JS
Who did not come back for first summer session? Usually some attrition this time of year.
Maybe Andrew Ford????? whispers

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 Johncarlo Valentin, Imhotep Inst. Charter (Pa.), four stars -- Searels/Brown
ATH Lamont Wade, Clairton (Pa.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Loeffler
OL Josh Lugg, North Allegheny (Pa.), four stars (2017 -- Searels/Loeffler
DE Damion Barber, Harrisburg (Pa.), three stars (2017) -- Loeffler

Top targets:
RB Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills (Pa.), four stars, No. 53 in Rivals100 -- Loeffler -- PENN ST COMMIT
Safety Damar Hamlin, Central Catholic (Pa.), four stars, No. 109 in Rivals250 -- Loeffler/Gray
OL Johncarlo Valentin, Imhotep Inst. Charter (Pa.), four stars -- Searels/Brown
ATH Khaleke Hudson, McKeesport (Pa.), three stars, No. 39 ATH, No. 8 in PA -- Loeffler
ATH Paris Ford, Seton LaSalle (Pa.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Loeffler

Recent Rivals Stories On VT PA Targets:
Valentin from GamecockCentral.com, May 23: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1768696
Hamlin from Rivals.com, May 14: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766254
Hudson from BadgerBlitz.com, May 6: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1763866
Ford from TheWolverine.com, May 27: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1769693

Overview:
The top candidate in the state over the spring has really emerged as Hamlin. And he's important to note because he also has some serious interest in the Hokies. Hamlin has said he'll be announcing a list of finalists in June, which is sure to include Virginia Tech, after he hopefully gets more offers. Alabama, Florida State and Oregon are among those who have flirted with him, but the top contenders appear to be Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Clemson. He'll need to visit Blacksburg for the Hokies to feel good about him, though no date has been set right now.

The other guy to really watch in the state is Sanders. He's been committed to Penn State since last July, but this is partly a result of committing so early: he wants to take official visits. And one he's really discussed taking one to is VT. The bad news is this could be a lot like Kevin Toliver II last year, a guy committed somewhere for a long time, looks around, then stays put. Toliver stuck with LSU. The main two Sanders has mentioned are VT and Pittsburgh. So nothing to be excited about, but one to watch.

Valentin has also emerged as an offensive line candidate. The Hokies got in a little late with him and are in much better shape with other linemen. But Valentin hasn't named any favorites or hinted at any decision. He has 16 offers and counting, though, so Virginia Tech will need to step it up if it wants to get serious about him.

The area of the state to really watch is western Pennsylvania, around Pittsburgh. Especially since the Panthers are in the same division as the Hokies, this makes sense, but offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler has made a lot of in-roads in the area, especially in 2017. You'll see a lot more offers go out in this area. Lugg and Ford are the two to watch most right now, but there's a bevy of guys who Virginia Tech is also monitoring.

Rivals national team analysis:
"Pennsylvania is a state that Virginia Tech is doing a lot better in. They got Shai McKenzie out of western Pennsylvania and that's where much of Virginia Tech's focus has been. You don't have to look far to find their footprint. Miles Sanders has said that if he takes three official visits, Virginia Tech could be one of them. That's a clear sign that the Hokies are doing well up there.

They're showing some interest in some younger guys who are just coming on the scene, like the Jackson twins (James Jackson & Tim Jackson) from Alderdice, as well as Brashear with defensive back Therran Coleman. I know they're showing interest in him as well. Those guys are tied up with a big training group, so they're worth paying attention to. They're on guys like Damar Hamlin and Khaleke Hudson, but they've also tried to get into the Philadelphia area and eastern Pennsylvania. Karamo Dioubate, the Rivals250 D-end has an offer. Valentin is emerging and has an offer, as well as Naseir Upshur.

