Discuss and share any Virginia Tech related recruiting topics from December 2018 [0] that don't warrant their own thread [1]. Please do some digging to share original content (e.g. embed the original tweet, not a link to another post/website with said tweet), add context / relevant information and respect the Community Guidelines.
[0] If someone would like to make this thread from month-to-month, let Joe know, he is apt to forget and pressed for time. Or simply copy the boilerplate and start a new thread.
[1] New offers, commitments, decommitments, etc... deserve their own thread. Please read the brief best-practice tips at the top of the recruiting forum.
[2] I don't want to see anybody not drinking this semester.
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Comments
Tomorrow is the Super Bowl for Fax Machines
Are those SEC teams going to have those "interns" on camera at the fax machines only at knee height again?
Go on
Bama few years ago.
"Banana" ... Can I have "what's in your pocket for $200 Alex?
Edit: Before he fixed it Fireman's post said "Banana" instead of Bama.
It's really hard to find a banana gif safe for work
What do you mean? Peanut butter jelly time is safe for work
That's compelling TV.
That picture is probably from 2009 or 2010 I think based on those names.
there are names in the picture?
It's pretty fitting what her right hand is touching
After the weekend recruiting success, I'm not disappointed in the start of this thread! Legs to everyone....especially the banana gif.
Jamel Hamm, 6'5" DB from FUMA,hasn't been discussed recently. Visited uva this weekend, seemed like we've held him as a backup plan. I wonder if he will sign tomorrow with anyone.
Couple of NC recruiting notes
I would expect Anthony Harris not to sign tomorrow, which would mean UNC would likely be his destination in lieu of Tennessee
Triston Miller is flipping from NC State to UNC.
In case anyone was wondering
Literally couldn't care less.
Good for him, glad he found a place to land after his strange commitment/cycle
First glance I thought tweet said CamRonJelly
Might as well be...that's about as firm as his commitment turned out
Michigan steals a 5* from Bama, after Bama stole him from Michigan
Word is his parents always wanted Michigan. Once Harbaugh promised his parents that he would be there all years Daxton will be there, the parents won out.
I gotta say, buying a promise that a coach has no control over whether or not he can keep said promise is a smart move on the parents part.
Exactly. He could go to Packers tomorrow for all we know, or get canned in a year, etc.
As a Packers fan all I can say is
Michigan isn't going to can Harbaugh. He would have to be in some controversy, which isn't his style.
He would have to be worse than Brady Hoke to be fired and Harbaugh is just way too good of a coach to end up there.
Lose to tOSU and MSU for 3 years straight might do the trick
Yeah, maybe.
I tend to forget that teams do in fact lose to their rivals.
I see what you did there. Sneaky, well done.
Michigan is the type of school that cans a coach for 3 straight 8 win seasons. Harbaugh is also looney tunes in the mental parts and could easily do something to get himself canned.
They absolutely love him up here
MiamiUNC just signed a 3* named Storm Duck. 5* nameMust have gotten hurricane and the old miami mascot stuck in my head with that name.
Cousin of Donald and Darkwing
He was a UNC commit previously I believe.
He signed with UNC
Now this just doesn't make sense. UNC doesn't play well with a storm.
Probably why they needed to recruit him.
Hopefully that continues
Why the deuce is UNC's recruiting hashtag #takefl19ht?
Nothing about rams or tar heels flies.
Jordan brand
I'll bet he was down to Miami or Oregon.
Howard really thought they had this one locked up for their D.
If Noah Cain picks PSU...
He did. What the hell is Franklin selling these RB'S?
This is their backfield:
Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders, Ricky Slade, Devyn Ford and now Noah Cain. It's obvious they all can't and won't start. Forgot about that.That seems like a really crowded RB situation. Like much more crowded than the FSU situation after they got Laborn and Akers
Ahhh, I know we're not rivals, but this tweet does explain it:
Barkley plays for the Giants brotha.
Damn, they got Saquon Barkley to recommit after he transferred to the Giants?!?
Miles Sanders, Ricky Slade, Devyn Ford, Noah Cain, CJ Holmes, and Marshawn Lloyd and possibly Chris Tyree next year
I legitimately think these top RB prospects have their eyes set on the NFL and are worried about college wear-and-tear to the point that they view splitting carries 3 ways at a school that churns out good RB's as a better career decision than being "the guy" somewhere.
I can't say they're wrong, either.
That actually makes a lots of sense. If your NFL ready the odds are as long as your work ethic doesn't ch be and you don't get injuries you have a high chance of making the NFL no matter where you go to school.
This is absolutely the trend. Bama and Georgia have been using this method as well. There's so many stats out now about breaking certain carry thresholds in college and the average NFL lifespan if you reach those points and now guys are happy to get 8-20 carries a game instead of being the bell cow.
Yes and no. It's not like Barkley split carries at Penn State when he was there. Without a doubt, if one of these schools with 4 5* running backs has a guy break out like Barkley, their last concern is wear and tear. He is going to be the centerpiece of their offense because the coach's job is on the line to win. He's not thinking about recruiting promises he made to the other guys or that kids NFL career 8 years in the future, he's thinking about keeping his job and winning a national championship. So if Slade comes out next year and is a breakout star, then that's their offense for 2 years. Georgia did the running back by committee with Chubb and Michel because Chubb was coming off his injury and couldn't physically handle that workload. Look at how Georgia used Chubb and Gurley the years before. They put the team on their backs.
