UVA beats Vanderbilt 4-2 to win CWS. But they could not beat Virginia Tech.

Really cool feature by Sports Illustrated at all the power five conference teams, what their brand is now and what it should be: http://www.si.com/college-football/...ll-branding-oregon-ducks-tennessee-volunteers

to win National championship. I know. Why would i waist my time? I think we have the best talent on both sides of the ball that we have had in a long time, maybe in ever. A lot of questions, but i think they can get answered positively starting with Brewer. The offensive line has no where to go but up. Our D should be stout again. The only team that is better than us pound for pound this year on our schedule is OSU and we have proven we can play with them. We get by them, i think it then comes down to injuries and we are due for some good news there for a change. I am not considering OOC teams that could be better, but just a scenario that gets us into the playoffs and i think we have a shot. Its worth a "what the hell " bet for $100 to win $10K. Anybody with me?

I spoke earlier with four-star OL Richard Merritt, No. 74 in the Rivals100. Merritt was a late scratch from the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour earlier this month due to injury.

First off, Merritt said the reason he had to pull out was that he learned he has a fracture on the front of his ankle. It sounds like he might have bone spurs as well. Merritt had been playing with it apparently through all of last season, but after the Rivals Camp in April, the pain was so bad he went to a doctor. (He won OL MVP at that camp). The doctor has ordered an MRI to survey the full extent, but so far, Merritt has had issues with his insurance and still has not had an MRI done. So unless he gets one quickly, there's a chance he could miss the early part of his senior season.

In the meantime, Merritt is taking summer classes that he hopes will allow him to graduate in December, but he's still not sure about that. He has not visited anywhere since he went to VT for the spring game in April and said he still loves the Hokies. Right now, it sounds like Merritt has them in an unofficial top three, along with Florida and Florida State.

With VT, Merritt said he really likes assistant coach Stacy Searels. He said he believes Searels "will take care of me" and that he's a good person. Merritt also likes how Searels coaches and doesn't get in his players' faces.

Right now, Merritt has visits planned to Florida and Florida State starting July 15. He's never visited either, but said the Seminoles were his favorite growing up. So that's obviously the one to watch. Merritt said after that trip, he hopes to also make a North Carolina run and see NC State and UNC and also hopes to make a trip to see Alabama and Auburn. Merritt also threw out Arizona and USC as possibilities.

The big thing is that he's waiting on his MRI. Depending on when he can get it cleared to get his insurance to cover it, his travel schedule could change.

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.

This from our UNC site, TarHeelIllustrated.com. They made a post yesterday on their board that they believe VT is the front-runner for Rivals250 DE Nick Coe after talking to him.

Our friend Justin Rowland made this post on their board about him:
"Nick Coe told me in Baltimore at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge that he had five favorites. Tonight that remains unchanged but he said Virginia Tech, Auburn and "probably" North Carolina are at the top of the list within any top five or top schools list. Virginia Tech has made a big jump up his list on the basis of their coaching staff's relationship with him. He was at the Freak Show and may visit UNC again this summer, but he will also visit FSU, Auburn and Virginia Tech in July or August."

My impression was Virginia Tech may be the front runner at the moment but Auburn is right there and UNC is still in play."

And here's the full story: http://rvls.co/1NuPqb5

If you guys haven't seen, the first extended rankings for 2017 have been released, which now include 100 prospects. Here's the full link and VT prospects of note: https://rivals.yahoo.com/virginiatech/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-rivals150/2017

PG Trevon Duval, five stars, No. 5
PG Matt Coleman, four stars, No. 27
PG Trae Young, four stars, No. 28
SF LJ Figueroa, four stars, No. 66
C Dajour Dickens, three stars, No. 86
PG Blake Harris, three stars, No. 89
SG Jordan Poole, three stars, No. 97
SG Ty-Shon Alexander, three stars, No. 100

Guys, I just spoke a little while ago with Asheville (NC) OL Pete Leota, who's one of VT's top OL targets. Leota actually called me while he and his family are on vacation in Maine.

