class that would then graduate 5 players at once. That would lead to issues down the line.
This means that Isaiah Ford switches to basketball for ACC play right?
That either means Fuente thinks Wilson will really contribute, or that in order to keep the football scholly, and not use a BBall one, it needs to be that way. Anybody know if he can change on that if not seeing significant playing time in fb?
Either he's on the football team or he's not. If he's on the team, the scholarship counts against the football limit, per NCAA requirement. He can't hide out on the bench for football without using a scholarship (Miami used to do that with track athletes, hence the current rule).
So if he is not contributing can he join BBall in November if he wants to? If so, does Fuente saying he will play out the season before doing BBall say more about how he can help in FB, or more about how he is not needed on BBall, or just where his heart is? I hope it's the first, though did not see it in the spring game.
There's a formal scholarship transfer process that is going on right now, to file the fact that Devin is now on scholarship via football. I know nothing about that process, but I seriously doubt that the NCAA would approve a mid-season transfer after scholarship numbers are set. This would be a great way to start playing three-card Monte with players, which is what the current rules were set up to prevent.