Maybe this helps push Tyree towards us a little bit? I'm choosing to be optimistic.
Same with Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette. Kamara at UT too. Once Jalen Hurd has his melt down and Kamara got hot he was their go too
Dalv went to FSU and Lenny went to LSU though? Or am i misunderstanding
I'm just talking about being "the guy" at a school and having it work out well
Ah okay I did indeed misunderstand
Kamara was never truly featured at UT which likely played into him dropping to the 3rd round. They were absolutely loaded between Hurd, Kamara, and John Kelly and it didn't work out as well as it should have for any of them.
I do understand that a player might want less wear to prolong his career but there's a massive difference between first round and later round money too. Some of these elite players are potentially losing that money by going to teams with so much depth to the point that they aren't being featured,
oops
FSUs top 6 recruits have not signed yet
Don't want to hate on Devyn Ford, but
I mean I don't get it. This is why I'm not shocked about the number of kids transferring like Justin Fields. Why would 2 Top 100 running backs want to go to the same school that signed at top 100 running back the year before and will probably sign another next year? They get there, don't get the production they want or were promised during the recruiting process, get frustrated, and look to move. It just doesn't make sense to me. I know we aren't a lock to get Tyree next year, but if we lose him to Penn State then I quit.
Two flaws in this are that we don't know what was promised and no RBs have transferred from PSU as far as I know
PSU don't recruit RBs to block, or sumpin?
Because every single one of them thinks that they are the best RB in that group
Dorlus goes to Oregon.
reindeer to duck. Santa is pissed!
HoW wErE wE sUpPoSeD tO cOmPeTe WiTh WhErE hIs PaReNtS wEnT tO sChOoL??
aSk jESsE hAnSOn
That's the exact point. He was written off by some who excuse every time we can't close on a recruit as "why would he leave Florida?" or "why would he go somewhere else when his parents went to Florida?"
Clearly his mom going to florida didn't stop him from going to school 3k miles away. It's only an excuse if it's VT not closing.
Man it sucks Florida couldn't close on a kid in their own backyard whose mom is an alum I guess there are all kinds of reasons kids pick other schools.
It was fun while it lasted and he was wearing some expensive sneakers, dressing up with recruits' parents, and flipping Miami recruits but now that he can't close on a 3*, it's safe to say it's time to fire Dan Mullen.
He was not a take there
Yes, I was agreeing with your point
+1 Gotcha
DoInG tHiS mAkEs Me AsSuMe YoU'rE iN MiDdLe ScHoOl
it implies a mocking tone and it's most effectively when you don't actually alternate upper and lower case
I'm familiar with the meme. My 10 year old nephew loves to use it too.
This guy about to pick on ESPN has two Miami hats on the tableEdit: I'm dumb
Damn Miami throwing out offers on NSD. They are getting worried.
Uh oh.
Lunch pail...? Turnover chain...?
I'm not going to lie. I'm worried about the class we just signed. No QB. One LB. Only one TE. Can he even play QB or OL? What the heck is going on in Merryman right now? Don't these guys know how to recruit? Why can't they finish?/s
Man you had me going.
👀
May not have been a take for the new coach, in which case I feel for the kid
I love this little guy. I would rather give him Tahj's spot.
Edit: I'm being downvoted for suggesting that we bring in a player that really really wanted to be here instead of a player that by all accounts preferred South Carolina and would have flipped and now that he's broken his femur he's stuck with us and we're apparently obligated to stick with him
Nope.
You're being downvoted for saying you don't want a Hokie.
Fair I suppose
is BAG's secret surprise about to happen today?
I think it already did. It was the 3 commits from this last weekend (Fuga, Barno, and Murray). Murray never verbally committed but signed today.
Miami can't catch a break
Translation: To schools that didn't have signing classes like Alabama, Georgia, or Clemson, all is not lost.
Deleted.
These sarcastic responses that passive-aggressively call out other posters by hyperbolizing their arguments is getting real common on this site, or is it me?
You know what your right. Deleting my comment and I'm going to try and work harder to not let the BS get under my skin. Thanks for calling me out.
It's not just you and it's usually the same people doing it...
Dammit, HokieBone12, now I don't get to see what he said!
(Psst.....read my sig.)
We had a better OL class than Clemson. It's probably the first time we have recruited a position during a specific cycle better than Clemson in 8-9 years or more. They have been in essentially full on meltdown over their OL recruiting this cycle.
Now I'm curious to see how that compares to the other positions.
The article these numbers are pulled from is about how OL is the most difficult position to project in college and the NFL, even moreso than QB.
Oh, I absolutely agree. I was just wondering what it was like for other positions and was hoping someone else would do the work for me.
That's great. Want to guess the average OL star rating of the playoff teams? Hint: its higher than 2.4.
I've been saying this for a month now, Darrisaw was true frosh all American, he was by far the worst one o the team by the recruiting numbers and it wasnt close and he started 11 games at LT.
I am not trying to take away from the season Darrisaw had, but be careful with 'true frosh all american.' He was named to a freshman All American list on 247, but that's a little borderline to refer to him as an AA, which may have not been your intent, just how it reads.