Leota told me that basically, he's changed his mind a bit since he did a story with our South Carolina site, GamecockCentral.com, a few weeks ago. Leota told me that North Carolina is now his leader, followed by VT and South Carolina. The main thing that's changed is that Leota visited UNC June 20 for the Freak Show camp. He told me he spoke with North Carolina's athletic director there. "They said everything is fine with the scandal. They think they’re in the clear," Leota said. That's completely changed things and he said, calmed his parents and grandparents.

With VT, Leota said "they're still at the top of my list," but obviously behind UNC. Leota said he still loves the history and academics in Blacksburg and that he has a great relationship with assistant coach Stacy Searels. Leota said they stay in contact every day and that assistant coach Shane Beamer is constantly sending him messages on Twitter to show their support and stance. Leota actually was supposed to visit VT June 20, but cancelled because the entire coaching staff was on vacation. He now sounds like he'll visit when he returns from Maine, sometime next week.

But VT better hurry. While Leota also loved South Carolina a few weeks ago when he camped there and he loved talking with Steve Spurrier and his assistant, Shawn Elliott, the Gamecocks sound like they're a more distant third. Leota told me, "Maybe by the end of July, if UNC is still in my heart, maybe I'll do a soft verbal."

Other visits Leota hopes to take are to Auburn, Ole Miss and Tennessee and Georgia.

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.

Just in case you missed it, another peak at some of the graphics in the indoor facility:
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Luke Pletcher is considering VT

http://takedownwrestle.com/interviews/luke-pletcher/

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What is the last name of the man who grew the hottest pepper?
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If you have questions, email or message Sunny. Good luck and may Babcock be with you.

what's going on Jason? Something has happened.....do we have good news?

Continuing our updates of the Hokies' recruiting areas. 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:
LB Chase Pine, Lafayette (Va.), three stars, No. 61 OLB -- Brown --- COMMITTED TO PITT
DE Patrick Jones, Grassfield (Va.) -- Stinespring
DE Tyjuan Garbutt, Riverbend (Va.) (2017), four stars -- Foster
DE Yetur Matos, Chancellor (Va.) (2017), three stars -- Foster
LB Rayshard Ashby, LC Bird (Va.) (2017), three stars -- Beamer

Top targets:
WR Grant Holloway, Grassfield (Va.), four stars, No. 235 in Rivals250 -- Stinespring
CB Patrice Rene, Episcopal, (Va.), four stars, No. 237 in Rivals250 -- Gray
CB Wayne Davis, Lake Taylor (Va.), four stars, No. 19 CB, No. 8 in VA -- Burden
DT Kyree Campbell, Woodbridge (Va.), four stars, No. 22 DT, No. 11 in VA -- Foster
WR Phil Patterson, Bayside (Va.), three stars, No. 86 WR, No. 18 in VA -- Burden
ATH Devon Hunter, Indian River (Va.), five stars (2017), Rivals100 to watch -- Stinespring
RB Khalan Laborn, Ocean Lakes (Va.), four stars (2017), Rivals100 to watch -- Burden
ATH Eric Crosby, Ocean Lakes (Va.), four stars (2017), Rivals100 to watch -- Burden
DE/OL Darnell Ewell, Lake Taylor (Va.) four stars (2017), Rivals100 to watch -- Burden
LB Dylan Rivers, Sherando (Va.) four stars (2017) -- Gray
LB Ellis Brooks, Benedictine (Va.), four stars (2017) -- Beamer
RB Ricky Slade, Hylton (Va.) (2018) -- Foster

Recent Rivals Stories On VT VA Targets:
Rene from BuckeyeGrove.com, June 24: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1777686
Rene from ScarketNation.com, June 13: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1774548
Jones from VirginiaPreps.com, June 12: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1774492
Davis from Rivals.com, June 21: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1776862
Campbell from Rivals.com, June 21: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1776952
Shon Mitchell from HokieHaven.com, June 13: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1774494
Garbutt from VirginiaPreps.com, June 17: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1775671
Rivers from HokieHaven.com, June 28: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1778623
Ashby from TVirginiaPreps.com, June 20: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1776630

