2015 is shaping up as a better year on the field than prior years. We expect to win anywhere from 8 to 11 games this year because of the talent level of our team. Frankly, anything is possible with this team because there are many unknowns surrounding it. Here are some of the unknowns.

1. Will our O-line really be better? We have two replacements. I don't count LT because he started there for a year before. Our RT also has some starts but only a partial season. Center is a few plays from brand new.
a. Will everyone stay healthy because if they don't we are hurting badly for back-up?
b. Will our RT make the significant advance in his ability which will be required ? Remember he was sorely lacking last year because he didn't know the slot.
c. Will our center be able to do his job? He's green.
d. Is there enough talent on the line to be able to block for the run or protect for the pass? Last year we struggled to do both even though it did improve when Teller started to play regularly. Still, our line was pretty bad.

2. Will our QB be able to play through the season without getting hurt to the point that he cannot play and will he be able to lead this team to victory?
a. Last year he showed a lot of toughness but it became obvious that he could easily be taken out by the opposition if our line doesn't do a heck of a lot better job this year. He must quit running into unnecessary gang tackles.
b. He must significantly cut down on turnovers due to interceptions and fumbles? There is nothing yet to indicate this will happen or not happen.
c. He must be able to throw the long ball and do it accurately. This has not been shown anywhere from last years experience.
d. He has shown the ability to lead and understand his position.

3. Will our D-line be able to ward off the teams with big running QB's and RB's.
a. Currently our D-line is not very big. Adding Maddy is a tradeoff sizewise. He's very good at his position but his replacement did pretty well. We struggle with teams like BC,Pitt, the U and yes,even WF. Iknow that we also stopped WF but they had no offense.

4. Will our LB'ers be able to perform their jobs?
a. Our LB's are relatively small and that's OK with the spread but once again we struggle with the running teams with big backs.
b. This year we are counting on two new LB's. One is a Sr. and should be OK but the other is the one that has to really show up. He's very green in that he has started only a handful of games. We suffered during those starts. Will he be ready to go? Let's hope.
c. Depth could play an important part here also.

5. Will our KO's still be directed to land on our opponents 5 to 15 yard line?
a. I am not certain that this by accident but if it is our plan we need to relook at it because it gave our opponents way too much good field position. What we did as routine our opponents did as exception.

6. Will our O plays mirror what we called last year?
a. Last year people seemed intent that we should not run JC through the line on third down. We did seem to do this but I'm not certain how often. Actually, if you open a gap he can run anywhere.
b. No-one criticized it but should you continue to run Marshawn parallel to our line trying to go outside or even around the corner? Last year he was stopped behind the line or for little gain on a number of occasions because he is not a scat back and our protection just did not allow him the time to get this done. Why keep trying to do it? He did real well when he got decent blocking running right through the line.
c. Will we learn to plan our games not just by taking our opponent into consideration but also not being so obvious on what we are going to do on so many plays? What was our game plan for WF? Did we look upon them as a pushover and lay down on our job? It does no good for your D to shut down what was already a lousy O if you are not going to have a good O plan that addresses the team you are playing and have your team ready to play.

7.. Will coach Beamer be able to lead our team with a united coaching staff and a team ready to play every game.
a. There have been many occasions over the last years when people have doubted that we were prepared to play. This used to be mainly noticeable when went into a bowl game but lately it has been discussed on other games also. Was JMU one of those? WF?

8. Will our RB's be taught to pick up the blitzes and block them and will the QB get rid of the ball when he needs to?
a. A lot of the time our O-line takes all the heat for sacks but I would personally ask you to go back and review film . The O-line did allow way too many sacks last year but there were quite a number of sacks allows by whiffs or total not addressing of blitzes by others. It also doesn't help if the QB takes too long to unload the ball.

In short, we are asking for a ton of improvements from our team. We have a lot of great talent and I fully believe that our guys will play as hard as they can to be successful. There are a lot of unknowns here but if our coaches are doing everything in their power to bring this team out properly prepared to play every game we have an outside shot at having a very good team.
As to coach Beamer I hope that he can withstand the rigors demanded to do his job .

Another pre-season award watch list released this morning, with Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem named to the Lombardi list: http://bit.ly/1K5nn4l

Who will step up with CJ gone? Can Holland fisher step up this fall and take it over? Wanted to see what everyone thought

I caught up with Rivals100 OT Landon Dickerson yesterday after Florida State's camp. The entry in my recruiting notebook is below and the video interview is linked.