The initial tweet is a little disingenuous though - similar to the guys who say "there were 10x more 3* drafted than 5*" each year after the draft - its a numbers thing. There are 9 5* OL this year on 247, 47 4*, and then a ridiculous number of 3* guys. Regardless of position, the average star rating is going to be low. The hit-rate on those 4 and 5* guys is still much, much higher.
High rated skill players are always easier to project than highly rated lineman because as a rule lineman are rated high mainly on projection while skill players can play immediately in many cases. The bust rate on lineman will always be higher and give a school like VT the ability to build around hard-working players who out-run their projections.
Ok guys, since the fax machine has had time to cool off, it's time to focus on the next recruiting class. In the spirit of the holidays, who's on your wishlist for next year?
Chris Tyree
Julian Fleming
Tyler Baron
KeAndre Lambert
Cameron Roseman-Sinclair
Nekhi Meredith
Altrique Barlow
Kevin Pyne
Gabe Fuster
Bryn Tucker
Anton Harrison
Michael Carmody
Malcolm Greene
Keontae Jenkins
Ethan West
Jay Hardy
Mitchell Mayes
I doubt we'd take 6 OL in one class, but an overall rating of 271.83 would be amazing
In your opinion (or anyone else's) who from this list do we have the best chance with based on early indications. And on the flip side who seems least likely. Just curious.
Roseman-Sinclair is my best bet.
Considering were in the running for a five star running back that is also considering Penn State I would consider that to be the biggest longshot, with Pyne a close second
I'd say Julian Fleming is much more of a long shot than Tyree but that's based on my gut feeling about the situations and not any insider information.
2x0=0
That's an impressive list. Looks like we're in the mix for the majority of them. Tennessee has a boatload of guys in the 90+ range.
Would love to get some legacies like Pyne, Baron, and Lambert. (Does Lambert count?)
Lambert counts
If Lambert doesn't sign, Foster will send his Cousin to lay the BOOM.
/s
Looking forward to Quinn Carroll and Kevin Pyne starting next to each other at ND........
(eyeroll emoji)
I don't know what position Gabe Fuster or Bryn Tucker play at but hope we get them. Can you imagine some ESPN announcer getting tongue tied with a "Fuc..ster Tuster on the tackle?"
It's a bummer that like half of those kids are gonna go to pedo state
Textbook example of how to tweet at 'croots:
We're moving on up without you, but hey, we need you!
lawl
Any updates on our status with the staff St. John's in DC? They have 7 of the top 10 DC recruits for 2020. The top of that group probably has zero interest, but I am curious if there was any truth to the backlash after the Cam Goode situation.
2021 DB
I saw Adam's name mentioned on some of the recent recruits and he is tagged here. Seems he isn't as bad as everyone was predicting?
That depends on whether or not we land them.
The start of the Lecht Effect?
better Lecht yourself, before you wreck yourself
Up down up down left right left right seLecht start
This article from Warchant is SOOO cringeworthy (or at least the free part)
Every fanbase lives in their own little delusions.
Except Bama fans. Their delusions are reality.
Former 5* DL recruit Aubrey Solomon has landed at Tennessee. Transferred for non-depth chart reasons, possibly an issue with the coaching stuff or rumors of mishandling his injury. Was expected to start for Michigan, and most Michigan flairs said he was expected to be their best DL.
Pleeeeeaaaaaaase help us get Baron pleaaasseeeee.
How would that help us get Baron?
He's interested in Tennessee and hopefully this would limit his playing time in theory.
Knoxville is a shithole where puke orange and white blend into a crescendo of failed product on the football field that is heavily discussed amongst people that try harder than they should to be a redneck or a patron of farm bureau insurance.
Not quite sure what farm bureau has to do with any of this...
Sorry I was apparently a little drunk when I posted that. Just google Vols and Farm Bureau. They're pretty tight.
Wait!? I thought this guy was from Last Chance U.
Anyone notice that Jamious Griffin didn't sign with NC State?
Yes.
Cool, good job
You are incredibly observant
Yes
Thank you, I saw it and was hoping he went some where else sp were could have the #3 class in the ACC.
He is looking at Georgia tech
This just reminded me no more chop block U Paul Johnson BS, and that made me happy.
If he goes to GT, I'm saying Jaylen is going to transfer.
Now that Georgia Tech will have a different offense it is almost like we have another team off the schedule with ECU. I still won't like Georgia Tech but at least we won't see chop blocks and the triple option.
BAG, did your tantalizing GIF/meme from December recruiting thread part 2 already happen, or is the ride still going?
Only outstanding unknowns would probably be Nester since he was flirting with us while commited to OSU. Since he's opened up his recruitment he's been seeing some other schools but I believe we are still in it
Exactly what I was thinking...sooooo, BAG? 🙏🙏🙏
BAG gonna stop posting Gif's because everyone thinks it means we are getting all the 5* recruits.
via GIPHY
Sidenote: Nestor is gonna take till February, no need getting worked up on a guy being recruited by everyone. Just wait and see what happens
Thanks! And for the record, I'm too jaded to think we have a shot at 5* and high 4* players. When we actually get them, I'm just thankful. :)
*Edit: and all I was asking was whether or not your GIF tease was complete. Yes/no/"I can't say because my sources don't want me to confirm before or after the fact" was all I was hoping for...i was not trying to ask player specific...if that was being too nosy, I'll refrain from now on. I REALLY appreciate your input here and would never want to cause a rift that would make you want to stop sharing the info that you do.