Overview:
More than probably any state Virginia Tech recruits, the majority of top players in the home state have committed elsewhere. Of the targets still on the board, Rene and Holloway remain the top two uncommitted targets. Holloway has not taken any visits this summer, as track has been his main focus. He's already participated in a meet and will be in Cuba representing the USA next week. Holloway might not take any visits until he takes his visits this fall, but it looks like Tennessee and VT are his top two, with the Vols holding a slight edge.

Rene still has a top grouping of Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Tennessee and North Carolina. He's set to visit the Buckeyes in July and will likely make it back to Blacksburg as well, but no date has been set. Ohio State and Virginia Tech remain the two standing out a bit, though the Buckeyes are widely regarded as the slight favorite here. If Rene doesn't visit the Hokies this month, their odds plummet. He's set to commit in August.

One surprise, or at least somewhat, is that Campbell visited Virginia Tech on Wednesday. North Carolina looks to be the favorite and when he camped there June 20 for the Freak Show camp, those in attendance say he came close to committing. But he held off, to visit VT and has more planned, which is a good sign for the Hokies. Tennessee and Pittsburgh are also in good position and he wants to release a top 10 soon. Campbell plans to make a commitment Aug. 3.

Patterson released a top 6 on Friday of VT, Duke, Penn State, Old Dominion, North Carolina and Wake Forest. His hometown ODU has surprisingly held its ground here, but Tennessee also offered the day after that release and could jump in. It looks like the Hokies, Nittany Lions and Tar Heels are at the top, but he'll look to make more visits before announcing at the end of the summer.

Meanwhile, Davis has trimmed a top five to a top three of VT, Michigan and Ohio State. He had planned a visit to Blacksburg last Friday but has rescheduled. He's expected to be at the Hokies' camp/barbecue July 25-26, but that's not a definite. It will also be interesting to see if he attends the Buckeyes' Friday Night Lights camp this month. They're still looking like they have a slight lead over Virginia Tech, with the Wolverines holding on in third.

The biggest movement in the 2017 class looks to have taken place with Rivers. The Hokies were already in great position here, but Rivers made another visit to VT for the Hokies' junior day June 20. He spent the day with defensive coordinator Bud Foster and said the two text and call very often. Rivers said he has five schools standing out, in VT, Penn State, Virginia, Clemson and Duke. He hasn't seen the last two yet, but has seen the Hokies, three times now.

Rivals national team analysis:
"Patrice Rene is definitely the biggest target. He would be able to do a lot of big things on Virginia Tech's defense, one of those bigger defensive backs that Virginia Tech is known for. He'd more than likely be a safety at the next level, I think. But he could benefit a lot from Torrian Gray's coaching. Wayne Davis is a big target for them also and it's 1 and 1A with them and Ohio State. The Hokies are in a great spot there.

Kyree Campbell, they have a little work to do with him. If there was an in-state school for him, it would be Virginia Tech over UVA. But North Carolina and a couple of others are putting on the press for him. With Grant Holloway, it's the same thing. If it's an in-state school, it's Virginia Tech and I think they're one of his top schools, but Tennessee is a big player for him and the Florida schools, if they offer, will be major players.

Tavante Beckett is someone I think should have committed to Virginia Tech already. There's still a spot there for him, but he needs to get in there before someone else commits."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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Going through our round of updates, now with the Tar Heel state. Here's our latest breakdown of where everything stands with VT.