Rivals100 offensive lineman Landon Dickerson made the trip from Hudson (N.C.) South Caldwell to Florida State for the first time and really enjoyed his visit. He spent Wednesday touring the campus, meeting with the academic staff and building a stronger relationship with head coach Jimbo Fisher and offensive line coach Rick Trickett. Florida State will likely get an official visit and Dickerson is in the process of setting it up. Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Michigan, Auburn and South Carolina are Dickerson’s other top schools with Auburn and Michigan having locked in official visits already. Dickerson expressed some interest in possibly taking an official visit to Stanford this season.

VIDEO: FSU makes big impression on Dickerson

is there a list or target board up for the 2016 class? I am probably missing it somewhere on the board.

Guys, I just spoke with Brashear (Pa.) three-star cornerback Therran Coleman (separate INsider coming), but he, Rivals250 safety Damar Hamlin and 2017 Rivals100 safety Paris Ford are all about 80% visiting July 25 for the barbecue. They're likely all bringing their dads and will likely happen, but it's not a sure bet right now.

The other big visitor confirmed is Roswell (Ga.) 2017 Rivals100 CB LeAnthony Williams. He'll be flying up July 24 to stay for the barbecue, then fly out immediately after the barbecue to go to Penn State July 26.

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That's what I'm talking about! This kid will be on the field early and often!

Guys, I just got off the phone earlier with Brashear (Pa.) three-star CB Therran Coleman, whom VT offered about a month ago. The Hokies have some catching up to do, but I can tell you right off the top, they have a chance here.

Coleman didn't have a ton to say about the Hokies, as he said he's only been in contact with assistant coach Torrian Gray for about a week or so. But he's interested, enough that he said it's very likely that he, Rivals250 safety Damar Hamlin and 2017 Rivals100 safety Paris Ford will all be visiting VT July 25 with their dads for the barbecue. Those three players are very tight and it's a very good possibility that wherever one picks, the others will follow. They've taken multiple visits together, so if they do make it to the barbecue, that's a huge deal.

The only visits Coleman has taken so far are to Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Penn State. Pitt will be the one to watch, as he only lives about 10-15 minutes from the school and has been multiple times. Coleman visited West Virginia a few weeks ago and said that he loves the proximity, the atmosphere and a few other aspects with the team.

The one out of the picture, though is Penn State. Apparently that trip didn't go too well. The Nittany Lions didn't offer, so Coleman said of that visit, "It doesn't really count." A plus there for the Hokies.

Coleman said he also wants to visit Notre Dame and Michigan over the next few weeks with Hamlin and Ford. Not sure if all three are going, but Coleman also wants to see Wisconsin, likely July 31. Paul Crist recruited Coleman hard when he was at Pitt, so Coleman wants to go check it out. Coleman said he'll likely make a decision in August, though he'll likely still take official visits and finalize his commitment after those.

Full story coming, but as always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, this is the fsecond of what will be a regular segment on VT recruiting. I'll be breaking down where VT stands in the states it recruits, plus DC and the northeast, since the Hokies are only up there sporadically.

As always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Most Recent Offers:
None

Top targets:
WR, Sam Denmark, Hanahan (SC), three stars, No. 12 in SC (VT COMMIT) -- Beamer
CB Troy Pride, Greer (SC), three stars, No. 13 in SC (VT COMMIT) -- Gray

Recent Rivals Stories On VT SC Targets:
OrTre Smith from HokieHaven.com, July 7: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1780812
Pride from BlueandGold.com, June 4: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1771893

Overview:
The Hokies did get their two commitments early, from Denmark and Pride, but other than that, it's been relatively quiet in the state. There's a few targets in 2017, especially, to watch but Virginia Tech hasn't really bitten.

Pride, though, continues to be one to monitor for a possible decommitment and subsequent flip elsewhere. For now, he remains on board with the Hokies, but he continues to shop himself around. Notre Dame offered early last month, though it's still not clear just how valid that offer is. He also visited Kentucky and Clemson last month, but no offers came. The offers that Pride seemed to be looking towards early on, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Clemson, haven't taken the bait. Remember, the day after committing to Virginia Tech in February, he visited Georgia for a visit, followed by Georgia Tech. Pride is also one of the few who didn't make it to the spring game for a visit, which was concerning. Expect for him to keep looking around, as the Hokies are aware, but unless he has a monster senior season, which could still happen, expect him to stay on board. But he'll make it interesting until the end if he does stay.

