With a couple of recent commits and the Spring game behind I thought I would update and share my list. This is somewhere between a prediction and a realistic best case scenario. From the people at 247 it sounds like this will be a pretty small class. My last post had 22 names, but it sounds like it may be even smaller than that so I whittled it down to 18 for this one. As always, this is a reminder that this list is #sauceless, this is just based on what I gather from reading a few different VT sites like TKP, 247, TSL, etc. I'll share some more thoughts at the bottom.
Wishlist/Prediction:
| Name | Position | Stars | Composite Score | Notes |
| Devyn Ford | RB | 4 | 0.9655 | Warm, 4/14 OV, decides 5/18 |
| Jordan Houston | RB/ATH | 3 | 0.8577 | Warm, 4/14 visit |
| Isaiah Hazel | WR | 4 | 0.9143 | Warm, in top 4 |
| Tayvion Robinson | WR | 4 | 0.8902 | Favorite, 757, 1/14 visit |
| Elijah Bowick | WR | 3 | 0.8688 | Committed |
| Nick Gallo | TE | 3 | 0.8638 | Hokie Brother |
| Quinn Carroll | OT | 4 | 0.9685 | Hokie Brother, in top 6 |
| Bryan Hudson | OG | 4 | 0.9184 | Committed |
| Riley Simonds | OG | 3 | 0.8839 | Buford, GA, 3/17 visit |
| Jesse Hanson | OG | 3 | 0.8749 | Committed |
| Tre'Mon Morris-Brash | DE | 4 | 0.9015 | Goode's HS |
| Joshua Harris | DT | 4 | 0.9169 | NC, Jan visit |
| Adarious Jones | DT | 3 | 0.8739 | 757, Bishop Sullivan, 3/24 visit |
| Brandon Smith | OLB | 4 | 0.9881 | Warm, 3/17 visit |
| Nyquee Hawkins | CB | 4 | 0.9065 | Committed |
| Mike Sainristil | CB | 3 | 0.8577 | Committed |
| Khalid Martin | S | 3 | 0.8778 | Warm, in top 4, 4/14 visit |
| Jahad Carter | WR/DB | 3 | 0.8577 | Committed |
Watchlist:
| Name | Position | Stars | Composite Score | Notes |
| Traevon Kenion | WR | 4 | 0.9236 | Warm, 6'4" |
| Jacoby Pinckney | WR | 3 | 0.8827 | Warmer, 6'3" |
| Cam Hart | WR | 3 | 0.8556 | 6' 3", MD |
| CJ Johnson | WR | 3 | 0.8377 | Warm, Top 3 |
| Darnell Wright | OT | 5 | 0.9879 | Warm, 2/2 visit |
| Donavan Beaver | OT | 3 | 0.8577 | VA, multiple visits |
| Jakai Moore | OG | 3 | 0.8678 | Warm, 1/14 visit |
| Savion Jackson | DE | 4 | 0.9785 | 2/2 visit, top 3 |
| Hakeem Beamon | DT | 4 | 0.9001 | NC |
| Ben Smiley | DT | 4 | 0.895 | 757, Indian River, 9/30 visit |
| Logan Cash | DT | 3 | 0.87 | Not Yet Offered |
| Mario Kendricks | DT | 3 | 0.8527 | FL |
| Jaden McKenzie | DT | 3 | 0.8516 | Not Yet Offered, Kane HS teammate |
| Gio Paez | DT | 3 | 0.8466 | Not Yet Offered |
| Jayree Hardy | DT | Not Yet Offered | ||
| Traveon Freshwater | ILB | 4 | 0.8936 | Warm, in top 5 |
| Jaylon Scott | OLB | 3 | 0.8556 | Not Yet Offered, Dax HS teammate |
| Dean Ferguson | OLB | 3 | 0.8416 | Warm |
| Tayvion Land | CB | 4 | 0.9237 | 757 |
| Semar Melvin | CB | 3 | 0.8699 | Warm, in top 2 |
| Myles Bell | CB | 3 | 0.8427 | Warm |
| Anthony Harris | S | 4 | 0.9354 | Warm, 1/14 visit |
| Nick Cross | S | 4 | 0.9275 | Dematha, MD |
| DeMarcco Hellams | ATH | 4 | 0.9674 | Warm |
| Cam'Ron Kelly | ATH | 4 | 0.9408 | Warm, Artis teammate |
| JR Walker | ATH/S | 4 | 0.9054 | NC |
-With such as small class, it's going to be really hard to break into the top 20, which is what I had been hoping for in year 3 of Fuente's tenure. Instead, this year I'll be focusing on the overall composite score for the class. Each year since Fuente arrived in 2016, the recruiting composite scores have increased, and I'm looking for that to continue. Here's a look:
2016 - .8485 (21 enrollees) *This was the transition year
2017 - .8613 (26 enrollees)
2018 - .8746 (26 enrollees/LOI)
I am hoping that this years composite can continue the positive trend and we can land a class with at least a .8850 composite score. Whatever the ranking, I would consider that a success. If we land all the guys in the first table that would be a composite score of .8992.