Chill. BAG doesn't know. LA doesn't know. 24/7 doesn't know. Nester probably doesn't even know. It's Too early still.
This is something that I believe has gotten lost in the era of "recruiting insiders." You can have the best possible information but you are still subject to the dynamic decision making of another human being, usually a 17 or 18 year old, who can have a last second change of heart.
In fact, one of the more common things that we are seeing from top recruits (and some lower recruits) in response to how accurate insiders have become is to literally tell multiple staffs the same thing. If a kid tells three staffs that he is committing to their school before he picks the hat on signing day, then all the insiders have conflicting information. It will never become a perfect science, and that's okay.
Spot on. The information that is out there is only as good as what the recruits give to the staffs.
It makes me wonder how many of these kids did so because they were collecting from bagmen from multiple different schools (a la Tunsil).
I am chill? I was really just trying to figure out whether his signal he put up was fulfilled or not and/or if he could even tell us that...I'm sorry I offended you?
Who committed on signing day?
Brion Murray
that's what I'm going with
I'm not sure if this is a reply to my post above, but it was certainly in a general direction, with no ill intent towards you post. No offense received here, and I hope none was insinuated from my post.
No, it was to tjbhokie for telling me to "chill." I was completely "chill"" and wasn't trying to be rude or out of place. Everybody knows that nobody likes to be told to chill when they've done nothing wrong. It's the equivalent of putting words in my mouth. Not sure why either... I wasn't cursing, writing in call caps, insulting anyone, etc.
So, while I was "chill," I'm obviously a little perturbed now. I thought I responded to tjb's comment, not yours :)
Sorry didn't mean to be standoffish. It was meant to be more of a "chill bruh"
All good +1
2020 RB target Blake Corum currently playing in some kind of state champion showcase for St Frances right now on ESPNU.
He's having a game too!!!
Boy can fly. Just ran for an 87 yard TD. Up to 195 total rushing yards.
No idea who this is, but I can't see him having a long career in football with his freakishly short arms.
In all seriousness, please post name, position, school and rank since most twitter handles are not very descriptive.
Top 2020 receiver Julian Fleming. He and Rakim Jarrett, the other top 2020 receiver depending on service, generally tweet at each other a lot.
That's some stout company.
Not sure how much lager I can wait for this decision to play out
In de Appale ale Court, decisions can often take months or years. I hope this gose faster than that.
It might depend on the Saison
I malt for his commitment
I'd hop for joy if he committed to us
Amarillo be sad if he doesn't.
It'd be a Common occurrence.
I guess they're entitled to a blonde moment every now and then
Here's to hoping the relationship doesn't sour
Yeah but ECU fans think our programs are basically at the same level... ECU must have been #11...
This is bad news for us, Cameron Roseman is a 4* DB 2020, we were the leaders in the Clubhouse.
This would be an enormous recruiting blunder if we fail to land him.
Have you ever met Dre Bly? He's an awesome dude, a UNC alum who balled out in the NFL and was an ACC Legend. Imagine if Kam Chancellor was recruiting DBs for VT, thats what Dre Bly is to UNC recruiting. After I read that Dre Bly was hired by UNC and that he is recruiting him, this kid is gone.
That was a great hire. When I saw they hired him I knew he'd have an impact on DB recruiting for them in a very positive way. It will still be a huge blunder if we miss on this major Safety target that has listed us as his favorite and we have been on him strong for awhile.
You're not kidding
"The kid had a special connection with Dre Bly, what are you supposed to do?"
"There's a 2 star with offers from Hampton and Elon that's just as good on tape."
not so much recruiting but I wonder what UNC's long game is here. They know that Mac Brown isn't a long term hire. Perhaps they just hired him in the interm knowing that once better names with staying power come available they can jump at that and always have mac as the backup option if they don't land who they want. I'd like to see Brown's contract. I gotta imagine it's nothing crazy as I'm sure he doesn't need the money and is really just doing it for enjoyment now. If they are able to hire and up and comer in a year or two he'll step aside.
Kids in North Carolina seem to love their state. Regardless of who Va Tech gets on their coaching staff kids in Virginia hate Virginia and want to leave for Alabama, Clemson, PSU, OSU, UM, FSU...etc. This is why I hate following recruiting. I don't get how NCState and UNC can get top talent in their state, every team just about is able to get their states top talent except in Virginia.
We don't have a state identity. What does it mean to be a Virginian? Being from Nova, I don't have much in common with someone from Richmond, SWVA, or 757. It's so much easier to create loyalty to places like Maryland, Lousiana State, or Miami where there is a clear, consistent identity that they can recruit with.
I guess...I mean in the late 90s and early 2000s...Virginia and Virginia Tech practically had a fence around the 757...i think we can do a better job of promoting our brand of football...i think if we play better and start to compete in the playoffs (if this expands to 8, i really think we have a chance to make it to the playoff in the next 5 years..) then we the players will come...