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:
CB Mark Gilbert, Terry Sanford (NC), three stars, No. 52 CB, No. 28 in NC -- Wiles --- DUKE COMMIT
DE Jimmie Taylor, Southwest-Onslow (NC), three stars, No. 27 WDE -- Wiles
DE Jake Lawler, South Mecklenburg (NC), three stars, (2017) -- Beamer
CB Jacobe Clement, South Mecklenburg (NC), three stars (2017) -- Beamer

Top targets:
OL Landon Dickerson, South Caldwell (NC), four stars, No. 48 in Rivals100, No. 3 OG, No. 3 in NC -- Searels
DE Nick Coe, Asheboro (NC), four stars, No. 168 in Rivals250, No. 13 SDE, No. 8 in NC -- Wiles
WR Divine Deablo, Mt Tabor (NC), three stars, No. 64 WR, No. 18 in NC -- Wiles
DE Zack Gilbert, South Mecklenburg )NC), three stars, No. 33 WDE, No. 24 in NC -- Beamer
DE Josh Brown, Mallard Creek (NC), four stars, No. 18 WDE, No. 15 in NC -- Beamer -- FSU COMMMIT
RB CJ Freeman, N. Guilford (NC), three stars, No. 19 APB, No. 20 in NC -- Wiles
OL Pete Leota, Asheville (NC), two stars, No. 49 in NC -- Searels
OL Will Putnam, Hickory Ridge (NC), two stars -- Searels

Recent Rivals Stories On VT NC Targets:
Coe from HokieHaven.com, June 9: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1773344
Dickerson from HokieHaven.com, June 6: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1772353
Putnam from GamecockCentral.com, June 23: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1777383
Leota from GamecockCentral.com, June 14: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1774738
Brown from UGASports.com, June 14: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1774768
Gilbert from HokieHaven.com, June 22: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1777329


Overview:
The narrative remains the same and will continue to do so, from our last update: Dickerson remains THE priority in North Carolina for the 2016 class. We got a better look at him early this month at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour and he certainly lived up to his billing, holding his own against the best in the country. Recruiting-wise, not much has changed. VT and Tennessee remain on top, with South Carolina not far behind and Auburn and Florida State still getting consideration. Dickerson hasn't really visited anywhere recently, but will likely be back in Blacksburg July 25-26 for the Hokies' cookout/barbecue. Also worth noting, his parents stopped by VT to see the new indoor facility on their way to the Five-Star Challenge.

The Hokies also appear to have moved up with Coe. He gave a top five at the Five-Star Challenge of VT, Auburn, North Carolina, East Carolina and Miami. But our UNC site, TarHellIllustrated.com, reported last night that "Virginia Tech, Auburn and "probably" North Carolina are at the top of the list" but their impression is that the Hokies are the front-runner at this point. Another likely visitor July 25-26, Coe had loosely planned to visit June 20, but had to cancel. Obviously, that miss didn't hurt his chances much, if any.

Deablo might be the target that VT has moved up most with. He's long had the Hokies towards the top of his list, along with Clemson, but the tide looks to have shifted to VT as the Tigers have moved on with other options/commits. Deablo visited for the Hokies' June 20 junior day and seemed to really have rave reviews. He spent plenty of time with the coaching staff, toured the new facility and hung out with many current players. North Carolina is also still very much in play, part of his top five, which also consists of VT, NC State, Georgia and South Carolina.

Gilbert also has a top list, that he most recently released. VT is part of his top five, along with North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Duke and West Virginia. UNC and Pitt look to have the edge here right now, as he has strong ties to both schools. His father and cousin (Darrelle Revis) played for the Panthers, so they've widely been assumed as the favorites for some time now. He's a possibility to visit the Hokies in late July, which could change things a bit.

Though they're not as highly regarded by Rivals, Virginia Tech is also very high on Leota and Putnam. In fact, both are very high on the Hokies' board at OL. Putnam has VT in his top two, along with South Carolina, but the Gamecocks are in the lead. Leota had planned to visit VT last week but cancelled. The Hokies are still in good shape, but look to be slightly behind UNC. Both will need to visit in July for VT to feel good about its chances with either.