-From the Prediction list the top 5 least likely to actually commit in my mind are:
1. Joshua Harris - haven't heard much about him, he's more of a place holder for another DT other than Adarious, but it would be awesome to land him.
2. Tre'Mon Morris Brash - Similar to Harris, I hope we take at least one DE, but I'm not super confident in landing Savion Jackson, and Brash is teammates with Goode. Haven't heard a lot about him, but he's seems like the next most likely DE we have a shot with.
3. Brandon Smith - Seems like it's between PSU and VT, but I have a feeling we finish in 2nd place. If you ain't first, you're last. If we don't land him I wonder if we take a LB in this class. Dean Ferguson might be the next most likely.
4. Quinn Carroll - Sounds like his OV went really well, but as well as Vice has done in this cycle it's still hard for me to believe we can land a top 50 OT. Here's hoping the brother connection pans out!
Most important positions in my mind:
1. RB - we need to land Ford. Period. Landing Houston as a RB/ATH would be a great compliment.
2. DT - I like Adarious and hope that works out. Not sure who else we really have a shot with. There are some on the watch list that I included and really like such as Mario Kendricks, Gio Paez, and Jayree Hardy. I also like Logan Cash, but worry he might not be able to add enough weight and keep his explosiveness.
3. OL - Vice is killing it. Even if we miss on Carroll, I really like Donavan Beaver, who I think we have a decent shot with. And Simonds worries me a little that he hasn't decided yet, everything I read says that if he decided today he would be a Hokie, but he may end up waiting. Hopefully he pulls the trigger.
Would love to hear people's thoughts and predictions. Happy Monday!
Comments
I would drop, Josh Harris, B. Smith, and Carroll. Morris-Brash is someone that I know absolutely nothing about, so I can't really make a prediction there now. I love Kendricks and Cash, but we need someone more Day 1 ready. Josh Harris would be that guy but I don't see that happening. Other than that, I think that's a pretty realistic class.
If Brandon Smith goes to Penn State, my life will be over
I may have to go in hiding for a week
I'm a little more bullish on Carroll and Smith. We may finish 2nd but we aren't making it easy on them....
So we don't have a chance with Carrol anymore?
I haven't heard anything about the ND visit. I'm not about to call it off yet
I'd say they are both in the KJ Henry category. They really like us, we're doing all we can and going after them hard, we will have a hat on the table but they won't pick us. Things can always change but that's what it feels like.
Don't forget the family piece with Carroll. I think that plays a roll bigger than we think. KJ didn't have a connection at VT.
I'm not forgetting it, I just never heard until now that it was really playing that big of a role. Good to hear for sure I thought that wasn't much of a factor.
but dammit we would have if Fuente had just hired his dad.../s
We definitely have a chance with him. I just thinks he goes to ND. But in no way would I be shocked if he went to VT. From what I heard, he enjoyed his VT visit more than his ND visit.
that's what I am going off of as well.
Unfortunately for us, ND is just one of those schools that recruits itself, especially if you are Catholic. Brian Kelly is a total clown show, but it doesn't really matter. I just can't imagine wanting to play for that guy, so it's more about the school when it comes to ND. If ND had a personable "good guy" as a coach, they'd be unbeatable wrt recruiting.
As it stands, I imagine our best shot is if Carroll realizes what a douche bag Brian Kelly is...
On top of all of that ND has been absolutely killing it as far as putting OL into the NFL is concerned.
Brian Kelly killed a kid. That is all you need to know.
I cannot staaaand Brian Kelly, but...
bullshit. This asshole sent a kid up in a scissor lift to film practice in incredibly dangerous conditions. He is responsible and no one should let him forget it.
