Five deserving choices, to me. Anyone you think was snubbed?

Hokies name five captains for 2021 season

Sources at another Power-5 program passed along a tip this afternoon that the Virginia Tech coaching staff may be seeing the departure of a non-coaching staffer soon. Sources in Blacksburg are unwilling to go on the record, but based on their responses, it seems very likely that this change is likely to come to fruition. I won't share too much until I get official word - or the hire is announced by the new program - but I'm expecting that to come through.

Of course, there have been several shifts to the VT recruiting staff in the past year-plus. Multiple of the departures have been related to the staffers heading back to their hometowns (Thomas Guerry to Georgia Tech) or alma maters (Alex White to North Carolina), or guys getting an opportunity for an obvious step forward in their careers (Corey Fuller to the Carolina Panthers, Darryl Tapp - a slightly different situation because he was an on-field coach, but many of his duties were recruiting-focused - to the 49ers). Some of those were... encouraged, but others caught the program by slight surprise, too.

The Hokies have doubled down on getting back to what they're good at: going after players they can land from Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and North Carolina, with occasional picking-and-choosing nationally. I would imagine refocusing staffing efforts to those ends rather than burning through resources trying to land kids from California or other areas without strong historical connections would probably make sense going forward. We shall see if and when this staffer is officially hired away, how the coaches plan to fill the gap.

Memphis is gonna be a problem in the preseason NIT:


Hokies v. Tigers, the night before Thanksgiving.

Hokies didn't really end up having a shot with the top 2022 prospect (Sherrod Covil picked Clemson), but there are offers on the table for some underclassmen.

Video Interview - Oscar Smith's Chris Scott on 2021 Tigers

I almost left him in the "periphery" section of the Rivals150 piece earlier this week (both because he's only marginally interested in VT, and because the Hokies haven't shown a ton of interest in changing that - bigger fish to fry), and it sounds like the Orange and Maroon are unlikely to be a major factor.

Home of Malachi Madison:

Video: Dale coach Kevin Tucker on 2021 Knights

The impact: ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 scheduling agreement

Short version? For the Hokies, the on-field scheduling part won't change much before we can assume whole new agreements rule the day anyway.

I shared over the weekend that the Hokies are in the final four for top 2022 center Noah Clowney. The newly-minted No. 43 player in the country (up 12 spots in today's rankings release) is a 6-10 center out of Roebuck (S.C.) Dorman. VT's ties to that area and that high school extend to both the football and basketball programs, with Mike Young's former coaching stop in Wofford right around the corner. The staff has done a good job selling Clowney on a number of advantages of heading up to Blacksburg for his college ball.

“They also have great people," he said of the Orange and Maroon. "They were the first high-major Division 1 school to hit me up. I know they said the bigs do a lot of their scoring, so I think it could be a good opportunity for me as far as scoring the ball. I think it’s a great opportunity there too.”

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After checking in with sources in Blacksburg and around his other three finalists (Alabama, Florida, and Indiana), this feels like a two-horse race. The Hokies feel good about his recruitment but don't know if they're in the driver's seat or not just yet. However, it does seem like the SEC programs are trailing the Hokies and Hoosiers at this point.

That's not to say it's a done deal for one of those two programs - he'll take all four official visits in the next four weeks, and is legitimately willing to be swayed by any and all of his suitors before sitting down to really think about his college future - but they're ahead for now. The Sept. 11 weekend when he'll be in town is shaping up to be a pretty important one in determining the long-term future of this VT class. Others, including power forward Ven-Allen Lubin, plan to be on-campus for officials. But Clowney is certainly the guy with whom the chance to seal the deal is best.

VT's class currently has one commitment, another Palmetto State native in three-star wing MJ Collins. There should be room for a class of four-plus signees come national signing day.

From @MFarrell

How the ACC's best players would be rated in Madden

Just a couple games:

Been discussed as some sort of scheduling arrangement to compete with the SEC's continued expansion (and quite frankly, "competing with expansion" without "expanding" is always ideal). Will have updates here.

Malachi Madison discusses final three, impending decision

If he's a take, he's in, IMO. The staff is a little bit on the fence right now about whether he is, though (a decision that doesn't really make sense to me with the dire numbers at DT, but there's plenty of time to hone the approach over the next month).

It's game week from here on out. Updates to follow.

@Adam Gorney on the talent in the Commonwealth:

Ranking the states: No. 9 Virginia

Football is back! A handful of future Hokies have already begun their senior seasons. Check out the latest on them (and the schedules for those yet to play):

Hokie Haven Friday Night Lights 2021: Week one

According to multiple sources in the media. Was really hoping he would be back in the Maroon and Orange.