Virginia Tech added its third verbal commitment on Saturday when offensive lineman Aiden Brown opted for the Hokies. The 6-3, 270 pound The Bullis School (Potomac, MD) product joins WR Sean Savoy and ATH Bryce Thompson as part of Tech's "Blacksburg Bash" haul.
"First off, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my recruiting process," Brown wrote in a tweet. "It has been an extensive journey but I am thankful that I have found a place that I can truly call home. I would like to thank every coach who saw potential in me, and gave me an opportunity to live out my dream at their university. With that being said, and after careful consideration, I can proudly say that I am 100% committed to Virginia Tech."
I am proud to announce that I am committed to Virginia Tech!!! #HookieNation pic.twitter.com/DY4mysSOtC— Aiden Brown (@acb_53) July 23, 2016
Justin Fuente offered Brown after a June camp workout.
"When I was back in the coaches' offices, I was with my dad, and we were talking about how much the grocery bill was, because I have three younger brothers," Brown told The Key Play in June. "(Fuente) was like 'I'd like to help make things a little easier the next four years and offer you a scholarship.'"
Virginia Tech is Brown's lone Power Five offer, and he is currently unranked by the 247Sports Composite. However, Brown's athleticism, competitiveness, and feet are among the attributes that sold OL coach Vance Vice.
"Coach Vice emphasized that he's looking for linemen that can move, and I feel like I did a good job with the movement drills and the shuttle and all that stuff, I think I did pretty well," Brown told The Key Play in June. "They like that I can move, in the shuttle, I ran a 4.5 in the shuttle. I was very smooth in all the agility drills and I was a great competitor, but most of all, they loved my film."
Comments
First, I love this because Brown and Savoy represent re-establishing a presence in the DC/Maryland private school world that we lost when Coach Moorehead left. Brown has very solid feet and most importantly, he keeps his feet moving at contact. I love how he is able to rip under a DL and then get to the second level without losing his balance. He finishes blocks and gets terrific extension.
I think his biggest obstacle is that it doesn't look like he has a long wingspan (he gets good extension on his blocks yet his arms still look close to his chest) and he plays a bit tall. But, those feet (just like I said with Tyrell Smith and D'Andre Plantin) are the first piece of becoming a really effective offensive lineman.
Now suddenly, you look at the young Hokies OL- they have Nijman as a sophomore, Smith and Plantin as redshirt freshmen, Patrick Kern, Thomas Hopple, and Zach Hoyt this year, and Silas Dzansi and Brown as freshmen next year... that is a pretty athletic group of young OL who, other than Nijman, will get some time to grow and get accustomed to the speed of college football. Look out folks, this is kind of what depth looks like!
Doesn't seem like he dominates his initial point of attack on the DL, but is good at keeping engaged with the blocker.
Happiness is getting a good lineman.
I enjoy all this. Being a football fan is fun. There has been so much negativity the last couple of years that I am taking a moment to celebrate that these young men have decided to play football at a program that we love, get a terrific education, and hopefully have set themselves up to have a great all around college experience.
That post is 5 star get after it FULLY DIPPED!
Happy for our team
Looking at the lead photo, I realized that two rights don't necessarily make a wrong......
i'm peeing my pants.
His acceptance tweet quoted in the article is concise and resolute, informative and gracious.
He may have a future in writing.
Welcome to the Hokie Nation!
Definitely an underrated recruit. Vance Vice might have found a diamond in the rough here. It looks like a young, athletic offensive line nucleus is starting to develop in Blacksburg and that is something worth getting excited about. On a similar note:
When is the last time you can remember the OG-C-OG positions being so solid. Wyatt, Eric, and Augie have a full season of working together. That continuity is invaluable.
Damn! I am happy about the o-line for the present and future for the first time in a long time!
I think we offered just to get the lead in recruiting his three younger brothers. /s