Denmark is solid as a rock. He did visit Virginia Tech for the spring game and seemed to really enjoy himself. Denmark made the trip with his mother and other members of his family. Since then, he's primarily been focused on track, where he was again a state champion. Denmark has also said he plans on graduating from high school in December and enrolling this January at VT.

The guy to really watch in the state is 2017 Wando (SC) four-star wide receiver OrTre Smith, No. 61 in the Rivals100, Smith doesn't have that many offers, nine to be exact. He camped with the Hokies two summers ago with a number of his teammates, so he has interest and some familiarity. Smith said assistant coach Zohn Burden has reached out, but there's been nothing serious so far. South Carolina has offered, but he seems very interested to look elsewhere.

The other 2017 player to watch is Lake Marion (SC) four-star safety Davondre Robinson, No. 36 in the Rivals100. We've seen assistant coach Torrian Gray be a bit particular about the type of player he likes and so far, he hasn't seen enough in Robinson to make an offer. But though both in-state powers have offered, Robinson has just eight total, so there's still time for VT to get in if it wants.

Rivals national team analysis:
"I just think it's just a wait and see approach, if Pride's not gonna come to camp. I just don't think Virginia Tech is recruiting that far ahead. That far out of state, they'll probably wait til they can see guys' junior film and then go from there before they hand out more offers. Guys seem to emerge later from that state anyway.

I haven't heard anything new on Pride, but I haven't heard him getting a bunch of new offers, either. He might take other visits, but it's not like he has a hundred new options, either. He's been committed for a while now and hasn't changed his mind yet. We'll see if he gets up to campus for a few visits, unofficially and then we'll maybe see what he might be doing.

We saw OrTre in person at the Charlotte camp and he was good enough to earn an invite to Baltimore, where he was impressive as well. I just think sometimes, it's a situation where people wanna see how fast he is. They wanna see him run, put him on the clock. I don't know how many schools he's gone to and done that. He'll have 25 offers when it's done, it's just a matter of whether they start coming now or after the year. I can't imagine he goes to a program known for producing talent every year, goes until this time next year and doesn't have like 25 offers or so."

-- Rivals.com southeast analyst Woody Wommack

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The latest on Hickory Ridge (NC) OL Will Putnam from our friends at GamecockCentral.com, as Putnam said VT and South Carolina are his top two. It sounds like he's waiting to see if UNC offers, too: http://rvls.co/1N5MNwj

Guys, I mentioned the other day, but I'll be traveling on Friday during our normal chat time, so we'll be going a day early this week, tomorrow (Thursday). And based on voting, we'll go at 12:30 pm ET. I promise we'll still get to a 3 pm chat, just not this week.

But lots going on as you can tell from our INsiders, with Tim Settle getting qualified, Hokies named to watch lists and more visitors confirmed for the July 25 barbecue. Come take advantage of your subscriptions and get answers to your questions! And if you can't make the chat, you can post questions on The Gobbler or email me directly and watch the chat replay.

Hope to see you all tomorrow!

Chat link: http://bit.ly/1gCasu6

Guys, I have to travel on Friday of this week, so our chat will have to be on Thursday. That said, would everyone prefer it to be at 12:30 pm or 3 pm?

Guys, just wanted to pass along a piece of info on Georgia QB transfer Jacob Park. As you know, Park has looked at VT as a possible destination, but I've confirmed that he's decided to take a different route. With three years of eligibility remaining, he'll instead go the JUCO route and attend Navarro JC (TX) this fall and likely get back to D-I after the fall.

In all likelihood, he'll sign somewhere after the fall and enroll at his choice for spring practice. This could be a good thing for VT, giving the Hokies time to see if they still are all in on Dwayne Lawson. If not, Park would have two years of eligibility remaining.

Per twitter

Guys, just got a message from Flanagan (Fla.) four-star WR Dredrick Snelson that he'll be visiting VT July 23-27. That will include the barbecue, the camp and two days before and a day after. That's HUGE news for the Hokies.

As I've reported before, assistant coach Zohn Burden and VT are more feeling him out than anything. They still haven't decided to go all in on him just yet, but if they do, the Hokies are the overwhelming favorite to land him. VERY important visit for VT and we'll have complete coverage on it.

Full story coming, but as always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, I spoke just a little while ago with Vero Beach (Fla.) three-star DE Pat Bethel. It's been a bit of a rough time for him and his family of late, as his great uncle passed away last week. Apparently his mom was close to his great uncle and she's at the funeral in Tennessee right now.