Virginia Tech has tried to make its presence felt in Pennsylvania. It's difficult with Penn State doing a good job there and powers like Ohio State doing what it needs to do. But the Hokies are making their presence felt."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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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 Micah Clark, St John Vianney (NJ), four stars (2017) -- Searels/Brown
OL Cesar Ruiz, Camden (NJ), four stars (2017) -- Searels/Brown
DT Fred Hansard, Hun School (NJ), four stars (2017) -- Brown
LB Drew Singleton, Paramus Catholic (NJ), four stars (2017) -- Brown
DE Corey Bolds, Paramus Catholic (NJ), three stars (2017) -- Brown

Top targets:
DT Rashan Gary, Paramus Catholic (NJ), five stars, No. 4 in Rivals100, No. 1 DT, No. 1 in NJ -- Brown
WR Ahmir Mitchell, Cedar Creek (NJ), four stars, No. 50 in Rivals100, No. 8 WR, No. 3 in NJ -- Brown
DE Ron Johnson, Camden (NJ), four stars, No. 96 in Rivals100, No. 5 WDE, No. 5 in NJ -- Brown
WR Brad Hawkins, Camden (NJ), four stars, No. 162 in Rivals250, No. 33 WR, No. 7 in NJ-- Brown
OL Will Fries, Cranford (NJ), four stars, No. 242 in Rivals250, No. 10 OG, No. 10 in NJ -- Searels/Brown
TE Jovani Haskins, Bergenfield (NJ), four stars, No. 27 ATH, No. 11 in NJ -- Brown
DE Quayshon Alexander, DePaul Cayholic (NJ), three stars, No. 16 in NJ -- Brown

Recent Rivals Stories On VT NJ Targets:
Mitchell from ScarletNation.com, May 17: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766942
Hawkins from ScarletNation.com, May 8: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1764395
Fries from TigerIllustrated.com, May 6: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1763754
Ruiz from Rivals.com, May 4: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1763251
Bolds from HokieHaven.com, May 9: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1764485
Hansard from HokieHaven.com, May 16: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766270

Overview:
I've tried to keep this series focused on the players Virginia Tech has a realistic shot with. And while the odds are low, the Hokies are at least in the mix with Gary, the No. 4 player in the country. Gary visited Blacksburg for junior day in early February with a lot of his teammates, so he at least has visited and has a feel for VT. But with every school in the country chasing him, the odds are slim. He's on a tour of the SEC right now, but Rutgers, Michigan, Ohio State and a few others are probably in best position right now.

The Hokies do have a good shot with Mitchell. He released a top eight in February that consisted of VT, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Rutgers. His coach said nearly two weeks ago that Cornell Brown visits the school nearly every week and that the five they're focused on are Rutgers, Notre Dame, VT, Ohio State and Michigan. Mitchell has also shown his affinity multiple times on Twitter for the Hokies, another good sign.

Also in the mix for Virginia Tech are teammates Johnson and Hawkins. Both visited Blacksburg in February for junior day, though it looks like the more realistic shot is with Hawkins. He doesn't have any favorites, while Johnson hinted to Adam Friedman last month that Michigan, Ohio State, South Carolina, Miami and Alabama might have a bit of an edge.

Alexander is also one to keep an eye on. He's visiting the Hokies next weekend, which could be a huge sign of just how serious he is. Nebraska has long thought to be the leader here, but he's opened up a lot more to VT recently. Also keep an eye on Fries, who hasn't mentioned the Hokies much, but whom assistant coach Stacy Searels has visited multiple times this spring. Fries keeps telling the staff he's still interested.

Paramus Catholic keeps pumping out big time players and VT is squarely in the mix with each of them. It helps having Billy Ray Mitchell with the Hokies, a PC alum who stays in touch with nearly all of the current players there. That's reason enough to keep an eye on Bolds and Singleton.

And one to peek at here and there is three-star quarterback Anthony Brown. He committed to Boston College last week after putting Virginia Tech in his top four, but there's talk that he could still be open and looking around a bit.

Rivals national team analysis:
"It kinda starts and ends, really, with Ahmir Mitchell. They're doing a great job with him, but they've gotta get him on campus. That's gotta be priority number one for them. They're probably in his top three right now. There are a lot of guys in that state, though, that Virginia Tech is paying attention to. You've gotta look at the wide receivers. There's a really good group of wide receivers in New Jersey this year. Mitchell is the top guy, but you look at someone like tight end Jovani Haskins. He's a guy they're really high on and he really likes Virginia Tech.