Recruiting at Virginia tech is sort of like Bud Foster's defense(the chicken and the egg argument) we need to get better players to compete, but we need more money to build a modern day recruiting staff, but we will not get more money unless the team does better...
I'm sorry but, this is "our" identity... Right now. VA has historically punched above our weight in anything we do. I don't care if you are in SWVA NOVA Richmond the 757 or whatever. Pick a field/subject. We have influenced the nation since its birth in almost every facet of life. Good and, unfortunately, even bad. Need Examples? How much time do you have? Where we fall short is in our woe-is-me, grass-is-greener-other-side mentality. Everywhere else is cooler to us and as a result that is perception to the many transients and visitors. It's a mentality. Ever been to TX cities , FL, NYC, CA, ATL? They love their respective homes success stories and flaunt an unwavering pride in them. They are obnoxious in the way they portray the "home cookin, " and in turn makes the outsiders see what not actually be there. In a sense most people's mind is made for them in these places.
As a person who was raised in different places across the US/ World the lifetime resident are quick to shit on the state's "boring", "small-time" qualities. "I can't wait, I'll move to..." is all I would hear in high school and college, here. Instead of I want to do "XYZ" here, many would rather just relocate to where "XYZ" is.
How one feels about themselves is contagious. I would imagine the VA talent's view of itself would formulate the opinion/view of out-of-state talent. Even with all that,
I've always notice people from places we think are "dope" relocatw here and love it so much and become residents. It always amazes me. Whatever you're looking for is here... Somewhere. That is on Virginians to exploit.
Ever find yourself amazed to find out some influential TV star, musician, political figure, or athlete, etc. is from here? I do. All the time, actually. Unfortunately I don't know how to change that but I think it would be a start to embrace "all" of our state and not look down on what we aren't familiar with. I know this was a giant blanket statement post but I say:
Our identity should be- We Are everything... PLUS what they aren't.
I'm still a West Virginian, I have lived in VA almost as long (months difference at this point) and my knowledge of VA pails in comparison to WV. I want to go hiking, I'll drive to Harpers Ferry. Camping I go to WV. Skiing, Snowshoe or Timberline.
When WVU wins they sing Country Roads, when Tenessee wins, Rocky Top. They define the state.
I cant name a celebrity from VA, I can barely name college football coaches, but Holtz, Saban, Fisher, McKay, Schwartzwalder, and Yost are all from WV. Only Saban and Fisher arent in the HoF.
We broke the sound barrier, quarterbacked Superbowls, and we won everyone's hearts in the 84 games. We are the logo, the father of game theory, the reason Wierd Al plays the accordian, and are Gilligan and Barney Fife. We are West Virginia. (I'm surprised this isnt a commercial already)
Again I cant do this with VA, I doubt my wife could name influential people from VA and she has only lived here.
WV certainly has a strong identity, for better or worse. WVU as basically the only school in the state helps. As a non WV-Ian, I see only a few of the references you list. I think of Nehlan, the logo, country roads, Huggins, randy moss and the Marshall tragedy.
Virginia is a much different state. There are 3-5 very distinct regions. They don't always see eye to eye. Nova is the largest and reflects a region shared with MD and DC. Most of us Virginians barely consider nova as part of the commonwealth. 757 is not only a racial anomaly but has many transients from the military. The civil war discussion has caused a split in the state. The drug problems have severed an artery in the western side if the state. Politics further divide the regions.
Historically, we have as much as anyone outside of Massachusetts. Athletically, UVA set the standard from Ralph thru Welsh, Vick and Beamer seized it for us and we lost it as Beamer aged out. UVAs effort to win the state back fall limp at the feet of UMBC and 15-straight. Currently, you can make the case that neither school own the zeitgeist of the state.
Virginia is currently listless and ripe for the picking. Buzz and/or Fuente should seize it.
WV has 3 regions, DC suburb, south Pittsburgh and the south.
Virginia has Luke Skywalker
Really? Drug problems are what comes to mind when talking about the western part of. the state? The Valley is the most beautiful place in Va, far more to be associated with outside of the "drug problem".
As someone who grew up in the western part of the state, he's not wrong. I was talking to Dad yesterday who still lives in the area and he couldn't get up the road to visit his family on Christmas because a meth RV blew up. The fire department had the whole street blocked off. This is not a rare occurrence.
It's a huge problem in the coal fields and 81 corridor.
This is a huge problem in Rural areas where the economy has changed and not enough jobs exist for the local population. I travel for working can tell you Western VA is nothing compared to parts of Western PA, Ohio and Indiana.
Funny, my wife was born and raised in WV and the only thing that she talks about are pepperoni rolls, Dicarlos pizza and the guy from northern exposure. I'm pretty sure she does not know any of the other trivia you mentioned - it's news to me at any rate. FYI I do like pepperoni rolls and Dicarlos but I am not a fan of the northern exposure guy.
D'annunzio? Never heard of dicarlos. But pepperoni rolls are awesome.
I'll admit the Frankie Yankovic trivia was a bit obscure. But most people who follow college football should know the coaches I listed. A beautiful mind (John Nash) won an oscar. Mary lou Retton won gold at the 84 Olympics, and any one in Morgantown has been on Don Knotts blvd.
