Virginia Tech missed on its first national signing day target, 247Sports Composite 3-star running back Anthony Grant. The Hokies recruited Grant hard for the better part of the 2018 cycle. However, Florida State and Willie Taggart were able to poach the former Tennessee verbal late in the game.
BREAKING: First flip of #NSD2018... 4-star ATH Anthony Grant has flipped from the #Vols to #FSU. Grant to the #Noles.Breaking it down: https://t.co/E4lp26Ekd8 pic.twitter.com/3beZ6cDnRl— Chad Simmons (@ChadSimmons_) February 7, 2018
Just a couple of days ago, it looked like it would be Virginia Tech for longtime Tennessee commit Anthony Grant. Then, less than 24 hours from the time he put the pen to the paper, Florida State started popping up more and more and the Seminoles are the ones who flipped the four-star athlete out of Buford (Ga.).
THE SITUATION
Grant committed to Tennessee when Butch Jones was the head coach back in June. He developed a very strong relationship with Robert Gillespie, one coach that Jeremy Pruitt kept on staff when he landed the head coaching job in Knoxville. Even before Jones was let go, things got a little shaky between Grant and Tennessee. He ended up taking official visits to North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Florida State received the last one. It came down to sticking with the Vols or moving on to Tallahassee.
Comments
Stunned honestly.
Heard he was going to UT or VT and had more or less stated that
Easy to change your mind when FSU is all like
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I mean let's not act like FSU isnt going to appeal more to a kid from GA
So his first collegiate game will be a defeat instead of a win...
Lol
Dax not goode.
Don't Sweat it, it's Nnadi big deal
FSU was his last visit and also makes sense as I'd heard him and Chatman were tight who got a ton of CB yesterday for FSU. Doesn't make it hurt any less
Have fun riding the pine bro
Told VT yesterday afternoon that he would be headed to Blacksburg.
If I have to hear another Sweat story, I'm going to explode
Yep, seeing this ^ in multiple places this morning.
If this is true, I'm glad he is happy at FSU.
Didn't think of it until now but I'd bet a lot of kids tell coaches they are coming, sign with someone else, and never really talk to the coach again. It's certainly a poor way to handle it but these recruits are 17-18 year olds with a lot of pressure and you can tell from the interviews that they really don't want to tell a coach "no."
Unfortunately, the old adage "it doesn't matter until you sign" abides.
/thread
Probably just a coincidence but his recruiter was their running backs coach, Dante Pimpleton....no relation to a recent Pimp that just left VT right..?
Yep I'll never understand recruiting and what's important.
I mean, I can certainly understand if football isn't the only important thing. I actually applaud that even though we never know what those other things are for any individual kid (while sneering that they won't be putting up numbers for the Hokies).
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I officially feel old today, even though I'm only 31. I keep asking myself and trying to understand what is going through the minds of 17/18 year olds, when they tell someone one thing, only to do the exact opposite.
I honestly didn't see the hype this sub had around Grant. I think McClease and Holston can hold us over until we bring a truly elite RB in. I think Grant would have been just another place holder.
He definitely has the talent. Grant was the top RB on our board this year. To imply that we really didn't want him is foolish, IMO.
I never said the team or fans didn't want him, I'm saying I didn't see the hype and don't think we'll miss him. I think if we lose out on Devyn Ford next year, we will be losing a game changing talent.
Guess we didnt want to crowd the backfield for Ford and Christ Tyree over the next few years...if true he told Tech yesterday he was committing thats a shitty move but of course it would be FSU. New coaches don't seem any less shady than the last ones. They somehow convinced him to take an official after he said he wasnt going, and nab him in the 11th hour.
FTFY
Doesn't mean Taggart is shady. Kid is 17/18, what do you expect?
Maybe shady wasnt the right word but not loyal. The dude has been at 3 schools in 3 years. But sounds like that should be a hoof fit for Grant.
Don't be that fan. Grant signed with one team and there's no reason to question his integrity unless you want to drag the guys we've flipped through the mud while you're at it. Also every one of Taggert's moves made sense at the time. Can't fault a guy for moving from G5 to P5 or to an elite P5 school in his home state.
To be honest with you I have been following VT recruiting for over a decade and have never heard nor seen us flip guys last minute who told coaches the day before they were signing with them. And yes Taggart's moves make sense but watching that process unfold he said he was staying at Oregon then left for FSU. I'm not saying they both aren't fine dudes but I'm not big fan of people who say one thing and do another (ala Capehart last year). I have a lot more respect for guys like De'von Graves who committed to NC State but for awhile wanted to go to Tech but didn't because he and his parents decided he had given NC State his word.
...a hoof fit...
3 schools in 3 years literally just means he happened to be at one school for one year. He spent 3-4 years at each spot, built them up and moved on. The only exception was Oregon, when his childhood dream job opened up for only the second time in 30ish years.