Brad Hawkins and his teammate, Ron Johnson are most likely gonna go to the same school and they're looking more Big Ten than the ACC. But I feel like Virginia Tech has done a good job with them and has certainly gotten their attention.

There's other guys emerging still, like Kelvin Harmon. He's a guy coming onto the scene and picking up more offers. He was MVP at the Rivals Camp in New Jersey. Donald Stewart from Paramus Catholic is starting to blow up, as is KJ Gray, from St Peter's Prep. And Quayshon Alexander, I know Virginia Tech has shown interest in him and he's returned that interest."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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Guys, I just spoke a few minutes ago with Roswell (Ga.) three-star linebacker Tyrone Hopper, who's been one of the top defensive targets for VT.

Since I saw him last month in Charlotte at the Rivals Camp, Hopper said he's gotten new offers from Mississippi State, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. The Bulldogs have jumped out a little bit and he's visiting there June 3.

But I should also mention that most notably, Hopper said he literally just got off the phone with defensive coordinator Bud Foster when he called me. Hopper said Foster told him he's still one of the Hokies' top guys on the board and they want him to visit again. And he is, on June 20. That's a very strong sign and going into that visit, Hopper said he likes the program and how long the staff has been together.

Those are the only two visits planned so far. But he just visited Tennessee last month for the Volunteers' spring game. He likes the Vols a lot, too, but the others to really watch here are North Carolina and Kentucky. He's seen both of them and wants to visit them again this summer.

Right now, Hopper said he's planning on making an official cut down to his list in late June or early July. He said he could have a decision as soon as the end of the summer, but said he could also decide later in the season, so that's a little more up in the air. We'll wait to see how his next VT visit goes, but right now, the Hokies are in great shape.

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, no offer here yet, but definitely one to watch, 2018 Ed White (Fla.) LB Eriq Gilyard. He claims eight to this point, with South Carolina being a bit of an early leader. Only school he's visited and they've already offered.

But VT is one he's waiting on. He said he's been to multiple Hokies games through the years with his cousin, so there's definitely some familiarity there: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1769766

Guys, Rivals has released the roster for the Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour, June 5-7 in Baltimore. Kelly and I will be there for full coverage, but here's who we'll be seeing, as far as VT targets. Also keep in mind that the new rankings are released next week, so these will change. I've also not included the ones who have VT offers, but have eliminated the Hokies:

DT Rashan Gary, Paramus Catholic (NJ), five stars, No. 4 in Rivals100, No. 1 DT, No. 1 in NJ -- Brown
DT Dexter Lawrence, Wake Forest (NC),five stars, No. 13 in Rivals100, No. 3 DT, No. 1 in NC -- Wiles
WR Dredrick Snelson, American Heritage (Fla.), four stars, No. 24 in Rivals100, No. 3 WR -- Wiles
WR Ahmir Mitchell, Cedar Creek (NJ), No. 50 in Rivals100, No. 8 WR, No. 3 in NJ -- Brown
OL Terrance Davis, Dematha (Md.), four stars, No. 124 in Rivals250, No. 5 OG, No. 4 in MD -- Searels
LB Devin Bush, Flanagan (Fla.), four stars, No. 136 in Rivals250, No. 4 ILB, No. 22 in Fla. -- Wiles
OL Richard Merritt, Archbishop Carroll (DC), four stars, No. 12 OG, No. 4 in DC -- Searels
LB Jaquan Yulee, Indian River (Va.), four stars, No. 11 ILB, No. 8 in VA -- Stinespring
OL Josh Ball, Stafford (Va.), four stars, No. 24 OT, No. 9 in VA -- Searels
DE Nick Coe, Asheboro (NC), four stars, No. 16 SDE, No. 13 in NC -- Wiles
OL Landon Dickerson, South Caldwell (NC), three stars, No. 16 OG, No. 16 in NC -- Searels
DB Devon Hunter, Indian River (Va.), five stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Stinespring
RB Khalan Laborn, Ocean Lakes (Va.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Burden
OL Tony Gray, Central Gwinnett (Ga.), four stars (2017) -- Searels/Gray
DB William Poole III, Hapeville Charter (Ga.), four stars (2017) -- Gray
DB LeAnthony Williams, Roswell (Ga.), four stars (2017) -- Gray
QB Joey Gatewood, Bartram Trail (Fla.) (2018) -- Loeffler

Guys, I also talked a little earlier with McDonogh (Md.) three-star OL Jordan McNair, whom the Hokies offered earlier this month. He's up to 11 offers, as North Carolina and Duke have offered since VT.