Best pepperoni rolls in the state are at the Stollings, WV Go Mart.
What about Roger & Mazza's?
How many presidents are from WV? 8? How many current grammy winners? Pharrell timbaland missy elliott Dave grohl Dave Matthews band (I can't believe I just used them) .... Just link this to save time, in regards to celebs:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Virginia
And it's not my fault it's easier for a west Virginian to name what they know more about from their state, which bears our states name. As for your wife feel free to show her that link. I can get more if needed. I think that makes my point Virginia doesn't tout our achievements.
Speaking of sound barrier... Every rocket launched at wallops Island breaks the sound barrier. They break our atmospheres barrier too. So the hundreds of fighter jets based at our prominent military installations. Or NASA? The facility that is the location where a pretty popular Oscar-winning film takes place. Oh and the main characters were Virginian, too. John Glenn wasn't from Virginia, but he may not have ever been known had they not help put his ass in orbit.
Are we talking about practice? No, but, Allen iverson is possibly more influential to the 35-18 year old generation than Lebron or Michael. Katie Ladecky did capture any hearts but she has captured more Olympic medals than any female swimmer.
I could really go on but the point was to show that we have something to sell.... Just like VT. This is a great place. It should be common knowledge but we don't make it so.... We need to sell this place.
And WV sucks in comparison😏
A good bit of Virginia's claim to fame came in 18th century.
Four of the first five Presidents of the U.S. were from here, and seven of the first eleven.
There are lots of things I love about Virginia, but not sure it has a contemporary identity like some states have that everyone in the state identifies with.
A lot of musicians are from VA. Missy Elliot, Chris Brown, Pharrell, Ross Copperman (look him up if you dont recognize the name, he's gigantic in country music). Tons of pro athletes of course. A history filled with statesmen and politicians who formed and guided the entire country.
VA has 23 fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state. VA continuously ranks highly in business friendliness.
Some of these things aren't going to get a high school kid excited but there are an incredible number of achievements that are derived from VA.
I will admit that as the Federal Government grew and attracted industry, lobbyists, lawyers, etc. VAs identity has changed with the growth of northern VA. It's very difficult for someone in southwest VA to identify with someone who grew up in New York and now lives in Loudon County.
Dave grohl say no more....basically jesus incarnate
I mean yeah Virginia has a lot of cool stuff in it but nothing consistent. We can't recruit by saying we're home to the Navy Seals and we're where AI grew up. Growing up in Virginia I learned all about Jamestown and George Washington and Robert E. Lee but otherwise? Being Virginian feels more like a history lesson than something in common with other Virginians. We have more immigrants and transplants in Nova than actual Virginians.
The biggest problem I take from this is our recruiting pitch is literally "This is Home". I love Blacksburg, but we need to actually make it "home" for it to work as a recruiting pitch. We can't just speak it into existence because we are an incredibly unique and disconnected state. When you go to a Maryland football game you will see Maryland flags and you will see all 12 football fans Maryland has talking about crabcakes and football. LSU will have cajuns making gumbo outside of the stadium and a half Creole pregame speech. That is the environment those guys grew up in, and that is home to them. Guys from 757 and Nova sure as hell aren't going to feel like they're home driving past the confederate flag on 81S going into the Appalachian mountains.
I think your point makes sense about Louisiana (for the players who are actually from there), but as for Maryland, how many of those players are from the Chesapeake Bay area, as opposed to D.C.? You chose some small states for comparison. Maryland is 12,400 square miles. Virginia is over 42,000 square miles.
I'm from Virginia, but not the Appalachian mountain part. Still, I love that area of the state. It's stunningly beautiful.
An 18 year old kid from Hampton isn't gonna come to Tech just because it's stunningly beautiful. We need a better culture throughout the state that would make them want to go there
Better culture? Than Maryland or West Virginia?
What a strange thing to say.
I think he means a culture of state pride, but I could be wrong
This is what I mean
Ah, that makes sense.
I don't quite understand what you mean.
I have no idea what goes on in a recruit's head, but I kinda doubt an 18-year old is thinking about gumbo and crab cakes on what makes him stay in his home state. But, here's some facts
Virginia Tech is 16th in P5 in composition of in-state recruits. LSU is at 15. Maryland is 24. This data doesn't go into the blue-chip recruits of the state and whether they're kept in state, so it's limited in that regard.
Link
Yes, maybe we should start with some actual data.
Cool chart, never seen this calculation before.
This does nothing besides sweep under the rug the fact that the top talent of Virginia leaves the state. So what if we have a lot of Virginia players? They aren't the elite players that are going to carry us to where we want to be
tbh, I don't know what is being swept under what rug. That statement just doesn't make sense to me in context.
What was presented was data (which is limited, as stated) showing composition of teams of in-state recruits. Better data would be the percent of the top-10 recruits of each state that stay in an in-state program. Even better data would be weighted by recruit rankings and state rankings.
Ok that's fair. I originally felt like you were trying a "hey look at this" to some feel good data
Being Christmas time, we took part in our annual drive THROUGH NOVA on the way home to Richmond. This year, it was 3 hrs on 95 South between Occoquan and Fredericksburg.
If you are coming from somewhere to the west, you are almost always better off taking 15 to 522 to 64 to get to Richmond and bypass 95 entirely.