As far as everything else, Bethel said it's just been working out and working for his dad in his carpet and tile cleaning business. Bethel's father, Randy Bethel, played for Miami in the 1980s, under Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson. I asked Pat if being a legacy and having visited Miami multiple times gives them an advantage. He bristled a little bit, telling me he likes the school and people think he wants to be a legacy, but it's a decision he has to make. That was Bethel's last visit, to Miami for a camp last month.

The three Bethel talked about most are Miami, VT and Clemson. The latter two offered at the same time during his Christmas break. But the irony was that Bethel and his family drove to West Virginia for a visit because they had offered. He would have stopped by VT and Clemson both, but they offered by the time he got home.

Still, Bethel said he likes assistant coach Charley Wiles and they message almost every day. "He's been around for quite some time and he knows what he’s doing there," Bethel said. He also called the Hokies a "sack machine."

Unfortunately, it looks like the Hokies are slipping a bit. Bethel plans on graduating early and said Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and Clemson are some he hopes to visit soon, possibly on officials. When I asked about VT, he told me, "I had a priority to see them, but I'm not sure if I wanna visit them as soon as the others." So the Hokies are in his top 10, but we'll see if they make any other cuts. Work to be done for sure to try to sway him.

Full story coming, but as always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, just wanted to pass this along from our Georgia Tech site, JacketsOnline.com, with OL Patrick Kearns discussing his final four of GT, VT, Kentucky and NC State: http://rvls.co/1L5tkyy

GT and VT look like the two on top and right now, the Hokies have a slight edge. But he's visiting Kentucky on Friday for the weekend, so that's something to keep an eye on. Expect a decision by the end of the month, likely sooner.

Guys, I spoke earlier with Grady (Ga,) four-star safety Marlon Character, No. 214 in the latest Rivals250. For months now, he's been one of the top targets for the Hokies at safety. But still, to this day, he hasn't visited. And the way it looks like right now, that might be too much to overcome.

For a while, Character has said that VT and South Carolina were his top two. But for whatever reason, Character hasn't been able to get a ride to Blacksburg. He said he still talks at least once a week with assistant coach Torrian Gray and loves Gray and defensive coordinator Bud Foster. He said "they seem like good coaches," but didn't think he would get to VT unless it was an official visit. By then, it might be too late.

Auburn and SC are clearly out in front right now, with the Tigers holding the clear edge here. He just visited a few weeks ago to Auburn and plans on going back July 30 for camp. Don't be surprised to see him commit then. Character said he loves how he'd fit in, it isn't far from home and he knows some of the players there. That seems to be another drawback with VT. He loves the coaches, but has no familiarity.

South Carolina is hanging on, but he hasn't visited since the Georgia game there last fall. He told me only the Auburn visit is planned right now and "I would never rush a commitment, but right now, I kinda feel it." So that's why I think it's coming soon and could happen at that camp.

The good news for the Hokies is that he said even though he might commit, he'll likely still take official visits. That would be to Auburn, SC and VT. And the one outlier he mentioned that could get a visit is Ohio State. But right now, it's a clear one, two, three with Auburn, SC and VT unless something changes.

Full story coming, but as always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

I put this on our front page, but this is the important piece of it, a blurb on Dickerson from Adam Friedman:

The Skinny:Virginia Tech and Tennessee have been leading the Dickerson sweepstakes for a long time, but Auburn and Michigan are making serious inroads. In fact, Auburn and Michigan have made big enough impressions to get Dickerson to lock in official visits. Return visits to Tennessee and Virginia Tech are likely as well. When Dickerson names a top five, South Carolina will probably make the cut. Florida State has a chance to move way up Dickerson's list because he is visiting Tallahassee this week.

If today were Signing Day ... Dickerson would choose Virginia Tech. The Hokies were one of the first schools to offer Dickerson and he has developed a very strong bond with Virginia Tech offensive line coach Stacy Searls. Dickerson's grandfather also played for the Hokies in the 1960s. This recruitment is far from over, however, and Tennessee, Auburn, Michigan, Florida State and South Carolina all have a good chance.

The latest on three-star DE Zack Gilbert via our friends at our Pittsburgh site, PantherLair.com: http://rvls.co/1M1owtd

Very good news here for Hokies, as Gilbert is still at a top five of Pittsburgh, VT, North Carolina, West Virginia and Duke, but said that VT and Pitt are his top two. Gilbert is also set to visit July 25 for the Hokies' barbecue, which will be his first visit to VT. We'll see if that sways his decision.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs-sp-fuller-family-football-camp-0712-20150711-story.html

Never had to worry about any of them....