The only reason we're having this conversation is because we're fans. I have plenty of friends who have switched jobs after one year. It's not shady or disloyal.
I get that Willy probably promised Oregon kids that he was going to be there a while, when in fact he was just there for one year. Unfortunately, I view this as a 'don't hate the player, hate the game' situation. This is what happens under the current NCAA amateurism model.
I myself have shifted around jobs alot over the past few years too and I know its all apart of the game of better opportunities or fit. Although I am not happy with how things turned out with the Grant (and even the way Taggart got hired at FSU) I'm sure they both are fine dudes. I just appreciate being a man of your word above all else and from the facts that I've gathered following both situations, they don't feel as strongly.
Having 3 jobs in 3 years is shady
Not really? In the consulting and tech industries (only industries I've worked in) it's pretty frequent. It's even more common to work one job for 3 years, a second job for one year, and then switch to a third job.
Theory:
Fuente got a commitment from Ford yesterday. Grant called to confirm things then Fuente hit him with the new phone who dis.
Prove me wrong folks,,,
You're probably just joking, and I'm extremely hopeful for Ford, but there's like zero chance he committed yesterday even if he has already decided where he wants to go.
No, that's a postulate.
I freaking hate this website
That's a declaration.
No Tweedy, its a whip.
This should go plaid.
The pattern is gingham
Would've been nice to win this one but I don't see it as the biggest miss. If we can get Devyn Ford we might not even remember this- but we really need Ford.
For today, if we get Dax I'll call it a win. Long term let's get Ford and continue to raise our profile.
Wow didn't take long for the social media meltdown to start. I think honestly we have to start acknowledging it may not be the coaches but the school.
Winning a Natty would cure all.
BYU won a natty not all too long ago and is on the fence of being considered a P5 school. Colorado won one recently too and they're a middle of the Pac team. A natty would elevate us to new heights but it isn't an end all be all solution
1984 and 1990 are still considered recent?
Compared to teams who hang their hats on nattys won 60+ years ago they are
UCLA, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, TCU, Syracuse, Michigan State, or Maryland...
... are BYU and Colorado more relevant than all these teams?
(sorry for all the edits, my train of thought is everywhere today)
Some are, some aren't and they all have nattys so there must be other factors
I think the difference (including our 1999 run) is that we now have an administration and coach who will capitalize on the stage winning a natty would give us. Our prior admin definitely set us up in a favorable financial situation and should be recognized for it, but we were so conservative in making investments it really cost us a golden opportunity.
I'll bite. What exactly do you mean by "it might be the school"?
No big nationally relevant history, not a lot of NFL history, smallish alumni base and support, not in a football crazy state, has some outdated facilities, doesn't offer a lot of easier degree paths, not great location in country or state. Just trying to think like a none fan.
I don't disagree that some of those are factors and that there can be a reasonable discussion regarding our recruiting ceiling. I'd be interested to know the average distance from a school to the hometowns of recruits. I'd hypothesize that there are two types of schools that recruit at an elite level: national powerhouse schools that have a large sphere of influence and can recruit the entire country and schools that have a ton of talent nearby (this can potentially result in becoming a big name school that has a larger sphere of influence). VT isn't in the former category and the available talent within our sphere of influence might be sparse enough to limit our recruiting ceiling.
Fuente if you read TKP do Hokie nation a solid. If you're up on FSU
Dont take a knee
Dont slow down
Dont let up
Ice the damn kicker up 40
I want to crush FSU
Haven't had your coffee yet I see.
Lol just finished my daily DC traffic survival and wasn't a happy camper.
I don't drink coffee but, maybe I should start
No, I believe this situation calls for a stronger remedy. MUCH, much stronger.
Raid the fiance's Whiskey stash?
Couldn't hurt.
It certainly won't if I get a 30 minute head start before she notices the Blanton's is gone
I don't know what is better...being with someone that despises dark liquor meaning you have no other stash to raid, or being with someone who has a stash to raid, but would also possibly raid yours.
Cue the LaLa offer?
Ouch
We're not missing much.
We would if the Virginia kids didn't think they were too big for us
sounds good in theory but have fun sitting behind akers, cook, laborn.... but I guess playing time isn't that important when you get to drive a lambo to practice and get NFL money before you ever sniff the NFL. trying to get carries in FSU backfield is like trying to get that 65 inch on black Friday.
Thanks for naming all the VT misses he's sitting behind that we'd salivate for...
Ehhh, kind of strikes me as a guy who got blinded by the bright lights at a blueblood program without enough time before the decision to realize it may not be the best fit. For his sake, I honestly hope I'm wrong and he enjoys his time in Tallahassee while seeing some time on the field (all in losses of course!).
Willing to bet he gets moved to defensive side of the ball by Fall Camp..
