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A point of contention on #3. While agree starting early is extremely important, I don't think VT has failed on that. They do a good job of getting sophomores and juniors in the state of VA to their camps and football games. The problem seems to be fighting off the other elite programs and closing in on the deal.
The best examples are Jaylyn Holmes and D'shawn Hand, both of whom considered VT their favorite during their JR years. Then this past winter and spring, the top programs in the nation lured them away, leaving VT sitting on their hands.
Hokietopher what part of Jersey are you living in?
That is awesome! and god help us another purebred HT but always great to see growth, come on 200!
Not sure if you can compare Ford and Izzo to Brown. According to Rivals, Brown is 3rd in this state, and more importantly, 7th nationally. Ford is 11th in his state, Izzo is 26th in his, neither ranked nationally. You're comparing Maseratis to Ford Mustangs. As for Florida, the highest recruit that I remember acquiring was Hosley, who was 25th in his state (139 nationally).
I think the thing that hurts is that this was the year of Virginia recruits. 3 in top 10, 7 in the top 100. VA has NEVER been this highly touted. VT currently has 0, and MAYBE end up with 1. UVA currently has 3, including 2 in the top 10. With Hand out of the running, and Holmes taking a 180 degree turn and not committing to VT, VT now looks like they can't even obtain the recruits they were in the lead for. It reeks of ineffectiveness, inability, and now desperation.
sorry for the glitch at the end..i'll work on a better version
DJ SMASH
London can sell "be part of creating a legacy" rather than joining a legacy of failing under the brightest lights.
Well put, losing big games is much more then a lost opportunity. It's actually worse to keep losing big games then it is to not show up. At least if your loses aren't nationally televised you have the chance to create your own story. If you get beat down on nationally television, the story is going to be dictated for you.
Helps that JC and Nnadi seem to be boys.
Maybe the new O will help run the score up a bit. I know CFB isn't into it, but it helps show dominance. Kids like that type of stuff.
Yeah between us and FSU. Funny because his crystal ball is still saying UVA.
I'd presume it's us and FSU?
Nnadi is said to have a top 2 now...anybody know who they are?????
It really is funny how a guy with a track record of repeated failure and sketchy behavior like Locksley is so successful. I don't want the Hokies to go down THAT rabbit hole, but there is defintely something missing when they miss on kids who are going to schools with no track record of success. Another example of a kid who is in a dire need position for VT is Damien Prince, who seems to be locked in to the Terrapins. DC area. Hokies have recruited well in DC/Maryland. Would have a chance to contribute almost immediately. Instead, he will go to Maryland and lose frequently.
🎸OG LEG KING 🎸
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13 years 2 weeks
# | Football Glossary-Defensive Line Play: Techniques and Gap Control Thanks for posting this, French. Great info.
For the sake of the Hokie running backs, I certainly hope that Andrew Miller can recover and be effective. For all the praise that Grimes heaped upon Miller in spring practice, he was abysmal in the scrimmages and spring game and looked very limited from a leg drive and mobility standpoint. He was clearly hobbled. I hope Miller can bounce back. He is excellent in space, but sometimes struggled against big athletic defensive tackles and nose tackles like Mike Martin and Brandon Thompson when they line up head up or eagled on either shoulder. Alabama is inexperienced at nose tackle, but their two deep is still MASSIVE. Miller and Farris could make up 2/3rds of that interior so their ability to handle the nose tackles will be critical to success versus the Tide.
Look no further than Mike Locksley and Chip Wests' recruiting practices as to why the two kids you mentioned went where they did. Some of the problem comes with doing everything by the book for the last 20 some odd years, and not "playing the game" when it comes to some recruits. I believe we can still recruit well and play by the rules. As mentioned a million times on this board and in this thread; it starts with winning games, kicking the piss out of your rival (this year more than ever is time to lay 50 in Cville) and playing an exciting brand of football with guys flying around on the field having fun doing so to start generating some buzz again.
and Michigan...it was a catch.
Don't discount the damage that losing national TV non-conference "big games" did, coupled with the loss to JMU. UVA has been inferior for a long time, but they have not been part of the national discussion. That is an advantage, because London can sell "be part of creating a legacy" rather than joining a legacy of failing under the brightest lights.
Also, I have heard for 2 decades that Beamer's staff does not "sell" kids on VT. They (the staff veterans) look for kids who fit their system, and who want to be at VT without being sold. There are very few guys who they have "turned" or who have been suprises over the years. Kevin Jones comes to mind. I know Frank Beamer worked hard to help close Ryan Williams. But, in most cases, they get guys who pretty much VT locks from day 1. And, that isn't what top notch recruits are looking for these days. They want to be wined and dined. They want to feel wanted. They want promises to be made. I understand that elite programs like Alabama, Notre Dame, and Florida State can recruit nationally because they have resources most programs don't. But, if schools like Maryland and UVA can land elite talents like Stefon Diggs and Andrew Brown, then there is no reason VT can't unless our recruiting strategies are sub par.
I will differ to others who are more recruiting savy to point to the "why" and how it needs to improve, but the results since Kevin Jones was landed have not been congruent with a perennial Top 10/15 program.
We need to send the whole staff down for him and nnadi and the cookout needs to be at nnadis house on the beach with all the Tech boys...and signees!!!!!!
The case of Holland Fisher illustrates your point so eloquently. After Tech offered Fisher and he committed, it did not stop high powered suitor, Alabama, from pursuing him. Shane Beamer, on the record made a quote and it is in my signature, "We are not going to back down from anybody," after Alabama made siren songs for Fisher. I think it is vital for the staff to remain in touch with the commits so they know Virginia Tech is still interested in them. I hope that Shane's recruiting in the SEC is helping to change the mindset within the program.
Well said. I'm as die-hard of a fan as the next guy, but I can see the reality. I think the thing that happens to Hokie fans every year is this: we all believe that we deserve to catch a break, to put it all together and make another run at the top. We've worked hard and been consistently good for a long time, but we've not cracked that upper echelon in a long time. Put that together and the mentality is, "we've got to be getting close to getting back." Then the media likes to hype up the conference races, get us all excited, and that attitude of "we're due for a break" becomes "this is the year!" It's sort of a vicious cycle.
I believe the new coaches are going to give us a shot in the arm, both in terms of on-field performance and energetic recruiting, but I don't think that is necessarily going to cause a 180 in a single year. Am I hoping for (and expecting) improvement relative to last year? Yep. Do I think that it will be a couple of years before we're consistent conference (and maybe national) contenders? Certainly. For that, I'm willing to wait. Level-headed fans and prospective students/recruits see that, and I hope that's what's going to drive this program forward.
According to 247, we have offered him, Hoos have not.
Have we offered him...
To have this special unit of blocked kicks and punts we need height and power in the middle,and speed on the outside...who are these guys on the team that could do this?
this is a rather easy one, my friend.
Coaching.