Our story/interview with 2017 four-star forward LJ Figueroa from the Under Armour All-America camp. As long as assistant Steve Roccaforte is at VT, you can expect the Hokies to be in on just about every big-time player in Florida. It's early with Figueroa, but this might be a big benefit for them being in early. Right now, it sounds like Rutgers and VT are the two he likes most who have offered, but he's really hoping for a Syracuse offer: http://rvls.co/1HX3uu8

Guys, Kelly and I are back from Charlotte after checking out more VT targets in action at the Under Armour All-America Camp powered by Rivals.com. I'm sure you saw our video breakdown, but wanted to shed some other notes as well.

*First off, there were over 100 coaches on hand last night as the evaluation period officially began at 5 pm yesterday. Coach Buzz Williams wasn't there at the very beginning of games, but got in around 6 pm. Other notable coaches in attendance were Indiana's Tom Crean, Arizona's Sean Miler, Dayton's Archie Miller, Rutgers' Eddie Jordan, Texas A&M's Rick Stansbury, Florida's Michael White, Northwestern's Chris Collins and Minnesota's Richard Pitino.

**Williams was on hand last night to watch the Hokies' top target for the 2016 class, Dematha (Md.) combo guard Markelle Fultz. It was Fultz who told us that Williams had told him he was visiting the camp just to watch him. Williams did not return today, as the staff is also set to attend the Nike Peach Jam and Adidas Uprising.

***As it stands right now, VT still has an excellent chance with Fultz. The last visit he's taken was still to Blacksburg on the Monday just before the NBPA Top 100 camp, but he has an official right now set to Arizona. It sounds like Louisville will get a visit, too. And there's a very good chance VT will have one also. As has been the case for a little while now, Fultz is waiting to see if Kentucky offers. That's his dream school. If the Cats don't, I think the Hokies have a great chance here. He did visit UK and Louisville the week before VT. Kentucky asst coach John Robic was on hand last night, but was sitting courtside on the opposite court that Fultz was playing on. Not sure how much to read into that, though. Fultz said he does like how spiritual Williams is and how Williams tells him to thank his mother every day. So Buzz is smartly recruiting the parents as much as the players. Watch Maryland, Georgetown and a few others, too.

****The one guy to really watch aside from Fultz is Huntington prep (WV) four-star guard Curtis Jones, No. 60 in the Rivals150. Originally from Richmond, he knows Jalen Hudson and played with him. Jones said he wouldn't mind the idea of playing again. Jones did visit VT for a game in January and has stayed in touch with Williams and the staff. Jones said he also likes how Buzz talks to him about the bible. Jones rattled off a lot of schools still in the mix, though his most recent visits were to Indiana and Georgetown.

*****One guy we can pretty well write off is Oldsmar Christian (Fla.) four-star guard Eric Hester. He's had a VT offer since last fall, but the Hokies haven't been as much in contact in a while. He doesn't have an official top two, but it's obvious that Florida and Louisville are the top two here.

******The one guy I really didn't mention much in our first INsider chat is one you should definitely be aware of, 2017 Dillard (Fla.) three-star forward Raiquan Gray. VT is one of only four offers for him right now. San Francisco just offered after seeing him last night, while Binghamton and Vermont have also offered. Very athletic kid who's strong around the rim and cleans up on the glass. My guess is he won't be underrated for very long and could grab more offers from this camp.

Full stories coming, but as always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Continuing our breakdowns of the recruiting area for the Hokies. I'll be breaking down where VT stands in the states it recruits, plus DC and the northeast, since the Hokies are only up there sporadically.

As always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Most Recent Offers:
OL Carter Warren, Passaci County Tech (NJ), 2017 -- Searels

Top targets:
DT Rashan Gary, Paramus Catholic (NJ), five stars, No. 6 in Rivals100, No. 1 DT, No. 1 in NJ -- Brown
WR Ahmir Mitchell, Cedar Creek (NJ), four stars, No. 51 in Rivals100, No. 8 WR, No. 3 in NJ -- Brown
TE Jovani Haskins, Bergenfield (NJ), four stars, No. 27 ATH, No. 11 in NJ -- Brown
DT Fred Hansard, Hun (NJ), four stars, No. 78 in 2017 Rivals100, No. 5 DT -- Brown
LB Drew Singleton, Paramus Catholic (NJ), No. 144 in 2017 Rivals250, No. 9 OLB -- Brown
OL Cesar Ruiz, Camden (NJ), four stars, No. 156 in 2017 Rivals250, No. 3 center -- Searels/Brown
DT Corey Bolds, Paramus Catholic (NJ), three stars, 2017, No. 20 DT -- Brown