Rivals national team analysis:
"I really do think Virginia Tech is doing a good job in this state. They've got Dickerson as the top target in the state and along with Nick Coe, Virginia Tech is doing great things there. You get a look at some of these other guys, though, like Jimmie Taylor, who could be a possibility. I know they offered recently and as the recruiting process goes on, Virginia Tech is gonna become a bigger player with him.

With Ian Boyd, the wide receiver out of Apex, everybody is trying to figure out what he's gonna do, whether it's basketball or football. As long as he does pick football, I think Virginia Tech is in a great spot. It's just a matter of waiting."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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We've gone through all the recruiting areas for the Hokies, so now it's time to update. 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:
WR Rick Wells, Raines (Fla.), four stars, No. 59 WR, No. 40 in FL -- Wiles-- FLA COMMIT
OL Jordan Johnson, Ed White (Fla.), three stars, No. 21 OG, No. 57 in FL -- Searels/Wiles
DE Jachai Polite, Mainland (Fla.), three stars, No. 36 WDE -- Wiles
OL Marcus Tatum, Mainland (Fla.), three stars -- Searels, Wiles
LB Brock Miller, John Carroll (Fla.), three stars -- Wiles
WR Jerry Jeudy, Deerfield Beach (Fla.), four stars, Rivals100 To Watch For 2017 -- Wiles
WR D.J. Matthews, First Coast (Fla.), four stars, Rivals100 To Watch For 2017 -- Wiles -- FSU COMMIT
CB Shaun Wade, Trinity Christian (Fla.), four stars, Rivals100 To Watch For 2017 -- Wiles -- OH ST COMMIT

Top targets:
WR Dredrick Snelson, Flanigan (Fla.), No. 123 in Rivals250 -- Wiles
DE Pat Bethel, Vero Beach (Fla.), four stars, No. 23 SDE, No. 30 in Fla -- Wiles
RB Jalin Buie, Trinity Christian (Fla.), No. 8 APB, No. 53 in Fla -- Wiles
TE Jacob Mathis, Berkley Prep (Fla.), three stars, No. 25 TE, No. 56 in Fla -- Gray
OL Jordan Johnson, Ed White (Fla.), three stars, No. 21 OG, No. 57 in FL -- Searels/Wiles
DT Justin Andrews, Kathleen (Fla.), three stars -- Gray/Wiles
OL Marcus Tatum, Mainland (Fla.), three stars -- Searels, Wiles
LB Brock Miller, John Carroll (Fla.), three stars -- Wiles

Recent Rivals Stories On VT FL Targets:
Snelson from Rivals.com, June 24: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1777793
Snelson from Rivals.com, June 5 Five-Star: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1772205
Wells from InsideTheGators.com, June 24: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1777797
Bethel from CaneSport.com, June 20: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1776747

Overview:
The most important development in the state by far is with Snelson. As reported earlier in the week by Rivals.com and in out INsider post, Virginia Tech has emerged as the favorite. A one-time Miami commitment, Snelson has had the Hokies among his favorites for some time now, but still, only recently has had them as a serious contender. Even at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour, Snelson was receptive to and complementary of Virginia Tech, but it still didn't seem like he was smitten with them. Now, it's otherwise.

But don't put this one down as a definite for the Hokies. There's still some yellow flags with Snelson, one of them in why he recently transferred from national power American Heritage to Flanigan. There had been rumors that Snelson had been expelled, but he quickly post on Twitter that wasn't true. Still, while Virginia Tech is very intrigued and likes Snelson, it wants him to visit for the July 25-26 barbecue/camp weekend, get a feel for him and then go from there.

The Hokies also hosted a seven-on-seven group from Jacksonville during the second weekend of June. And with that, came a number of offers, to Wells, Jeudy, Matthews and Wade. Only Jeudy is not currently committed somewhere, but all four have at least expressed interest in Virginia Tech and were positive after their visit. Still, all four will be tough to pull in, as they each have well over double-digit offers.