McNair has only visited Penn State and Maryland this spring, so he's still pretty open. But when I asked him about any aspect he's seen or heard that's stood out, he mentioned Penn State and he likes how coach James Franklin is passionate and talks with the players and coaches. So right now, the Nittany Lions have a slight advantage.

With VT, McNair said assistant coach Stacy Searels visited him last week. He said he liked how Searels told him there's more to his game than size and that "I play the right way." McNair said he plans on visiting Blacksburg for one of the Hokies' camps, but isn't sure which one he'll be at.

This summer, McNair said he also wants to visit Michigan, Boston College, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Duke, all of which have offered, though no dates have been set. He told me he hopes to have a decision by next spring. Past being behind Penn State, it's tough to say where VT is right now. We'll find out more if he does visit this summer.

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.

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:
LB Tavante Beckett, Indian River (Va.), three stars, No. 19 in VA -- Stinespring

Top targets:
CB Patrice Rene, Episcopal, (Va.), four stars, No. 160 in Rivals250 -- Gray
OL Josh Ball, Stafford (Va.), four stars, No. 24 OT, No. 9 in VA -- Searels
CB Wayne Davis, Lake Taylor (Va.), four stars, No. 20 CB, No. 7 in VA -- Burden
WR Grant Holloway, Grassfield (Va.), three stars, No. 23 in VA -- Stinespring
WR Phil Patterson, Bayside (Va.), three stars, No. 79 WR, No. 14 in VA -- Burden
WR Eric Kumah, Forest Park (Va.), three stars, No. 21 in VA -- Foster
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:
Patterson from VirginiaPreps.com, May 15: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766560
Holloway from HokieHaven.com, May 11: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1765222
Ball from Rivals.com, May 22: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1768492
Jaquan Yulee from Rivals.com, May 12: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1765655
Beckett from BadgerBlitz.com.com, May 17: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766954
Beckett from VirginiaPreps.com, May 6: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1764014
Rene from HokieHaven.com, May 25: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1769056
Davis from HokieHaven.com, May 6: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1763851
JJ Givens from TigerIllustrated.com, May 14: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766116
Jalen Elliott from BlueandGold.com, May 19: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1767622

Overview:
The only new offer that's gone out over the past few weeks is Beckett, at the first of the month. And already, the Hokies are the presumptive favorite, even with Wisconsin jumping in last week with an offer of its own. Beckett has long been very fond of VT, but he's still expected to wait at least through the next month or so, to see if any other offers come in. There's not one specific school that would overtake the Hokies, but it would have to be a big one.

In this state, as far as big targets, you have to start with Rene. For months, he's been arguably the top defensive back target on the board. Assistant coach Torrian Gray has visited multiple times, as has defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Rene is a Haitian-born Canadian and VT has two Haitians currently on the roster in Dadi Nicolas and Luther Maddy. But Rene said he's a big fan of Gray and the Hokies' history of putting DBs in the NFL. Rutgers and Ohio State look to be the top contenders right now, but VT is in excellent shape.

The other designated top target is Ball, whom the Hokies have made one of their top three OL gets. The other two are soon-to-be four-star Landon Dickerson and Nansemond River's (Va.) Jarrett Hopple, who is very strong with his VT commitment. Ball tweeted out a top 15 last week (below), that not surprisingly included the Hokies. They're in great position, but as he chose to go to West Virginia's spring game, they're not a definite by any means. VT, WV, Penn State and South Carolina are the top contenders here.

The Hokies' staff has made big efforts towards Yulee and Holloway and has felt good about their chances, but as of now, Yulee is bound for Alabama barring a shocker and Holloway has Tennessee in front, though VT is close. There's still time with Holloway, though, as he'll likely visit Blacksburg this summer and won't decide until August, or at least around the start of his senior season. The Hokies need him to visit, though, to feel good about their chances.

