Dreary Blacksburg Weather Doesn't Deter Hokies' Spring Game Visitors

Some dreary weather and a lack of on-the-spot commitments had many fans feeling gloomy about the recruiting impact of Tech's spring game this year.

Even still, many of the dozens of high school prospects in attendance assert that the Hokies' staff still did plenty to make the weekend memorable, even if the weather worked against them.

"I loved it, I just loved the fanbase," said Pete Leota, a rising senior OT out of North Carolina's Asheville HS. "There were people out there grilling at 8 a.m. in the cold, I loved seeing that."

For many recruits, it seems the weather was less important than seeing how the fanbase responded to the less than ideal conditions.

"Weather is always going to be there, but the crowd still got turnt," said C.J. Freeman, a running back from Greensboro, North Carolina's Northern Guilford HS.

Others noticed that the players on the field kept the intensity high, even with the rain and cold dampening the mood a bit.

"It was rainy and cold, but the players were still energetic," said Eric Crosby, a rising junior DT out of Virginia Beach's Ocean Lakes HS. "That was a really good signal to me about the atmosphere and the coaches, it means they were having a good time out there."

The unpredictable Blacksburg cold snap surely seemed unsurprising to the coaching staff, and 2016 CB Wayne Davis out of Norfolk's Lake Taylor HS says they put in plenty of effort to make sure his first impression of campus was a good one.

"It wasn't the best weather, but it was still a great visit," Davis said. "I got to see all the parts of campus I wanted to."

Davis said one of the more memorable moments of the trip was getting invited down on the field before the game.

"I was one of a few guys they asked (to come down), and Lane looks so huge from down there," Davis said. "It was a great feeling."

While he was there, he happened upon a pair of fellow cornerbacks who are some very credible sources when it comes to the pedigree of DBs at Tech.

"I got to talk to both Fullers, Kyle and Kendall, down there," Davis said. "They really talked up the 'd-block,' told me it was one of the best places to play."

After the game, Davis got the chance to spend the night at J.C. Coleman's apartment, a fellow player from the 757 that gave him more of the same encouragement about Tech. Crosby also spent time with Coleman and TE Bucky Hodges thanks to their Tidewater ties, and they emphasized the "family bond" at Tech.

Freeman got to stay overnight with his old friend from high school, early-enrolled freshman CB Mook Reynolds.

"I came down Friday and stayed with Mook, then spent Saturday there as well," Freeman said. "That's my brother. He always tells me to be smart and do what's best for me. But he also says that the best thing is Virginia Tech."

Freeman committed to South Carolina last month, but says he's following the advice of his family and giving a few other choice schools a look before making things official.

"My mom just said 'if you want to take visits, take visits,'" Freeman said. "I want to talk to all the coaches, and compare what I know about them all."

Freeman admits that the tone of his conversations with Tech's has changed since he made his commitment, but they've continued without much of a dropoff.

"It's definitely changed a little, they're more asking me now what South Carolina has that VT doesn't," Freeman said. "They're always telling me they want to take a running back this year."

He adds that he's been surprised how relentless every school has been since he made his decision, in a sign of just how much recruiting has changed over time.

"Once I committed, I just thought schools would back off a little bit," Freeman said. "Instead, it seems like they're talking to me more."

Part of that urgency stems from Freeman's insistence that he plans to enroll early this December. The Hokies certainly tried to make the most of his visit to campus this past weekend, and they were helped out by a chance meeting as Freeman toured the team's offices.

"I was just walking through the facility and I saw (director of player personnel) Chuck Cantor talking to someone," Freeman said. "I thought he looked familiar, but I couldn't place it."

Turns out that recognition came from his days watching the NFL.

"Then Chuck introduced me to him and it was Kevin Jones, and it really hit me," Freeman said. "As an RB himself, he told me he'd watched my film and really wants me there. Plus he even said he went through the same injury as I did."

Met a #VT legend today @Iam_KevinJones #Hokies pic.twitter.com/mTKy4Pq3Mw— CJ Freeman (@WhoThat_CJ) April 24, 2015

Freeman has been battling through a left foot injury since last December, but he says it hasn't slowed down his training or his recruitment.

"I feel like I'm almost full back to speed, I've got some screws in my foot now," Freeman said. "I just want to get back to where I was, get faster, prove I'm one of the best backs of 2016."

The Hokies seem to have faith he can do just that, and Freeman still seems at least partially interested. He says he wants to take one of his official visits to Tech during football season, and other trips back could be in his future.

"They told me they still want me to come back for visits just like normal," Freeman said. "I'm still trying to figure it all out."

In the meantime, he'll likely continue to hear plenty from Shane Beamer, one of the recruiters for his area. He won't be the only North Carolina prospect to hear from Tech's RB coach.

"I love how Shane keeps in contact with me all the time," Leota said. "I just really like VT and how they get it up there."

Leota said his meeting with the elder Beamer and some of the other coaches made quite the impression this time around.

"I got to speak with Frank Beamer for the second time, that was great," Leota said. "Then I got to talk with Coach Searels, and take my dad into the locker room, the weight room. It was his first time there, so that was great."

Even still, he insists that his recruitment is still wide open, but could change soon.

"Hopefully I can narrow my decision down a bit by mid summer," Leota said.

Leota says the team told him they "hoped I'd come back soon," but he has yet to narrow down a specific date.

Davis has developed more concrete plans.

"My whole team is going to visit this June, so I definitely want to go down then," Davis said. "I might go back sooner, it just depends on my dad."

That visit will also likely include fellow CB Keyvone Bruton, who Davis says wasn't able to make it to the spring game despite earlier plans to come down, and DT Darnell Ewell as the trio swings through Tech, Penn State and Maryland this summer.

But while he waits back home, he'll still likely hear plenty of recruiting pitches from a pair of Tech's 2015 commits.

"Trevon (Hill) and (DeShawn) McClease and I work out together, we have the same trainer, and they're always in my ear about Tech," Davis said. "Before I visited they kept saying how great the campus is, so I'll definitely talk to them about it."

Crosby is also hearing plenty of buzz about Tech from some of his teammates. Both 2016 DE Tre Hubbard and 2017 WR Tahj Capehart joined him on the trip (2017 RB Khalan Laborn says he wasn't able to make it down as planned), and Crosby says they came away highly impressed with Tech.

"They both loved it, but Tre probably liked it more," Crosby said. "He loved the coaches and the way the defense played. He said if they ever offered, they'd immediately be one of his top schools."

Now the trio is planning yet another return visit for one of the most highly anticipated games in Hokie history.

"(The coaches) want us to come up for a home game, and we're trying to get up to see them play Ohio State."