I agree, Kelly is an awful person but this Brian Kelly Killed A Kid thing needs to be put away. It's a bad situation for everyone involved.
I don't know the details of that situation and I don't really want to. But I can tell you a project that I had responsibility for was working behind schedule through multiple windy days this spring with cranes and lifts that they probably should have shut down due to conditions and I didn't say anything. Nobody died but it was irresponsible and I was in a position to do something about it.
There's a big damned difference between a construction project and a kid filming. That being said, I'm glad I don't work for you. Because even with that large difference, fuck a deadline over someone's life!
The sad reality of construction is that no risks can be completely eliminated. That doesn't mean that you can say to hell with it and do something that you know is dangerous, however any time that schedules are accelerated and hours are extended your risks of injury increase. While I like to think that all accidents can be prevented, this is easy to say in hindsight. The reality is that you weigh risks in every task that is performed and adhere to a set of safety guidelines. There will always be a judgement call to be made and the risks will never be 0%. I'm not taking up for Kelly, but to say that a supervisor is solely responsible for an injury or death of a worker I think is placing too much blame. All workers should be trained to know if a situation is unsafe and act accordingly.
I used to build and maintain substations. Believe me, I know you cannot eliminate all risk. But working in high wind to maintain a deadline is fucking stupid. And putting an inexperienced kid up in a scissor lift in high winds is even more stupid.
Then why do you feel that you can comment intelligently on the situation?
So you didn't kill anyone and Brian Kelly did. If you are in a position of authority then you need to place human life above a job.
You probably meant "complement," which means "pairs well with."
The spelling compliment means "you look pretty today."
It would be a great compliment to get Houston because it means he likes us, he really likes us. But he would be a complement to Ford.
Your correct... ;)
I really think Gallo is underrated. That guy is going to be a nice player.....
Yep said that in the other thread. Kid can ball.
Would be play TE? Feels like we already have a pretty young and crowded TE room. I guess with a redshirt year, he wouldn't suit up until 2020 after Cunningham graduates.
Can he stand in the pocket and make a tight throw on a crossing route?
Either Fuente or Shibest (can't remember which one) said the other day that they'd ideally want 5 or 6 scholarship TE's in their room at a time. Taking one TE this cycle would give us a group of Keene, Cunningham, DD, Mitchell, and Gallo. I would expect a TE every cycle, mainly because they like to use them differently. Keene the H-back, DD a big receiver, Mitchell somewhere in between those two, and Cunningham and Gallo more traditional TE types.
I wonder, and this might just be how uninformed/naive I am to the whole recruiting process... but after kids commit to another school where we have been in their top 2 to 4 or whatever, do coaches follow back up with them to get specific feedback on what VT could improve on to push us over the top? Is this prohibited? Do coaches/ADs really even care? Or do they already know what the kid(s) will say?
I know kids give their top few things that their selected school did the best, but it seems like it could provide some real value if we could get hard data on just what we need to improve on around the program to finish with the recruits instead of being "a close second" (i.e. last). Again, I might have no idea what I'm talking about here, just wondering.
"It's not you, it's me."
Depends on the kid, but yes a lot of times they will ask for feedback.
Yeah, we're probably not asking for feedback from Tajh Capeheart.
Hopefully this doesn't place tOSU back into the Ford decision:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2772063-former-4-star-rb-prospect-antonio-williams-transfers-to-unc-from-ohio-state
I guess it could but I think it probably will act more to reinforce the idea that the RB group in Columbus is very crowded. Also, not sure if a player transferring out would help a coaching staff gain lost trust with a recruit which seems like it is probably the bigger issue.
I'm much more worried about Ford deciding to push back his decision date and letting other schools jump in... No sources just a cautious observer of VT recruiting efforts on blue chippers.
Didn't I read that he choose the May 18 date because it's his g'mother's b'day? Or somebody's?
It won't. It was less Devyn being afraid of competition and more of him feeling like OSU wasn't transparent and truthful in their conversations.
Thanks for calming the fears LAH
As always the voice of reason...
QB? Anybody? Or am I not reading this right?
Probably not taking one this year. If there was a year to pass on a QB it's this one. Not a particularly loaded QB class.
I liked Max Duggan a lot and I saw where Corny was checking on him, but Duggan's recruitment has been all over the place.