One of the likeliest commitments in-state, besides Beckett is Kumah, who has a decision date set for June 19. Kumah has a top 10 that includes VT, which is the presumptive favorite here. West Virginia, though, is also in good position and could be in a very close second.

A popular name in-state has been Davis, who has long shown an affinity for VT. He made his first visit to Blacksburg for the spring game and soon after announced a top five of Tennessee, VT, Ohio State, Michigan and Wake Forest. The Buckeyes are really the ones to watch here. He'll be in Columbus this weekend, though he'll be back at VT next weekend. No indication of a decision right now.

In 2017, the Hokies are in arguably much better shape in-state than 2016. VT stands in good position with Hunter, Crosby and Ewell, all likely immediate contributors, though there's work to do with Laborn

Rivals national team analysis:
"They're the big stick right now. UVA went on that run with guys from the Tidewater area, but it looks like that has more or less ended. For all intents and purposes, UVA will get its guys out of Tidewater, but I think Virginia Tech is starting to get back some of that momentum. It's more about UVA falling back to the pack and Virginia Tech is trying to take advantage of that.

Bryan Stinespring, Cornell Brown and Zohn Burden are working hard out there. You look at the guys at Indian River, they're in good shape with those guys, although it looks like Yulee will probably pick Alabama. But Virginia Tech is in good shape with Devon Hunter, although he still has a long way to go. In Richmond, they are the team. You look at Benedictine and that's a school where Virginia Tech has done a good job. Then, in northern Virginia with Stonewall Jackson, that's become a pipeline. They're also in great shape with Ricky Slade, out of Hylton. Virginia Tech is his in-state school. Then, there's Kyree Campbell. Virginia Tech is still working hard there, but still playing a little catch up

Virginia is a state where every pivotal team in the country recruits. It's hard to keep your home state locked down when that's happening, unless you're Georgia in-state or Florida State in-state. But the Hokies are holding their own, getting guys they want, guys they know can develop into major contributors and you have to credit their scouting department for that."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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We're one week away from the Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour and at 12:30 pm ET on Friday (tomorrow), I'm answering all your VT-related questions, on football, basketball, recruiting and anything having to do with the Hokies. Come take advantage of and get the very most out of your subscriptions and join us for the chat!

And if you can't make the chat, don't worry. The chat is the best way to get real-time answers, but you can always post something on The Gobbler or email me directly at jason.stamm@rocketmail.com.

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Guys, I spoke just a little while ago with Tampa Bay Tech (Fla.) class of 2017 WR Daquon Green. He picked up a VT offer earlier in the month and now claims 17 offers.

It's still very early here and Green said he doesn't have any schools standing out. But the ones he specifically mentioned more of were VT and Ohio State. The only specific coach Green mentioned coming to watch him during spring practice was assistant coach Torrian Gray. Green said they've spoken very briefly, with Gray telling him he liked his film and gave him some pointers.

With Ohio State, Green said assistant coach Tony Alford really stood out. Green said they talked about his film, but that they also talked about life after football that stood out to him.

When I say it's early here, though, it's very early. Green didn't take any visits this spring and hasn't been anywhere since he toured with his seven-on-seven team, Unsigned Preps, last summer. Green said he has no plans, but wants to go on tour with the team again this summer and also visit VT, Ohio State, South Carolina and maybe Ole Miss.

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.

We ought to have news by now, no? Maybe just me but seems like no news is bad news.

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:
DT Grant Gibson, Mallard Creek (NC), four stars (2017) -- Beamer
WR JT Cauthen, Cuthbertson (NC), three stars (2017) -- Beamer

Top targets:
OL Landon Dickerson, South Caldwell (NC), three stars, No. 16 OG, No. 15 in NC -- Searels
DE Nick Coe, Asheboro (NC), four stars, No. 16 SDE, No. 13 in NC -- Wiles
WR Divine Deablo, Mt Tabor (NC), three stars, No. 61 WR, No. 21 in NC -- Wiles
DE Josh Brown, Mallard Creek (NC), four stars, No. 16 WDE, No. 14 in NC -- Beamer -- FSU COMMMIT
RB CJ Freeman, N. Guilford (NC), three stars, No. 10 APB, No. 20 in NC -- Wiles