They recruited him as a safety so probably a good bet.
oof. Taggert's defenses have been ish. But, FSU signed Nardouche's mentee for their DC, so it's gotta be good now, right?
*the ish?
Good luck Grant!
One thought that's been running through my mind recently - the coaches did an excellent job with recruiting this year. They weren't reliant on getting wins on NSD to make their incoming class a good one. The foundation was already there, and every potential recruit today, is icing on an already good class.
I dunno - from where I sit, you can't ask for anything more from the coaches and staff.
Surprised, but whatever. Honestly....I think we're ok with our RBs and hopefully we get Ford next year.
I wonder if we throw a last minute offer to E. Davis?
This is what happens when you take things for GRANTed
Too early. Too early...
Not to be a jerk, just looked up this elijah Davis I see some people wondering about and can only say it would be really foolish to offer him just because we missed out on grant. We'd be the only power 5 offer for the .82 rated rb...
Totally agree. He's not the answer here. Would be silly to waste a scholly on him.
Is it still "Tweetin' at 'cruits" if we are not actually recruiting them? Asking for Dale Kizer.
Once they're committed, you're only tweeting at all the future recruits watching your tweets.
Well fart.
I'm gonna go ahead and expect Dax to pull out a FSU hat from outta no where and put it on
UCLA
Someone explain to me why I decided to get emotionally invested in recruiting again this year
No big lose for now
Y'all are entirely too arsed about this. Take a step back and breathe.
Alright, I've composed myself, and now I got some real fire tweets ready to send off
Which should I send?:
a)You're just scared of the competition at VT
b)You'll regret this for the rest of your life
c)You weren't good enough for VT anyway
d)@#$%@@#%@#%$^!@$@#%!%
e)THAT DAM TRUTH
Note: Any unused tweets will be re-purposed for anyone else who doesn't commit today
Looks like you can fit all of those in 240 characters. Fire away.
Good call.
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Sometimes you just gotta speak that dam truth!
Shocking that kids who wanted to wait to sign until months after their first chance would be more likely to change their minds, isn't it? I wouldn't sweat it.
At least with the Tennessee stuff, the Vols were out of it when Jones left. They kept the offer on the table and stayed in contact with Grant primarily to keep on good terms at Buford. I was told for weeks that it would be an ACC school. I wasn't sure who.
Honestly, given the limited space for 2019, if they had to miss, this was a guy to miss on. However, if he could have opened a pipeline to Buford, this hurts.
Welp... Got one less running back for Ford to compete with.
So.... tells the staff yesterday he's signing with VT, and then signs with FSU without giving them a heads up?
Slimeball move. Guy with that kind of character has no business on this team anyway. We're better without him.
I do not understand this kind of reaction. If he told our staff yesterday that he's signing with VT, and then actually signed with VT, he wouldn't have "that kind of character" and we'd be better with him.
Correct?
If that story is true, then yes his character does take a hit from the decision he made this morning. You are correct that he would have had higher character if he told the VT coaches he was signing and actually signed.
But to say we don't want him because he didn't want us is silly when obviously of course we wanted him when we all thought maybe he wanted us. And if somehow a fax shows up to VT athletics today and Grant ends up committing after all, does that make us want him more or less than when he wasn't ever committed to us in the first place?
Yes, even if his LOI magically came to Blacksburg today after the FSU ordeal , I would still have questions about his character. But in the end he is a 17/18 yr old kid and he can make whatever decision he wants, I know I wasn't the greatest at making them at that age (gotten better but still have trouble.)
Its futile to dicuss the "what-if's" though, kid made his decision. Would I wished he would have handled it differently, regardless of who signed with? Yeah. But my opinion doesn't matter in the end.
No, its about honoring your word. If you give someone your word you're going to do something and then fail to do so without even giving them a heads up, that's a shitty thing to do.
Like, if I tell my wife I'm going to pick her up from the airport after her flight lands, bit instead go to the bar with a chick on the side, that would justifiably cause tension in the household.
Does anyone know that for sure? Until I see some factual information about this, then I don't believe it. Let's simmer down and take it easy on the kid...
Generally speaking, if LAhokie says it, you can pretty much count on it being true.
But.... how hot/crazy is the girl at the bar? /s
Best video 😂👍🏼
always there for a good laugh
I understand the reaction.
I'm just not comfortable passing judgment and questioning the character of an 18-year old kid for a decision where he's going to spend 4-5 years of his life.
Look, no problems with him going to FSU. I don't have an issue with that. Where I have an issue is giving someone your word on something and then not actually doing it. If what LAhokie said is true, and we were told he's signing here, and the next we hear of him he sends his papers to FSU, I think its completely fair to question it.
According to someone in another thread here, apparently he called Burden this morning to let him know that FSU was the choice. At the very least, he didn't let the coaching staff find out publicly (or so it seems).
