He was named as the contact that received the WakeyLeaks issue that caused VT to get fined $25,000. Says he never used the info and never told anyone about the information he received.

With the announcment of Cam Akers to FSU does this give Laborn the want to be out knowing he might not be a shoe in to be the man in Tallahassee? I know we are still pursuing him but what are our real chamces now and does it effect Jalen Holston and Wheatley if actually pull off a miracle? Is it worth it?

...from our guy Adam Friedman:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/three-standing-out-for-2018-rivals100-lb-dax-hollifield

(and that status quo remains, "it would be pretty surprising if he ended anywhere other than VT," though the longer he waits to decide, the more uncertainty there is just because that's more time for him to change his mind).

Just a few changes, but some intel on Mekhi Becton, the top remaining offensive prospect for 2017:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/virginia-tech-2017-recruiting-hotboard-offense-1

Good quality win last night, showing character.

So, here is how it goes. A year and one half ago, the NCAA tells Carolina, "you broke some rules and are going to be punished." More time goes on and a second time, the NCAA says, "hey Carolina, you broke some rules and will be punished." Well, no punishment yet and low and behold, here we go again a third time as the NCAA just recently tells Carolina again, "Carolina, I know we are a bunch of dumb as$es, but we need to inform you that you broke some rules." LOL

Then you have Roy Williams (who I think is a decent and honest person) basically complaining and moaning and griping on why this entire situation with the NCAA and UNC is not over yet. Newsflash Roy, your school lawyered up early in the process basically under the legal defense of, "the NCAA has no jurisdiction over academic matters." We all know that defense is a joke as UNC is so guilty of fraud and lack of institutional control that it has not really admitted its major wrongdoing, but simply arguing that the NCAA has no jurisdiction over academic matters. Roy, stop complaining. Your school is the reason this process has been going on for so long. UNC lawyered up and we know that whatever minor concessions that UNC has made in its wrongdoing is exactly that, they are minor. Have they truly come out and admitted to major NCAA infractions of which they are guilty of? The answer is no.

Sure, the NCAA is looking ugly by letting this drag out for so long and some of this is the fault of the NCAA for being largely a group of dumb a$es, but do not forget the fact that UNC lawyered up. It's a bit hypocritical for Roy Williams to imply that the NCAA is solely the reason this has gone on forever. Carolina has played a huge part in allowing or causing this process to go on forever.

In conclusion, when student-athletes are involved and the University is doing wrong academically, it still effects student-athletes by giving them an unfair edge. In short, the actions of the school have given the athletes an unfair edge compared to other schools across the country who didn't make up grades and weak courses for its athletes. This is where it definitely IS in the jurisdiction of the NCAA.

P.S. UNC is a joke and its academic reputation has been ruined. UNC did this to themselves.

Hope all you Hokies have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Unless your playing my Wolfpack...then I hope you get coal!

Story: The latest with 2018 R100 WR Tre Turner

Though the Charlotte Mallard Creek OL visited in November, it didn't seem like he was enthused enough to seriously consider VT:

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Some of his Mallard Creek teammates, on the other hand, should remain in play.

I recently had a chance to caught up with three-star Pendleton, S.C. DE Brad Johnson to discuss his recruitment, including his December official visit to Blacksburg. We also talked about his upcoming trips to South Carolina and Tennessee.

Here's a portion of what he had to say about the Hokies:

On his Virginia Tech official: “It set the bar pretty high. It was great all round. With the recruiting staff, they did an excellent job. I got to know everybody at Virginia Tech well. I got to tour the whole campus and talk to the whole coaching staff, academic advisors and they laid out my future schedule and what it would be like if I was to go there and the classes I would be taking. Just day-to-day life at that school.

You can read the full article and watch his highlight video here.

best of luck to both teams in their bowl today

Notes:
-Wilson thinks Virginia Tech had a great season. Bud Foster and his dad have a mutual friend. Wilson doesn't know a much about their defense.

Story: 2018 LB Payton Wilson heating up

Notes:
-Crouch got to see a few Virginia Tech games this year. He liked the way the offense plays.

Story: 2019 Quavaris Crouch already a hot commodity

No surprise, VT makes the cut:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/hokies-in-the-top-five-for-mekhi-becton

Louisville and Michigan State are mostly window-dressing here. This feels like a Michigan-VT battle, and I have a hard time judging how seriously he's considering UVa at this point. He plays it pretty coy when I ask him, though it's no secret that they were once the (perhaps even prohibitive) favorite.