Recent Rivals Stories On VT NC Targets:
Freeman from HokieHaven.com, April 26: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1760925
Dickerson from The Wolverine.com, May 15: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766668
Dickerson from BlueWhiteIllustrated.com, May 13: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1765880
Deablo from HokieHaven.com, May 22: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1768563
Boyd from Rivals.com, May 19: Zack Gilbert from WVSports.com, May 15: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1766022
Marquill Osborne from TigerIllustrated.com, May 12: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1765429
Gibson from HokieHaven.com, May 18:

Overview:
In North Carolina, you have to start with who has arguably been one of the top couple of targets for months, Dickerson, who's grandfather played with the Hokies in the 1960s. Months before he blew up in April at the Charlotte stop of the Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour, assistant coach Stacy Searels had made him one of VT's top three OL targets, along with Jarrett Hopple (committed) and Josh Ball. Dickerson also might be one of the best and most realistic shots for a commitment in the state as well. A future member of the Rivals250, Dickerson has long maintained a top two of VT and Tennessee, but South Carolina, Alabama and Florida State are hanging around. No sign at a decision right now.

The Hokies have been high on Deablo for some time now and it looked like Clemson would be the one to fight off the most. But Deablo put out a top five last week that excluded the Tigers. That five is VT, NC State, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. And now, the biggest threat is the Wolfpack. Of that group, the Hokies have probably been on him hardest, longest, but they need him to visit again this summer. He's already visited multiple times, but will be visiting the top five and others.

Coe has impressed in camps and will be participating in the Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour. But questions on his grades have scared a few schools off. An state-champion wrestler, Coe has been to Blacksburg multiple times, including junior day this spring, but he's taking his time. He has interest in Florida State, but that hasn't been reciprocated just yet. UNC and West Virginia also remain in the mix.

The Hokies are also still flirting with a pair of commits, both of whom visited VT this spring. Brown has been committed to Florida State since last fall and remains adamant that's still the case. But he's been actively shopping around this spring, seeing the Hokies' first scrimmage in early April. Brown has also been to Tennessee, Oregon, North Carolina and others. He's certainly enjoying the recruiting experience, but at the end of the day, he'll be hard to pry from the Noles.

Virginia Tech is still keeping tabs on some big-timers in the state, too, like five-stars Dexter Lawrence and Keion Joyner. But Joyner has his eye on FSU, LSU, Texas A&M and UNC and has all but written the Hokies off. There's still a very slim chance with Lawrence, as Wiles has visited him multiple times this spring and he's receptive, but likely, Lawrence will stay close to home. NC State thought to be the favorite there.

Others to keep an eye on in NC are LB Jonathan Smith, OL Pete Leota and DE Zack Gilbert. While Marquill Osborne is worth watching, with a connection to current Hokie Mook Reynolds, odds are, he'll stick with his Tennessee commit. For 2017, VT is already in good shape with Gibson, Cauthen and WR Ryan Jones.

Rivals national team analysis:
"In North Carolina, Virginia Tech is making major in-roads. That's especially a credit to Charley Wiles and Shane Beamer. The big one is Landon Dickerson right now. They've done a great job with him and Landon is a legacy for Virginia Tech, so Stacy Searels is doing a fantastic job with him. They can be considered the favorite or one of the two favorites for him.

There's a couple of other guys they're very much in play with, like Divine Deablo. They're in good shape with Josh Brown and he took a visit up there. In Charlotte and Greensboro, they're doing a good job and Mook Reynolds has had some connections there. He has connections with Marquill Osborne from playing with the NC Elite team. But right there along I-40, they're doing a great job."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

Social Media:
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Guys, DePaul Catholic (NJ) three-star DE Quayshon Alexander tweeted this out last night:
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Alright guys, as promised, I interviewed associate AD Tom Gabbard, who's in charge of all the athletic facilities on campus and also has a hand in other projects as well. I got a full update on everything last spring but a lot has changed since then. Taking in some of your questions as well on everything, here is the latest going on with the Hokies. This is all word for word from Gabbard:

FOOTBALL, PRACTICE FACILITY
*The indoor practice facility is on time, on budget. They've been working seven days a week to make sure they can get out of the weather. It's been pretty smart planning and they've done a great job.

