2018 QB DeJuan Ellis hadn't made the trip back to Virginia Tech since he de- then re-committed to the Hokies in the span of a few days in early May — accordingly, he tried to make the visit a special one.
The coveted Maryland prospect had summer classes preventing him from making it to the Hokies' Blacksburg Bash BBQ for recruits on July 22, but he figured he could still make it for the team's prospect camp on July 23. He checked in ahead of time with director for player personnel Chuck Cantor and safeties coach Galen Scott to make sure he had the green light to come down, but he didn't tell anyone else on the staff about his plans.
Accordingly, he gave Justin Fuente quite the surprise.
"They weren't expecting me, so Coach Fuente saw me and he threw his hands up like, 'Woah!" Ellis told The Key Play.
Ellis's unannounced trip to Blacksburg was surely a welcome one for Fuente.
The McDonogh School product first committed to the Hokies last August before a three day period from May 2 to May 4 when he briefly wavered on his Tech pledge before ultimately consulting with the coaches and re-affirming his commitment.
Although a mid-July Maryland visit may give interested parties, specifically those clad in maroon and orange, pause, Ellis says that College Park trip was simply one of convenience, and the Hokies don't have anything to worry about.
"I'm not looking around anywhere, I'm sold on Tech," Ellis said. "I visited Maryland, but that's just because it's like 20 minutes away from me. I'm with Tech."
Nevertheless, the Hokies worked to make Ellis feel welcome on the impromptu visit. He got to watch the team's Sunday camp, chatting with Fuente all the while.
"I didn't really do anything, just watching the camp, talked with Coach Fuente," Ellis said. "Just watched the camp really. Just chilling, nothing major."
Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen also sat him down for a quick check-in, and Ellis says the Hokies certainly seem enamored with the work he's put in with his Owings Mills, Md. program. The promising 5'11", 160-pound signal caller is rated a 3-star dual-threat QB/athlete by the 247Sports Composite and ESPN grades him a 4-star athlete. He regularly posts blazing 40-yard-dash times, even winning the "fastest man" designation at a Northern Virginia Nike camp this spring.
"He said they're preparing me really well, McDonogh's done a great job," Ellis said. "So hopefully the transition will be pretty easy."
But the QB still has plenty of time before he has to grapple with that transition in Blacksburg, though Ellis is hoping that he won't have to wait very long for his next visit to Tech.
Like many D.C.-area prospects, Ellis is planning a trip over to FedExField for Tech's neutral site matchup with West Virginia. But after that, he's hoping to make it down for the Hokies' hottest home game: the Sept. 30 tilt against the defending national champs.
Plenty of Tech recruits and commits are already circling the Clemson game as a prime one to visit for, and with what Ellis has seen from Blacksburg and Lane Stadium already, he expects that it'll be well worth the trip.
"That's gonna be a crazy one," Ellis said. "The fans are gonna be stupid hype. I can't wait."
Comments
I feel like this is going to become our new thing.
That's great!
Somebody here was just asking about him.
'Twas I...
As I said in the post you're referring to, he took his VT commitment off his Twitter, which you gotta admit seems weird. Since there's history there, it was a bit of a red flag. The fact that he felt the need to come down and reaffirm his Good Guys status says... something, but I'm not sure what.
Net-net, this is great news. One of my favorite commits in this class. Could be Stroman 2.0
no no no
If he eats enough of this crap we can make him a tight end!
Crap?
I hate the fact that this made me hungry for Taco Bell.
What part is the "fck" side of the menu?
This prompted me to get Taco Bell for lunch today. I regret everything.
Sounds like he needs some time in our award winning dining halls
Someone get the kid a buffalo chicken wrap and a packet of ranch.
West End rib eye sandwich
London broil + mashed potatoes
Chickfila
Chipotle burrito bowl?? Over the line... I know
I mean, they were listing awesome foods. Seems like this fits in just fine. Though, you can't get it on campus, you have to walk across the street, in two different places...
go easy on the guy. We are still learning about the broad-reaching effects of CTE...which is the only possible reason I can find for his take on Chipotle.
Reminder that he also puts salt on watermelon.
Mmmm.
How else would you eat it???
dunno
watermelon without salt is like... watermelon without salt.
I can't even say plain because watermelon is not a food that requires seasoning. Like, do you put salt on your grapes? How about your mangos? What about your bananas?
Nothing requires seasoning. Seasoning just makes it better. I mean why would you watch TV in SD when it's way better in HD.
This! Couldn't have said it better myself.
Sorry to be like this, but can we leave my bananas out of this? I'm not comfortable telling you and a bunch of other weirdos on the internet about how salty my bananas are.
If you dip your banana tip in mayonnaise the salt sticks better.
I cannot unthink this. Thanks a mill
I just don't get all the love for "Chickfila". It's just a fried chicken sandwich. I've had worse, for sure, but I've had better also. I'd give it an OK rating at best, and don't appreciate that they don't do business on Sundays when I'm more likely to be out and about looking for a quick lunch. Just my opinion, of course.
Thank you. Totally agree. Near bottom of my list of places to go
Who downvoted opinions? It's a fast food restaurant not personal damning information. Shesh
It's a fantastic fried chicken sandwich is why. Brined for 6 hours, fantastic breading.. simply delicious. This reverse engineered recipe goes into the details of the whole sandwich.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/07/the-food-lab-how-to-make-a-chick-fil-...
It's right up there with Raisin Canes on my list of most overrated food.
You must've never had In n Out. That's number one on the ole 'overrated list'
I dunno Trip Advisor once had Little Ceasars as the third highest rated restraunt in Winston-Salem. Several people thought their wings were the best anywhere.
lol. wtf....??