Bethel remains another top target in Florida, though the challenge is still getting him to make a visit to Blacksburg. Bethel did visit Miami last weekend, a short trip for him. A planned early graduate, Bethel named a top 10 recently of Miami, Florida State, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, LSU, Clemson and Ole Miss. Though when prompted to list his top 10 in a recent video, Bethel couldn't remember the latter three schools in that list, giving an indication of where he is overall.

Also keep an eye on three new offers for 2016, Tatum, Johnson and Miller. HokieHaven.com spoke to Johnson yesterday (full story coming) and the Hokies are in ok position, but are clearly behind South Carolina at this point. The key with all three, though, is getting them to visit. All three have been invited for July 25, but it remains to be seen which players, if any of those three, will visit. But that's the weekend Virginia Tech is shooting for to get all its big targets on campus.

Rivals national team analysis:
"The standing of Virginia Tech has improved and I don't think any of us expected them to lead for Snelson. Getting a guy like that sends a message, if you're Virginia Tech and I think they will land him if something doesn't come up. As far as in the state, once you start getting top guys and landing top guys, people take notice and you can really build some momentum that way. Usually, the first one is the hardest and once you get in the door, the dominoes can fall pretty quickly.

I don't think they have much of a shot with Shaun Wade, because I think if he flips, he flips to Florida, which I expect to happen eventually and a lot of his teammates do, too. He's committed to Ohio State for now, but looking very hard at Florida. Wells seems pretty set at Florida. Dominique Ross is an interesting one. I think he's the type of guy Virginia Tech could get. He's mentioned them in the past and he's committed to North Carolina, but I don't think that's unshakeable. If they do land Snelson, that would contribute to some momentum.

Bethel is a guy who's just not there yet. You can see why college coaches like him, because in uniform, he looks like a million bucks. He's got all the things you can't teach, but when the lights come on, he just becomes another guy and he's not particularly strong for his frame right now. But you can mold him into something and he can become something, I just don't think he's the guy who gets on campus and contributes from day one."

-- Rivals.com southeast analyst Rob Cassidy

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Guys, for the past nearly three and a half years, I've had our chats at 12:30 pm every Friday, except if I've had to travel for an event. I've had a few of you bring up that the chat time doesn't work for you. So I'd like to put it up to a vote.

I'd like to keep the day on Friday, but I'll try my best to be accommodating to the majority of you. If you can come up with a better time that I can work into my schedule as well, we'll go with that.

Remember, even if you can't make the chat, you can always replay previous chats. You can also post questions on The Gobbler or email me. But I'd still like for as many of you to make the chat as possible, toreally get the most out of your subscriptions.

Guys, I just got off the phone a few minutes ago with Sherando (Va.) 2017 linebacker Dylan Rivers, who's one of VT's top targets for the class. Rivers visited the Hokies last week for their junior day.

The big news with Rivers is he says he has five standouts (not a top five) of VT, Virginia, Clemson, Duke and Penn State. He told me he likes the coaches at all five schools and how they "show me a lot of love."

With the Hokies specifically, Rivers said he loves defensive coordinator Bud Foster. He said assistant coach Torrian Gray still comes by the school, but Foster is the one he talks to once a week. Rivers said he loves how close VT is and how all the coaches act towards him.

Rivers also visited Virginia on Thursday and was at Penn State in April for a spring practice. The UVA trip was his first there, while he said he plans to be at Clemson somewhere between July 17-20. Rivers does have some interest in Maryland and Pittsburgh and hopes to see both.

I do think the Hokies are in the lead now, but Clemson really has him intrigued. Don't be surprised to see the Tigers really jump up after he visits there.

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.

Frank and Lefty,

Win or loose, I want an unpredictable offense that keeps OSU on their heels. ie.. throw on early downs, if you get into a 3rd and long then don't always pass, come with a draw play or screen pass.

If we do run the ball most of the time then I want some traps and misdirection, not always man-on-man straight ahead against between the tackles against their very talented and deep DLine.