**The graphics package in there, that RP goes out this week. All the presentations are due in March. We hope to award the project the first week in April and have it done July 1, which is corresponding with the finished product. The sound and video is all set to video is set to go out. We know what we want, it's just getting it priced right. It's pre-wired, so it's just a matter of buying the equipment and hooking it up. It'll all go back to the studio, so it's set up nice. We're hoping to finish in July, so when pre-season starts, we've got it.

LANE STADIUM
*We're working on concession improvements. We wanna work hard on trying to fix up the east side, the lower east side. Some of that stuff is getting pretty old. We'll take our first run at it this year. I'm not sure if we'll get all of it done, but it'll be an improvement.

MERRYMAN CENTER
We're doing a study to spruce up the Merryman. I've showed it the Hokie Club, shown it to the Board of Directors, showed it to football. Canon Design, who did the Hahn Hurst graphics and designed the building and did the graphics for the football locker room, we retained them to take a fresh look. Their first run was nice, but it was pretty conservative. Kevin Jones has a degree in design engineering and he challenged them to get outside the box and come up with some pretty nice stuff. It's a money thing and timing thing, but our goal is to freshen up the whole look when you come into Merryman. I don't know when we'll get it done, but I know we wanna get it done as soon as we can. 1998 is dated. It's amazing how quick things get dated. It's all money. If we get enough of it, we'll spend it.

CASSELL COLISEUM
*The next step is an upgrade in the graphics package that will go in after the season. It's all set to go. We wanted to squeeze it in earlier, but you've gotta play basketball. It'll have a little more of Buzz and what he stands for, which is how we should do it. The hallway that goes to the locker room will be a lot nicer. The men's basketball side will have a lot of new stuff on the walls, some high-tech stuff. The women are getting involved on their side, too. Dennis Wolff has chipped in a little bit. It's one of those buildings that you wanna continue to keep it fresh if you can. Buzz is a breath of fresh air for sure.

**The company is doing a prototype color lead, that'll give us some more color. They're gonna give us four, one for each color of the catwalk. When we do introductions next year, we'll have it to enhance the intros even more. The camera guys love it.

***That west side, when you open doors on a cold day to let people in, you're freezing out the people in sections six and eight. My goal is ton create another entrance west of there, to kinda buffer them and then dress it up and make it look like something more than it is.

***We're redoing our video offices. We moved the studio down to our post-game press conference room in Cassell Coliseum. That's what the green wall is up there for. And we turned the old studio into more offices because they're getting bigger. The room will just double as a studio during the week, which is probably good because they have the sound boards up in there.

RECTOR FIELDHOUSE
*We finished the feasibility study on that. The goal is to renovate Rector Field House, to add a new softball hitting facility in the front of it, take the trailers off the the north end, which is used for halftime rooms for soccer and lacrosse and actually build more permanent halftime rooms. It'll double for ACC indoor championship press room and officials and food.

**The throws area in Rector is getting to where the athletes are throwing that weight so well that they one-hopped it into the garage door in the last meet and tore up the garage door. That's fine, I can fix the garage door, but in two or three years, if they hit that garage door, then you've got a world record throw and you can't count it. So we probably need to address that and that's part of the plan. We'll go to the board of visitors in March with the asking authorization to actually plan. That takes you to schematic design and deciding what you wanna do next.

460 FUTURE INTERCHANGE
*The runway to the airport will expand and the dairy barn will go away. They're gonna block off Southgate Drive, not now, but ultimately when they finish. The campus entrance will then move somewhere halfway between where Main Street comes across and where Southgate is. There will be a big interchange built there, directly into the corporate research park and directly into campus. That allows the runway to expand without any problems. The dairy barn will be moved in June, building a new one at Ketlin Farms. That's almost done, so it will move this summer.