Y'all can downvote me if you want but I'm about to speak the damn truth.
West End brunch is the best meal you can get on campus.
Omelette du fromage
I counter with D2 brunch. Don't @ me.
^^^THE absolute best way to clear yourself of the toxins from the night before
The food there was actually really good. I never bought into the D2 makes you shit myth. Just some good fucking food.
Everyone always skews my food-that-makes-you-shit comments as negative, but I truly believe it's a positive as long as it isn't actual food poisoning. Nothing bad about having regular Bronco Mendenhalls.
I too enjoyed eating at D2, but I certainly appreciated living in the wing of Pritchard closest to the D2 entrance.
There's a lot bad about having massive failures that you pay millions of dollars.
Old Dietrick would move through you like nobody's business. D2 was a major upgrade. Either that, or my insides were converted to steel from freshman year at Dietrick.
There's a reason we used to call it "Die-quick".
You know how I know you graduated recently?
Das right. We mid-00's grads remember when they renovated Dietrick, slapped a new stupid name on it (but better than Windows on Washington at least) and served the exact same food, just in a different layout.
I think the D2 dash is real, but it may not have as much to do with the quality of the food as it does with limitations of volume of the human gastrointestinal tract and the pressure created by all-you-can-eat goodness.
This is really the issue. People eat too much. They don't always eat the lightest foods. The body makes room.
The numbers always work out?
"Building depth in the pipeline"
noticed this just now. Congrats?
"Welcome to Whose Line is it Anyway, where the points (and legs) don't matter - they're like the suggestion box at Tiananmen square..."
I'm so happy to hear people speaking positive of D2. I ate there for lunch almost every week day from my sophomore year to my senior year with the same people at the same table. Man I miss that place.
I would just like to point out that "liquid butter alternative" is an ingredient frequently used at D2. Do with that information what you will.
I am real
Shultz Brunch for the win, hands down.
Did you mean, Sandwich of the Day?
I absolutely will @ you because you're criminally wrong. West End brunch beats the pants off of D2 brunch. Only way D2 even comes close is with overwhelming quantity and "cleansing" properties.
First of all, how dare you?
West End gets all the love.
But my love was always General Tso's from Owens. I'd love to have a recipe for that stuff.
Hate to burst your bubble, but as a former Bowl Dynasty maestro, General Tso's is nothing more than re-heated chicken nugget bites in a generic bagged/bottled Tso's sauce that is mixed together with broccoli in a wok for like 5 mins.
I never said that the bagged/bottled sauce wasn't boss though...
So, what you're saying is... you'll make it for me???
As long as you're not making me do the one off, annoying and very time wasting veggie dish, I'll make you some GT by the ton
^^^ Can confirm. Also manned the wok at Bowl Dynasty.
So, was it actually generic? Or did anyone see a name? Chicken bits or sauce.
I need my fix!
Ugh! Those disgusting generic bagged/bottled Tso's sauces! I mean, there's so many of them though! Which one? Which one do they use?!
West End is best experienced as a Cochrane resident. Nothing beats an Old Hickory and cheese fries when you were able to get it while wearing your shorts and flip flops while there's 5 inches of fresh snow outside.
Also the buzzers worked in the dorm so that long wait for the Catch of the Day was no longer a concern.
Just show him the Hokie Grill where he can have as much Pizza Hut, Chik-Fil-A, BBQ, and Dunkin Donuts as he would ever want.
And then remind him that's our 'also-ran' dining hall.
I miss the mix and match ability of Chick-fil-a and Pizza Hut. One day was chicken sandwich and cheesesticks, then next was pizza and nuggets. And then the next day was the bbq place.
Bbq sandwich, waffle fries, and cheese sticks. I was eating that in the dining room while watching Mike Imoh gas Maryland.
I did this on the reg while I inhabited Oshag
Very healthy Kevin!
Carved turkey sandwich with chipotle spread and Chickfila waffle fries... dare I say en fuego?
I remember when Hokie Grill opened...my life was never the same
Schultz FTW!! /s
I hope he gets an actual shot at QB too. He plays like Russell Wilson
IIRC, coaches said they'd try him at QB before potentially moving him elsewhere.
Good to see this. It'll be interesting how he gets utilized with his speed.
Bit light for a TE, but we can work with him.
Not if he consumes all the food listed above.
Wouldn't be surprised if the coaches were eyeing a move to TE so that he could make the logical transition to OT... I hear they really like his feet in pass protection.
A college weight room, strength coaches and a focused diet can change that to be a QB with strength and speed or a TE. Just wait to see the magic they do with him. This is Santa Fuente' s workshop.
TE in the slot
a comment with nothing but tight ends and slots, but no sexual references? What is this?
What is this?
The real life.
OR: Is this just fantasy?
PLEASE! NO QUEEN!
Take this! It's like a train wreck. You want to look away but can't.
Even though I didn't like living in Maryland very much, I bristled a bit at this. Very, very slightly. But I bristled.
I had to map this to figure out what you meant but sheesh you're right that ain't nowhere near DC that's north of Baltimore
Yep. Lived 5 minutes from there, in Randallstown.
Oh cool, I didn't realize you were from the D.C. area.
I'm actually originally from the 757.
One of Eddie Murphy's finest works
I think he is from/lives in Arlington, VA or possibly somewhere in PG County, MD. Transferred to McDonough (closer to Bmore)
Kinda like Kendall Fuller but in reverse? From the Baltimore area but graduated from a private school in Montgomery County?
That's fair then. Usually when I hear discussion of recruits, though, the location of their high school is played up much more than where they're from.