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First off, I want to preface this post by saying this is a WARNING. I'm well aware that a few of you have decided to do the opposite of how I begin every post above. I know a few of you have posted information from this board elsewhere, which is very blatantly on every INsider post I make. Consider this your WARNING and if you are caught again, you will be blacklisted from this board. I work extremely hard to gather all the information posted here, as does the rest of my staff. It's not fair to us trying to make a living or to the other subscribers on The Gobbler who pay their hard-earned money that someone shares that information elsewhere. It does help illustrate that we have the best VT INsider information found on the net, but that still doesn't make stealing our info right. You can help police this by calling someone out that you see stealing info. They're de-valuing your subscription and their own by doing that and honestly, it really doesn't make sense to post this info elsewhere.
OK... soap box over. Now to the good stuff.
Just a reminder, I'll be collecting info throughout the day on what time guys will be signing tomorrow and will post a schedule on another thread later today. That way you can keep up on when to be on the lookout for possible news and follow along. Plus, a reminder that our Signing Day BLITZ chat will begin at 6 AM tomorrow. THE very best way to follow along on what's going on.
First off, I want to make everyone aware who isn't already that right now, through Thursday is an NCAA dead period. That means coaches can't make face to face contact or call recruits directly. There are always ways around that, like reaching out to a coach and having a recruit call back or reaching out to someone else who can have them call back. There's no limit as to how many times a recruit can call a coach.
One name I'd heard mentioned as a possible addition now that
Dylan Powell is off the board is Don Bosco Prep (NJ) three-star
Matt Hennessy. He's been committed to Temple since Dec. 15, but did camp at VT last summer. I talked to Hennessy late last night to see where he is with everything and he told me he's 100% solid to Temple and plans to sign there Wednesday.
Hennessy did say that assistant coach Vance Vice visited him on the first day of the open period a few weeks ago to see if he had any interest. But Hennessy said he has none, even if a late offer were to come. So that said, it looks like Hennessy is out of the picture and the odds right now are that the Hokies will not take another OL in the class even though they'd like to have one. They don't want to take one just to take one, so it looks like they can use it elsewhere but also means they'll probably take another OL already for 2017.
It sounds like the VT staff feels like Raines (Fla.) four-star WR
Rick Wells is going to stay with Florida. I've been told that Wells has "kept it close to the vest" and hasn't given much away. But the VT staff also said they haven't gotten very good vibes from him. There will be multiple calls made that direction today, so don't rule it out, but it looks more and more like Wells will stick with Florida. South Florida was the other school Wells was considering, but they're not a serious contender.
On the flip side, I can tell you that it looks very, very good for the Hokies and Camden Catholic (NJ) three-star athlete
Tyree Rodgers. He's been committed to Old Dominion for a while and VT just offered him last Wednesday. Of course, he jumped on a plane just a few hours later to head to Blacksburg for an official visit. Rodgers also visited Rutgers, which offered a few days before VT, officially this past weekend. The Hokies like Rodgers as a safety. And we're told his visit with VT went way better than the Rutgers one, at least from his coaches and a few close to him. The odds are extremely high here for the Hokies and I'd honestly put it at about 90% that they get him. ODU is still trying to keep him and Rutgers hasn't given up, but it's looking more and more like VT here.
I also get very, very good vibes from Collins Hill (Ga.) four-star defensive end
Tomon Fox. I posted an INsider Sunday afternoon after I spoke with him and from that, from texting with him, talking with his teammate,
Emmanuel Belmar and based on what those close to Fox have told me, I think he's leaning towards the Hokies from his UNC commit. It's not quite a done deal like Rodgers is appearing more and more to be, but it looks good. I can tell you that the VT staff doesn't feel as confident in Fox as I do, but like I've told my sources, it's a very good vibe. It's also a good sign that he talked with assistant coach
Torrian Gray and defensive coordinator
Bud Foster yesterday and has plans to speak with coach
Justin Fuente today. He's been more than receptive to all of the coaches leading up to today.
It's a little muddied as to what Trinity Christian (Fla.) three-star linebacker
Dominique Ross will do. He's been committed to North Carolina since June. Leading up to that point, VT worked him hard and stayed in touch even over the past few months. That effort has ratcheted up over the past few months and the Hokies got him to officially visit this past weekend. Ross missed school yesterday, reportedly to think about his decision between VT and UNC. One of his coaches told Rivals analyst Rob Cassidy last night that "UNC still favored." The coach also told us that Ross could announce today and not even wait for signing day tomorrow. This one is really up in the air and I can see Ross going either direction, VT or UNC.
Two guys that I can tell you the VT staff does feel especially good with are Raines (Fla.) three-star defensive end
Jaquan Bailey and Palatka (Fla.) two-star defensive end
Eron Carter. Both visited VT officially this past weekend and even going into the visit, it looked like Carter favored the Hokies. Western Kentucky made a late run at him but it looks like VT is more than likely gonna snag Carter. I'm told assistant coach Charley Wiles especially likes his motor, his personality and his potential.
Maybe more than anyone, Bailey seems to have warmed up more to VT in the past week. At this time last week, I would have told you Iowa State was the one who would get him. That's the one school that would take him and his brother,
Josh Bailey. From the beginning, the Hokies have loved Jaquan, but haven't wanted to take Josh. And it seemed to me from talking to Jaquan regularly that Jaquan wanted to play with his brother. Tennessee was an option for a while, but I don't believe that offer to both still stands. But between VT's in-home visit last week, with Fuente, Wiles and assistant coach
Holmon Wiggins and Jaquan's official to VT over the weekend, this one is looking more and more like the Hokies. The guy who will drop here is Josh. I don't believe Iowa State will take one brother without the other, so I'd look for him to end up at Central Florida, which still isn't terrible and closer to the brothers' mom.
Lastly, I'm told the VT staff "feels good, but not great" about Dutchtown (La.) three-star cornerback
Coney Durr. He visited VT officially over the weekend, but has also told Minnesota coaches positive things since he returned home. As I reported Sunday, UNC is out of the running. The staff gave him an ultimatum that night and he turned them down. So it's between Minnesota, where Durr is currently committed and VT. Gray and the staff had a short conversation with Durr yesterday and plans to talk to him again today. Honestly, I think this one is 60/40 in favor of the Hokies but it wouldn't surprise me to see Durr stick with the Gophers. Full decision expected tomorrow.
Alright guys, as always, I'll be adding any updates as they happen and will be posting more throughout the day today and tomorrow! Email me if you need anything!