On Ohio trips, we try to bypass. This year was my family in Maryland. Other option is to go the other way and do 301. Problem is, this time of year, 301 is a nightmare.
Dude, Route 1 is your friend for holiday travel.
Route 1 had wrecks on it today too. It didn't look that much better on Google Maps.
I drove back yesterday (12/26). Literally made it from Newport News to Bethesda in 3 hours. No traffic on 95. Fortunately Google maps saved me from a 50 min backup on 495 near Tysons.
The only thing people from Richmond, Tidewater or Southwest VA have in common is a burning hatred for NoVA.
Didn't really realize the animosity that existed between the different regions of the state, but I too HATE NOVA lol (DC can just claim it), and Richmond. Va Beach is cool tho in my western va opinion fwiw, just my 2 cents.
A lot of that animosity has to do with 1. The vastly different identity of NOVA and 2. The population of NOVA being so large that how they think and vote is forced into the rest of the state whether anyone else wants that identity or not.
A lot of VA is southern in culture and mentality. Most NOVA residents come from places that hold no allegiance to that mentality. Their gravity is so large up there that it changes the landscape of the entire state.
DC doesn't want it. I went to high school south of Richmond. After VT, I lived in Arlington and Tysons, and then moved to DC. Arlington isn't bad, but I can't stand the rest of NoVA. I was going to leave this region until I moved to DC. Totally different people.
If we decide to move out of DC, we are looking at Maryland or North Carolina.
I lived in Bethesda MD which is obviously inside the beltway. All I wanted to do was get the fuck out of there all day every day. I wish those two VA counties west of DC on 66 would be annexed by D.C.
California has a similar problem, culturally. The bay areas (I meant to say the coast not the bay areas haha) have one vibe and 90% of the rest of the state geographically has a different vibe completely.
Better get better car insurance if you want to live in Maryland. As a SEVA/Philly guy, Maryland drivers are the absolute worst...
I currently live in DT bethesda. Can attest.
Maryland?
Grew up in Bethesda and can't up vote this enough. What a crowded, aggro, overpriced pile of crap.
Heard that. Thought about making my username 757StuckIn703Hokie.
Disagree, I think the tidewater and Richmond are super similar
Eh, not really. Tidewater has a much larger military/transient population. The southern accents are a little thicker in the Richmond area.
Honestly, VA is one of the greatest states in the union. It holds like 7 out of the top 10 richest counties in the country. Is one of the most business forward states in the union. Just look at craft alcohol and Amazon HQ2 as the most basic examples. Need to see more progressive attitude, look into Tysons 80 year plan.
VA is one of the founding states and continues to drive and influence a lot of the country in many aspects. This can be taken literally if you consider that just about all the countries internet is driven through the state.
It is one of the most culturally diverse states. You have beach and mountain life. It has great colleges (and allows instate tuition from some of the other states that don't offer similar programs). It has great history and continues to be somewhat of a battleground state, as you have both north and south mentalities coexisting.
The state is very humble, yet always pulls out some crazy accomplishment. It truly holds it's own and you could stack up to any other state in a huge number of categories.
I've lived in three regions of the state. I would never move back to NoVA, but I would move to many of the other parts in a heartbeat.
I've never lived anywhere but Virginia and I love my state. I will agree with most people above that it is a very diverse state by a number of metrics. I live in the far southwest corner, and could easily drive to 7 state capitals faster than I could drive to Richmond. It's about 30 minutes longer for me to drive to St. Louis than Virginia Beach. I don't know what any of that means exactly, but for me it shows how geologically diverse our state is and how much there is to see and do. I've been all over the country and been out of it a couple of times, and there's no where else I think I could call home. I do think that the size of our state and the diversity of people and landscapes can seem to segment different regions, and maybe this is why we have trouble with a unified identity. It's an interesting topic for sure. But to say we don't have state pride, at least as a majority, I believe is not the case. It may just be that the pride we all feel is felt in different ways, and I think that's a good thing.
From Bristol, it's 9 hours to St Louis and 6.5 hours to Virginia beach. where do you live that's 1 hour west from Bristol?
Wise County - about an hour northwest towards St. Louis. Ewing, VA is about an hour west of me.
Did you take into account that the Virginia State Highway Patrol is one of the best in the country at enforcing the speed limit? You have a better chance of getting a ticket at 5 over in VA than you do of getting one going 15 over anywhere on I-64 west of there.
I've always said that if I ever hit the lottery, I would buy some land down in Southwest VA and put a summer home out there...Somewhere between Marion and Bristol...nicest people you will ever meet...
I don't mind NOVA as much as others...but to me it seems like it's another state...Living in NC now, but I love VA..
"Nicest People you will ever meet"
The Midwest would like a word /s
They are super shy. Friendly, but not as out going as southerners. Almost like stranger danger
Can't disagree with you there, being i grew up in that neck of the woods and can honestly say the southern charm and kindness is strong with these folk.
Having lived in NOVA for over a decade at this point, I can honestly say its just like every large major city. There is not anything about it I would consider VA like just one massive city metro until you hit 81 or Fredericksburg. That's why people don't really associate it with the rest of the state. The people are generally highly educated, self absorbed, and honestly kind of dicks, but that's kind of what I expect in most major cities. Its not all bad, housing market is always strong, jobs pay exceedingly well, fantastic music venues/scene, great restaurants, always something to do, etc.