Go long occasionally to keep them honest but otherwise move the chains and keep our D fresh for the 4th quarter.

Use our play-makers like Bucky Hodges. Don't hold back his touches just for special situations.

If we play the field position game and are satisfied to punt then give me the special teams I saw in the bowl game vs Cinncy.

Our D will be its usual darn good and our light-weight but fast defenders will give OSU fits for the most part but they need help from an O that keeps the ball away from OSU.

OK?

Guys, I spoke a little earlier with Gilman (Md.) four-star defensive tackle Ellison Jordan, Rivals.com's No. 23 DT and No. 10 player in Maryland. On Sunday, Jordan named a top three, which I mentioned on another post, of VT, Maryland and Penn State.

After talking with Jordan, it sounds like Penn State might have the slightest of edges right now. I say that because he talked more about the Nittany Lions than the other two, saying that he loved coach James Franklin and the rest of the coaching staff. Jordan's last visit up there was in February for a junior day and he said when he saw the campus, he thought it was beautiful and said to himself, "wow."

With VT, Jordan said he loved the stadium and how loud it got. He visited for the UVA game, as well as the spring game, where he spent his birthday. Jordan said he thinks Charley Wiles is one of the best DL coaches in the country and he likes how the staff has been together for so long. He also said he thinks Frank Beamer "still has some juice in him" and also likes that his former teammate, Melvin Keihn, is down there.

With Maryland, the thing he kept mentioning is the proximity. Jordan's visited multiple times because it's so close. He did said he thinks the Terps are very improved and have good academics. And like a lot of guys up there, Jordan said he likes the "DMV to MD' movement that the Terps are trying to do.

Right now, it's looking like a late July/early August decision. He plans on visiting Penn State for its Last Dash Picnic, but isn't sure of the date. He plans on being at VT July 25 & 26 for a picnic and the Hokies' camp.

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Guys, I just got off the phone with Ed White (Fla.) three-star offensive lineman Jordan Johnson, just to catch up and see where he stands with everything. Johnson is Rivals' No. 21 guard and No. 64 player in Florida.

Johnson has 20 offers, though he doesn't remember them all. His most recent are from VT, Wake Forest, Central Florida and Georgia Southern. The Hokies just offered a few weeks ago. But right now, he said he doesn't know much about them. He told me he's very interested but the only contact he has had has been through Twitter, as he's sent direct messages to assistant coach Charley Wiles. Johnson had hoped to maybe get to the junior day last weekend, but couldn't make it. He told me he'll try to attend the barbecue and camp at VT July 25-26.

It's important to note that Johnson's older brother is Kaleb Johnson, who just graduated from Rutgers and now plays with the Baltimore Ravens. So far, the younger Johnson has been to Rutgers twice, in part to see his brother, Florida State and South Carolina.

The Gamecocks are the ones standing out the most right now and who he thinks is recruiting him hardest. But the biggest indicator will be if he actually does make it to VT next month. Wait and see.

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Any word on Tim Settle? I remember when he committed to VT earlier in the year there were questions about his eligibility for this fall. Haven't heard much since...

My mom turned 91 on Thursday, and been through an incredibly tough last 2 weeks that included a broken shoulder, broken ribs, afib, loss of vision, and a stroke. She had to move from her assisted living place in Blacksburg to the nursing home facility for rehab.

3 years ago she met Luther Maddy. He became her favorite Hokie. I reached out this morning to VT to see if maybe Luther could go visit her. 3 hours later Luther Maddy walked into mom's room carrying a nice arrangement of flowers for her. They had what she said was the most wonderful visit ever, and he plans to go see her again next weekend. She was walking on air after that visit, and gained immediate rock star status at the nursing home. You can't put a price on that. What a hell of a guy Luther Maddy is.

Never too early...would like to see what the board thinks....seems like a tough one to peg

what's the latest on Marshawn?

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Good get for VT. You did it all except play QB for your high school team! Big, fast, good hands, and you're a player!

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