I wouldn't mind taking an under the radar guy that Corny likes. Seems like he's got a good eye for talent.
I think what is implied is that this will be a VERY small class. QB is not a position of need. We are going to have to pass on some kids that have a chance to help us, because we need to get in players that we will need for position depth. We cannot get caught counting on one player to be the guy at O-line or DT again, or without enough DB experience or depth to play the full defensive playbook, or trying to make a receiver core out of guys that cannot catch. Been there before. If he is not a game changer at his position, and its not a position of need, we need to pass on him this year.
Bingo, and there just aren't many game-changer type QBs out there this year. Hold that scholarship for a position of need and space out the QB room a bit.
What's the word on Ben Smiley? I remember TKP doing an article on him awhile back, but haven't really heard anything about him lately. Anyone know what's up?
Not a take right now. Will need to camp again, which he may do this summer.
According to 247sports.com Notre Dame just received a new commit from a 3 star OT from Pennsylvania. Any chance that helps VT with Carroll?
Hopefully he saw this about ND's new OL; "Offensive line is a big need for ND this cycle and there wasn't a player on the board Kelly, Jeff Quinn and company coveted more than Kristofic, who is an impact player on both sides of the trenches, helping lead his team to a state championship this past fall, and the No. 10 ranking in the final MaxPreps Xcellent Top25."
Loy now with a CB for Ford to PSU, that's 3 today. I know there is time left but it's hard not to start doubting at this point. Another typical VT failure to close on a blue chipper?....
I expected when Wiltfong flipped his a few others would follow. I would guess they're more following his lead than acting on inside information.
If Ford ends up at PSU my new believe will be that Tech as a School can't compete with the bigger schools for top end recruits every year, no matter the coach it's a school issue at that point.
We need a Cinderella run... or start paying players
This mentality drives me crazy. There is only so much a staff can do to persuade a kid. At the end of the day, the player has to make a choice.
It can drive you crazy, no worries, but failure is the opposite of succeeding at meeting a goal... so what else would you call it, sir?
So because I'm not the fastest man in the world then I failed?
eh? I'm not following. I'm referring to the other gentleman's distaste for my wording that if we don't land Ford it's considered a failure. I'm not sure how it can be viewed differently?
Edit: I see now that this was in jest, I took it too seriously... but yes you would have failed, right along with me and everyone else on TKP... FAM ;)
We have a 1 in 7 billion chance to land Ford?
If your goal was to be the fastest, then yes
My point is that when a coveted recruit does not commit here, it is viewed as a failure to close on the part of the coaches. If the staff does everything in their power (and don't forget other staffs are doing the same), and yet the kid makes an informed decision to play for another school, it is not a failure on the part of the coaches. Sometimes people just have different tastes.
I understand your point, but I didn't say it was the coaching staff's failure alone, I said "VT failure." And I meant failure in its basic definition of simply not achieving our objective. That's what a failure is, simply not succeeding. Semantics be damned, I just hope that we can pull this out when we've been in good shape for so long. I just want us to take that next step and close on one of these guys. So sometimes my desperation turns to frustrations... we're all hoping for the same thing here, let's hope Devyn makes the right choice and comes HOME...
Its not uncommon for several CBs to flip after OV, it seems to be almost the norm at this point. See Dax last year after the Stanford visit. Several moved to OSU on Ford a couple weeks ago and we see where that situation is now.
Its one of the problems with CBs, the "experts" are free to flip back and forth and seem to do so commonly on relatively vague information.
The take home...PSU is a very serious contender for Ford but there are still 3 weeks left and many, many more CBs to go back and forth.
Indeed you're correct, again... we shall see.
Edit: And kinda like someone else said on one of these recruiting threads earlier, I'm willing and happy to eat crow on my pessimism here!
Right. A recruit will say "I had a great visit" and all of a sudden he's going to that school.
Cam'Ron Kelly eliminated us from his top schools, but still somehow has UVA on his list.
Strange. It's almost like he has no interest in winning football games.
I really liked him, but if we weren't going to land him I'm glad we didn't make the top group. One less guy our staff has to spend resources recruiting.
He seems to want good football or a good school.
Not both.
Fuente and Foster at the draft is awesome, hoping recruits are watching. All the Edmunds love head for help too, been a long time since the Vick hype, gotta capitalize.
Most guys love head for any reason to be honest.
Still working the autocorrect on Pixel