Recent Rivals Stories On VT NJ Targets:
Gary from UGASports.com, July 10: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1781768
Gary from Rivals.com, July 7: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1780903
Mitchell from Rivals.com, June 28: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1778607
Ruiz from The Wolverine.com, June 27: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1778561
Hansard from BlueWhiteIllustrated.com, June 22: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1777112
Hansard from ScarletNation.com, June 24: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1777685

Overview:
Overall, Virginia Tech has a very strong presence in the Garden State. But of late, the bigger targets have gone elsewhere. DE Ron Johnson and WR Brad Hawkins both committed to Michigan, which has cleaned up in the state, after the two made visits there. OL Will Fries went to Penn State, while DE Quayshon Alexander pledged to Nebraska.

The best chance the Hokies have to strike in the state for 2016 is with Haskins. At first, Haskins seemed very much linked to his cousin, Rivals100 QB Dwayne Haskins. But even though Dwayne committed to Maryland this spring, Jovani has been higher on other schools. And for now, it looks like the top two for Jovani Haskins are Rutgers and Virginia Tech. He was in Blacksburg for the Hokies' spring game in April and of all the prospects they're after in New Jersey, Haskins seems to be most receptive. Virginia Tech is pushing for him to visit for the July 25 cookout, but hasn't gotten a confirmation from him. It could happen, but the likeliest at this point is that Haskins visits for an official early in the fall. Rutgers will be tough to overcome, but Haskins seems intrigued by what the Hokies have done with Bucky Hodges and Ryan Malleck, who happens to be a Jersey guy himself.

VT is technically still in it for Mitchell and Gary, but both appear to have moved on from Virginia Tech. Gary has at least visited, once, for the first junior day in February, but Mitchell never did. Mitchell looks like he has Michigan and Notre Dame as his unofficial top two. Gary, meanwhile, looks to have Michigan and Ohio State on top, with others like Georgia, lurking.

There are a few in-state that the Hokies could go after for 2016, like Kelvin Harmon, who visited June 14 for camp, or even three-star WR Donald Stewart, who was on the same visit as Gary, but it looks as though VT isn't as high on either. That said, it looks like Virginia Tech is turning most of its attention in New Jersey to the 2017 class.

Ruiz would be the prize, as it's tough to find a center as skilled as he is. But the two to really keep an eye on are Bolds and Singleton, from Paramus Catholic. The Hokies have tried to get in there, like with Gary and while there hasn't been much success past Billy Ray Mitchell in 2014, the staff and nearly every player there have been receptive. It's a matter of staying diligent and getting them to make visits as much as possible. This is a group who likes to take visits together, so you'll see likely a handful at least at a time if they do visit.

Rivals national team analysis:
"The big one in 2016 is Ahmir Mitchell. He's their main target in the class in the state. Jovani Haskins is a big-time guy and they need big-time wide receivers and tight ends. The Hokies have made a big impression on him. I think they're in his top two or three schools right now. I know they were in his top four, but I think they're closer to the top of his list right now. It's same kind of competitors with Mitchell and Haskins, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame. Michigan more so for Michigan, but the same competitors.

In 2017, they have have a lot of offers out. You look at Fred Hansard, their top target right now. But I like their early offer to three-star lineman Carter Warren. He's a developmental guy, about 6'6" and 265 pounds. he needs to develop his body, but he has that athleticism, that nasty streak that you want in an offensive lineman and Tech is certainly a program that can develop linemen. They've offered a few other linemen, like four-star Cesar Ruiz, the center. He's a great player, a lot of room to develop even more, but he's already far on his development right now.

Noah DeHond is on a little bit of a hot streak right now with offers and he's absolutely massive, 6'6" and 325 pounds. Pretty athletic, but needs to develop his body more, turn weight into good weight. the other two offers, Corey Bolds and Drew Singleton out of Paramus Catholic, Michigan leads early. There's little doubt and some think he could commit to Michigan in the near future. Bolds will take more visits. There's a few guys in 2018 that VT has shown interest in, like quarterback Allan Walters. Also, keep an eye on Artur Sitkowski and the next big receiver could be Justin Shorter from South Brunswick. I really liked him. "

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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This is a kid I really, really like and one who right now I'd say VT has very high odds on. Ty-Shon Alexander is No. 100 in the 2017 Rivals150 right now, but will likely get four stars in one of the next rankings updates: http://rvls.co/1KXQHdp