2016 DT Clay Dean Commits to Tech After Jumping to "Enter Sandman," Learning to Love Hokies

Defensive tackle Clay Dean of Purcellville's Woodgrove HS got an introduction to Virginia Tech much earlier than the average recruit.

Dean says he had a pair of older sisters that decided to become Hokies, giving him plenty of chances to get acquainted with Blacksburg over the years.

"Without them going to Tech, I might have never gotten a chance to learn more about the school, I wouldn't have gotten to go to my first college football game there as a kid," Dean said.

Luckily for the Hokies, his family ties to the school are strong, convincing him to commit to Tech and become the program's ninth recruit to join the 2016 class.

"I've been in the stands, I've jumped to 'Enter Sandman,' so I know what it's like there," Dean said. "I can't wait to go from watching that to being on the field for it. It's incredible."

Dean, who's rated a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports, was ready to make his pledge even though Tech was his only FBS offer. But given his feelings toward the Hokies, his thought process was simple: why wait?

"I realized I didn't want to wait for any other offers when I already had an offer from my dream school," Dean said.

Dean's head coach at Woodgrove, Michael Skinner, says had he been a little more patient, the offers would've likely started to roll in, but he understands why Dean wasn't willing to wait.

"UVA was thinking about offering him, and my guess is that by next month more offers would've started to come in," Skinner said. "But he's liked them from day one. He was so excited when they offered a few weeks ago."

Even though the Hokies only extended Dean an offer at the start of February, Skinner says they've had their eye on him nearly as long as he's been interested in the program.

"I have a great relationship with their staff, I've probably had at least 12 kids go there over the years," Skinner said. "So around the middle of the last season I told them to give him a look and I guess they liked what they saw."

That prodding from Skinner encouraged lead recruiter Torrian Gray and Bud Foster to start looking Dean's way and start the process in earnest.

But they didn't get a chance to show him around campus until the team's Junior Day on February 28. During that event, Dean says he got a chance to get to know both Foster and Charley Wiles a little more.

"He had a great time, and his parents were really impressed," Skinner said. "They were familiar obviously with campus, but not really the football side of it until that trip."

That effort culminated in Dean's big call to Gray yesterday morning to give him the news he'd be pulling the trigger and committing.

Once he made the pledge, talk quickly turned to where he might line up for the Hokies.

"Today, Coach Gray was saying they were looking at me as a defensive tackle, but obviously I'll be on the defensive line somewhere," Dean said.

To Skinner, that assessment makes a fair bit of sense.

"We played him at both defensive line and offensive line last year, but he mainly played defensive tackle, and that's where he'll probably end up," Skinner said. "We even had him at tight end as a sophomore, but that was mainly as a blocker."

Given Dean's size, DT looks like a likely option. Dean already boasts a robust 6'2" frame, and Skinner sees him adding plenty of weight to that before all is said and done.

"He's about 250 (pounds) right now, but by the time he leaves he'll probably be about 270, 275," Skinner said. "He was about 215 as a sophomore and he grew two inches, so you can tell he's got room to grow yet."

Dean's ready to meet that challenge and pack on some muscle.

"I think I work really hard in the weight room, that's what it's all about," Dean said.

Beyond his size, Skinner says Dean's speed and athleticism are what will set him apart at Tech.

"He's extremely athletic for a big guy, he's got such a high motor," Skinner said. "He can dunk a basketball, he even played baseball last year."

For all his coach's effusive praise, Dean still sees some room for improvement.

"I definitely want to get faster and be more deadly in the pass rush," Dean said.

Amidst his training ahead of his senior season, Dean also hopes to make another trip back to Blacksburg this spring, for either a practice or a game.

He says he hasn't given any thought to enrolling early just yet, but it's clear he seems well suited to carry on his family's legacy with the Hokies when he does join the team.

"They were just his number one choice all along," Skinner said. "He'll definitely do well there."