Does that change things for you? Not trying to be argumentative, just curious.
I'm with Alum in that I tend to hold people to their word. If he indeed called Burden this a.m. to let him know he switched to FSU, then I think that's totally fair to everyone involved.
That is essentially recruiting. Consider though, that it happens both ways, although not too often with Virginia Tech rescinding on its word. But that is the game and both sides of the table play it. High school kids are fickle and apt to change their minds throughout the process. Larger issue to me is that Taggart and a new staff beat Fuente and Co. for his signature when the former had a month window against the latter's year-plus to get it done.
Once again, I don't fault him for changing his mind. Recruits do that all the time, and it is what it is. What I don't like is giving someone your word the papers are coming, and then sending them elsewhere with no heads up. Just let us know you changed your mind, don't let us find out when by seeing how happy you are for choosing someone else.
Going based on the scenario you said, I don't see it has equal to rescinding an offer. I see it as equal to rescinding the offer and not telling the recruit it was done, and letting him find out when you reject his LOI on signing day because he didn't have an offer anymore. Any school who tries that would be justifiably raked over the coals, and I understand its happened before.
Can we at least see the irony in hoping that Grant flips to us but getting mad that he flipped to FSU instead?
It's more akin to making plans to go to the bar with your side chick but then she catches you sleeping with your other side chick, and neither of them are your wife at the airport.
Is this from experience, or are you watching way too many soap operas?
I just replied by expanding the illustration Alum started. No side chicks (or wives) here
Probably would cause tension without the chick on the side, too.
You really can't see the difference?
Obviously I can see the difference. But it's a fool's errand to past-project the decision he made as to why we wouldn't want him anyway. If he hadn't made that decision, we would have wanted him.
"we don't want guys with that kind of character" is a silly response to me, since "that kind of character" only is only evident because of the decision he made not to join us after we evidently wanted him the whole time. And if he had joined us, then obviously he wouldn't have shown that kind of character. It's like some Schrodinger's Recruit kinda deal where he either does or doesn't have that character, but we only observe it based on whether or not he chose us.
Well a person's character is built on his/her decisions. Its totally fair to judge the decision he made to reassure the coaching staff less than 24 hours before the decision. Now, on the other hand, this is not something I would condemn him for life over. So, while I agree it might be petty and part of the grief process to lash out at his character, he did bring it on with his own choices.
Edit: its also extremely fair to say we don't know the whole story, we don't even have a complete one sided story.
I agree. but there is no world that exists where he could have ended up signing with VT while also spurning VT and signing with FSU. "If that's what he's gonna do, then he has no business being on our team" is silly because the very premise of him making that decision ensures that he isn't going to be on our team.
I guess what I'm saying is that it's self-fulfilling, or true by matter of definition? I'm not even sure what it's called. Changing the narrative based on the outcome just seems silly to me and I don't understand it.
18 year old doesn't act as a mature adult. Alum is shocked.
Bro, that's A+, but you forgot the @ and that this isn't the tweetter
Calling him a slimeball? Really? Grow the fuck up man
There's a difference between calling the action a slimeball move and calling him a slimeball himself. But hey, don't let that stop you.
You absolutely know thats semantics.
Hey don't make me start back handing some people
Not really, chose those words carefully to describe actions, and not the individual.
But don't let that stop your fake outrage.
parsing connotation from denotation is a /slimeball move
"Slimeball move. Guy with that kind of character has no business on this team anyway."
I understand your original point and I thought it was a bit strong but you're entitled to your opinion and I didn't downvote you. But I find your defense (and getting snarky at this point) that you were ONLY talking about the action and NOT the individual to be getting a bit disingenuous given full context of your original post.
Ugh... Give me a break. Calling a 18 year old who is deciding the best course for their future a slimeball is worse than annoyingly injecting yourself at a recruit's signing day.
It's not your life so don't judge. He's free to do whatever the fuck he wants to. He can change his mind a million times up to the very last minute. Hell he could switch at the table and choose a completely different school. 100% his prerogative. It sucks we didn't land him but that's the nature of recruiting. Hate the game not the player.
It's interesting how some of our fans are so upset over Grant's decision yet some fans loved it when the one recruit put on a Tennessee hat only to throw it away and commit to
GeorgiaFlorida.By the end of the day we'll have undoubtedly checked off all of the lies on this list:
25 lies you will tell yourself on National Signing Day
Damn, they got us good
Seems like every season Florida State steals one at the last minute.
Good luck at East Mississippi Community College...too soon? /s
Crablegs and Football... that's what EMCC does.
RAWR
so im sure everyone has seen this by now... but if you want to recruit negatively against any schools in the state florida from here on our for kids heres a pretty good starting point. "don't let your kid go to a school with a bunch of gangs"
thoughts? does this hurt florida schools in the long run or just a "shes a selfish mom vibe from this whole ordeal"