We also lived a couple of years in Tidewater over a decade ago and can say that while there is a lot of people moving around due to the military presence that its definitely still has some VA charm to it that NOVA lacks. The only problem there was the climate, summers were unbearable down there unless you were in VA beach with the breeze.
I 100% agree. Even though I live in Nova and you guys would probably hate me, I love living in Virginia. There's such a combination of history and continued importance with things like the Pentagon, CIA, Norfolk bases, etc. I just personally don't think we can use stuff like that to recruit 17 year old high schoolers to play football for us at Virginia Tech, which is why I posted my initial comment.
I'm from Central VA and moved to California 18 years ago and went back in October for the first time in 14 years. My wife who is from San Diego fell in love with Virginia and now wants to move there this coming up year. The people there are really nice which you take for granted living out here where everything is so fast pace and no one gives you the time or day.
Idk man, I'm home for the holidays and always forget how relaxed people are compared to NOVA.
NOVA is it's own animal.
That said, Virginians are pretty friendly compared to other places.
I'm talking more Central and Southwest VA. NOVA is a completely different world.
Yup, Central VA is nothing like NOVA.
This is why I selfishly wanted Amazon to put their headquarters somewhere in this region. I get it...infrastructure and all that...but the jobs left and there was never an adequate replacement for them...
Having grown up in NOVA, the best way I can explain the attitude is this: Everyone assumes whatever they are doing is more important than what you are doing.
They drive that way, shop that way, act that way, but groceries that way, etc.
Yeah, because they're important. They're all highly educated and two or three degrees from the President. They just haven't figured out that everyone else there is, too.
So where does Tidewater sit on the scale? Closer to NOVA or Central Va?
If y'all want to take a break from arguing what part of Virginia is Best (it's Blacksburg, FYI), here is the Virginia All State teams for High School.
9 forced fumbles by Brandon Smith. That miss stings the most to me. Glad to see so many Hokies on the list including one of my favorites Loren Johnson for coach of the year.
He was headed out of state from word go. Didn't matter who was coaching at Tech.
Yeah, it's not a miss if you aren't really in the game. Just because we extended an offer doesn't mean we were in play. I'm sure every top ranked kid in the country gets offers from everybody and their brother. These teams are just hoping for that slight chance. Realistically, they know it will never happen, but what does an offer cost?
Edit: looked back at my texts....clearly indicates we were never really in it.
Edit #2: we had a 1st round pick as a 20 year old that was basically the same profile as smith. Not being able to highlight that and get a serious look still seems like a miss to me.
I think that really speaks to one of the weaknesses of our program. Our inability to Market ourselves well.
Last year around at the time of the NFL Draft you could not turn on ESPN for more than 2 minutes without seeing Saquon Barkley (and James Franklin conveniently inserting himself as much as possible). It literally got to the point of being nauseating.
Meanwhile, we had a first-time occurrence with two brothers being drafted in the first round and you barely heard a peep about it other than about a ten-second snippit on draft day.
I wouldn't go to as far to say that this would have gotten us Smith, but the inability to showcase our program thru the success of the Edmonds' certainly didn't help.
I agree with this sentiment, but in defense Terrell going in the first round was a shock to every single person on this board (and if they say otherwise you can totally disregard anything they ever say here after). If it was expected then even espn would have been pushing that narrative. With that said, tremaine being a 1st rounder was a given and I think he was 19 years of age at the draft. If you can't hype that to a recruit I don't know what else you can hype.
How is Wyoming doing recruiting QBs you would think every 4 and 5 star would want to play where Josh Allen played
It was unexpected but not really a shock. I can't remember who it was, but I saw a lot of rumors swirl in the week before the draft that Terrell might go first round and someone posted here about how we shouldn't be surprised if he does.
Lots of comments lamenting him getting a burned a few times and nobody believing it and next thing you know Edmunds was a 1st rounder.
Has he played up to his first round grade this season?
The Steelers named him their Rookie of the Year
Well I like that Fu and Foster showed up at the draft. I think that was important to portray the family atmosphere. Fu talked about Ken Ekanem yesterday in his after practice press conference and how it was good to see him around the guys again...
I know people mock this concept quite a bit over here, but this is where us being behind in donations really hurts the program. I love the work that guys like Lezzi and Diethorn (and formerly Guerry) do, but stuff like volume marketing is purely a numbers game. Our staff can be the most clever marketers in the world, but they only have so much time in the day. More money=hiring more staffers=a higher volume of VT related content being pushed out on to Twitter, FB, etc. If people are reading about a subject very frequently, they will talk about it, and it will be picked up by ESPN.
We don't have Guerry on staff anymore?! That dude was killing it
Last I talked to him (three weeks ago) he was still director of recruiting operations for Tech football.
You're right. Was thinking Chuck Cantor. Brain fart.
I predict we keep the Commonwealth Cup for at least 69-more years
With Mark Richt "retiring" from Miami, that should help us with Asante, Miami was one of his recent offers
Nebraska is probably the only school that could pull him away from VT unless one of the blue bloods jumped in.
Or one of the "Big Dogs"