It probably comes down to the Hokies really impressing him on a January official visit. There's no question that he loved the Michigan visit, and that the Wolverines will pursue heavily - they've missed on a couple OL targets since that time, and still have a decent need at the position. It won't be about the Hokies showing they want him more (whether or not they do), but rather demonstrating why it's the best fit for him.

A big loss here, in my estimation. He was pretty clearly the Hokies' best and most disciplined defensive end for much of the year, despite the numbers (and, if we're being honest, my expectations for him going into the year):

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/mihota-to-miss-the-belk-bowl

DE Zion Debose. More a hybrid player (not a lot of 6-1, 210-pound DEs out there), but an interesting one nonetheless. Don't read into it as much that VT is losing confidence with other players so much as they've had a chance to re-evaluate needs and a couple new prospects, as well:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/new-virginia-tech-football-offer-zion-debose

I still can't, for the life of me, figure out why Virginia Tech and Louisville are being fined for Wake Forest hiring a bad guy. The ACC is going to come out of this looking terrible:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/where-s-the-blame-in-wakeyleaks-the-wrong-places

I also can't figure out why so much of the media narrative revolves around alleged embarrassment for the Hokies and Cardinals. Like, they literally didn't do anything, while Wake Forest hired a guy who's out engaging in institutional espionage, plays the victim card, and comes out looking somehow sympathetic rather than incompetent and lacking in institutional control.

Obviously a good sign going forward:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/fuente-saw-some-key-improvement-in-2016

Montgomery picks up a Christmas Day offer bringing his total to 22. He says that a few schools came by to see him at his school and that he knows of five schools he wants to visit this spring/summer.

https://n.rivals.com/news/nice-christmas-gift-for-montgomery

What does this mean? Just some late season offers to guys we think deserve an offer? Or do we not feel so strongly about some DE's we're in the mix for now? Is one an in-state guy if the second option is the case? I have linked their profiles so you can check them out.


Zion Debose...

https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2485


Koby Cumberlander...

https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/78838

My opinion only here folks and this is simply one dudes opinion of who the former assistant was that received the Wake Forest Tip.

Was it a defensive guy? Think about this if you are the Wake Forest guy and wanting your team to lose<-----don't know on God's beautiful earth why the fool would do that to his comrades, but nevertheless think about this for a minute. Would you give the gameplan to an assistant on one of the best defenses in the country for the last 2 or so decades? Did our defense really "need the help"? My reasoning or opinion is......of course not.

If you are the guy at WF and you know what VT's weakness was, who would you give the gameplan to in order for your team to have a better chance of winning? You would give the "gameplan"<-----whatever that entails in this situation to the offensive side of the ball at VT. Now, I believe Beamer and Bud in that they knew nothing of it. I am not a betting man (never have been or will be) but just for the sake of writing, I bet you the culprit was on the offensive side of the ball. Again, not a real bet, but just kidding. I also have no idea or clue who that person was, but I believe Lefty may have very well known about it without letting Beamer know. Why? Beamer had no clue about offense anyway, so Lefty telling Beamer that he had the gameplan for Wake's Defense would have been about as useful as tits on a bore-hog. It simply does not work and is useless. I suspect the offensive side of the ball because Lefty could have very easily stepped up in the last 2 days and stated, "I was the OC at the time and did not know squat about any gameplan from WF." <-------That statement has yet to occur; therefore, that tells me that he knew which tells me, the offensive side of the ball got the tip, either Lefty himself or one of the assistants, or perhaps even the "other" offensive coordinating genius in the pressbox.

Only my opinions, but I do think we will find out which assistant coach at the time got the tip and the above is PURE SPECULATION and not facts. They are only my opinions and speculation, which is why its called a "message board." Its used for facts and opinions. For all I know, it could have been Cornell Brown for heavens sake, but I just believe it was on the offensive side of the ball which makes it all the more comical to me! LMAO. We put up 3 points in regulation AND 2 overtimes on the mighty Demon-Deacons! LMAO. You can not make that up folks! The comedy about our former offensive ineptitude is just over the top and leaves one falling out of his or her chair. At least, it does for me.

I thought he was going to announce on the 24th, did that change?

Aaron Wiggins. Look for a couple more of these in the next week or so with a long break from games (giving the coaches a chance to look more at recruiting):

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/new-virginia-tech-basketball-offer-aaron-wiggins

Any of them that you disagree with?

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/vt-announces-individual-awards

...for those who didn't see it last night:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/news/clarke-s-double-double-helps-vt-overcome-slow-start-for-big-win