Hokies Targeting Versatile 2017 LB Andrew Ward, Hoping for the Start of a Michigan Pipeline

The high school teammates who have known each other since they were in diapers pledge to keep playing together — it's a cliche about as well-worn as they come in the college football universe.

Yet that sort of trope may very well end up applying to a pair of teammates from Muskegon HS all the way up in Michigan. 2017 WR Kalil Pimpleton took the plunge and committed to the Hokies back in early May, and now 2017 LB Andrew Ward is mulling a similar decision, potentially fulfilling the dream the two have been discussing for years now.

"We've been playing together since we were nine years old, ever since I've met him actually, so to play another four years with Kalil, that'd be great," Ward told The Key Play. "And him committed and going there actually really has an effect on my decision in the long run."

Shane Fairfield, the pair's head coach at Muskegon HS, joked that he'd be in favor of the duo teaming up in Blacksburg for selfish reasons: "It saves me gas money, so I can just go to one stadium and watch two guys play." But on a more serious note, he understands exactly what kind of implications Ward's decision might have, both for two of his most promising progenies and for his program.

"That would be an ultimate, ultimate dream, I think, for any kid to be far from home, but then to go play for a place like Virginia Tech and to be with your buddy," Fairfield said. "I'd love a pipeline. We've had kids play out at (Southern California), Michigan, Michigan State, so we've had them play all over, but we've never had anyone goes as far in the ACC.

"To play for a program like that would be an amazing accomplishment for our community, our kids, our program, and it gives you national exposure. Being in the Midwest here and being able to go 12, 15 hours away and play in an ACC program says a lot about our history, our school, what we're trying to accomplish here as a high school."

Justin Fuente and company surely wouldn't mind making that sort of inroads in a program so far away from campus, but Ward still has to make his decision before those grand plans become a reality. While he admits Pimpleton's decision could influence on his choice, Ward also says he has a long way to go before he decides.

Nevertheless, his early experiences with the Hokies have been positive ones. He remembers being "surprised and shocked" when Tech offered him back in March, since it was his "first big offer." Indeed, Fairfield notes that the Hokies made their scholarship pledge fairly early as Ward burst onto the scene, trailing only Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa State in extending Ward an offer.

But Ward says it was how the Hokies let him know they'd be offering that really sticks out in his mind.

"I got a call from Coach Fuente," Ward said. "I got called out of class to get it, so it was even more surprising."

From there, the Hokies were able to convince Fairfield to include a stop in Blacksburg on a trip around the country he was planning with Ward, Pimpleton and some of his other players during their spring break. After the group competed at a seven-on-seven tournament in Pittsburgh and swung by Penn State for a visit, they headed down to spend the day at Virginia Tech.

Fairfield says the trip "kind of blew us away," and Ward can't help but agree with that assessment.

"I loved the work they're doing to the team offices, they had a lot of drawings of what they're doing, pictures of what it was gonna look like by the time we got there," Ward said. "The dorms were nice too."

Ward and Fairfield also raved about the food on campus, even using the same descriptor for Blacksburg's storied cuisine: "top notch."

But the visit didn't just consist of tours and meals — Ward got to meet briefly with Fuente, then spent more than half an hour with Bud Foster, the man who'd be his position coach if he came to Tech, to talk X's and O's.

"We went over the defense they ran against Ohio State a year back, and he compared me to Deon Clarke, number 40," Ward said. "I loved that, because he's a legend at what he does as a defensive coordinator, so I loved the talk we had and the time we spent together."

Ward said Foster made it sound like Tech's scheme was similar to the one Fairfield's installed at Muskegon, and noted that the Hokies specifically "liked my length, the things I can do with my mobility on the field."

Fairfield is similarly "honored" by Foster's interest since he's "considered one of the greatest masterminds in college football," and he says he's also heard from the Hokies that Ward would fit nicely in the backer spot to lend some versatility to Foster's unit.

"He feels that Drew can play inside and outside," Fairfield said. "With today's offenses, teams have a mike backer and two inside guys, all of a sudden it's third down and you need to bring another guy in, people going fast tempo. He figures Drew is tough and physical enough to play inside the box,and yet athletic and long enough to play outside the box, so it helps him with adjustments and things like that. He just thought Drew would be more of a universal type backer for him, an inside-outside guy."

Ward says he visited with Foster again to learn more about the defense when he stopped by Muskegon earlier in May, and he thinks they had a "great conversation."

Now, he's planning another visit to Blacksburg this summer, and he hopes to take an official visit to Tech in September as well. But that's hardly the only official he's planning — he also thinks he'll use those trips to get a look at other schools that have offered him, including Washington State, Nebraska and Indiana. Ward also is contemplating a trip to Arizona in coming months, though the Wildcats have yet to offer him.

"If not in the middle of my senior year, then by the end of it, I want to make my final decision," Ward said.

Fairfield thinks Ward might have even more voices in his ear singing Virginia Tech's praises before the season ends — after all, the Hokies have already offered 2018 Muskegon OT Antwan Reed, and 2017 WR Jacorey Sullivan "really wants to be a Hokie," though he lacks a Tech offer right now.

If those players start getting serious about Tech, and Ward does indeed complete the time-tested narrative and follow in Pimpleton's footsteps, it wouldn't hurt Fairfield's feelings one bit.

"It'd just be great for these kids," Fairfield said.