As far as traffic,
**I wanna think they've got it figured out. They're crazy to make it too messy for football. And I think they've figured all that out. I think there will be a lot of work done, not touching 460 until they're ready to make the cut. There's been a lot of planning and the interchange will be beautiful. It's gonna have a real Tech look to it, which is interesting to be on a state road and have a Tech look to it, with Hokie Stone and arches and the whole bit. The last picture I saw was very attractive.

BASEBALL/TENNIS
We've got thoughts about expanding the baseball park, but nothing really in place yet. We just put in a new system, the first one in the country, that has all the indoor tennis courts that way, called Play Smart. It's six cameras on every court with a kiosk. You can train with it, turn the cameras on, see how much topspin is on your ball, how deep you hit it, cross court, serve speed, even draws the lines for you. We're the only school in the country that will have six courts equipped to do that. Princeton has one and California has a system. NC State is putting in a system like it, but our is a system that was designed by tennis players, for tennis players. I can't wait to get on it. You can say to the machine, 'I wanna hit cross-court forehands, but I want all of them within three feet of the baseline.' Electronically, it draws a square on the screen and if you hit it in there, it gives you a beep and keeps score for you. That's really good for our tennis program. Jim Thompson and Mary Ann have done a good job and it'll just help them recruit, plus help our guys get better.

And 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.[/B]

This post was edited on 2/11 1:47 PM by Jason Stamm

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Jason - I tried to send this to you but I cannot find your rocketmail email address. It was part of your auto-signature but that appears to have been wiped out. I had a gif of LT clocking an Hoo defender as my auto-sig but that appears to be gone as well. How do I get that back? Thanks! - LC

Guys, continuing our Q&A series with one of the Hokies' 2015 signees, Houshun Gaines: http://rvls.co/1Ret8Ny

Just as a side note, Gaines said he's up to 235 and wants to be 240 by later this summer. He said the VT staff has told him he'll still be at DE for now.

Also, Gaines just got done with track a few weeks ago, where he ran the 110m and 300m hurdles and threw discus. He finished third in his conference in the 300m hurdles.

Guys, I spoke earlier with Saline (Mich.) three-star quarterback Josh Jackson, whom VT offered at the first of May. The first thing you'll wonder is why the Hokies offered.

Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler coached quarterbacks at Michigan with Jackson's father, Fred Jackson, from 2002-07. Loeffler was also a student assistant, then graduate assistant, from 1996-99, when Jackson was also on staff as an assistant. So the family ties run way back. I should also mention that Fred Jackson is also no longer on staff at Michigan, leaving when Brady Hoke was fired and he's now sitting out the upcoming season.

Josh Jackson said he has 16 offers right now and claims no standouts. But the two schools he mentioned most were VT and Northwestern. I asked Jackson has anything he's seen, heard or knows about any schools stand out. He mentioned how Northwestern is building an indoor facility near Lake Michigan that "Looked sweet" and that Northwestern also has great academics and has recruited Jackson since he was a sophomore. He did mention West Virginia briefly and said he also visited Toledo and Michigan this spring. But with the new staff in Ann Arbor, I don't think he has a lot of connection there.

Jackson has not visited VT yet, but said he likes the Hokies' academics and tradition. He also said he's known Loeffler all his life and that they have a very strong connection. Jackson told me, "Being offered by him is cool." Jackson also said he likes the opportunity he could get at VT and with Loeffler, "I trust him as a coach to make me the best I can be."

Jackson has a visit set to VT for June 12-13, which right now is his only set visit. He said he also hopes to see West Virginia, Alabama and Penn State this summer. And right now, he's looking at a commitment around the end of June. If Jackson does make it to VT in a few weeks, I'd say the Hokies will be the top target. Right now, though, they're in very good position, but I wouldn't call them the leaders just yet.

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, two-star QB Mikale Washington, who just transferred from Martin Luther King HS (Mich.) to Clover Hill (Va.) HS, tweeted last night that he'll be visiting VT this weekend. Josh Jackson still looks like the priority at QB right now, but Washington is another option should that not work out:
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I tweeted stuff out, too, but just wanted to say a thank you to all veterans, including those on this board. I know today is a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom, but my dad is a Vietnam veteran and I think this is also an opportunity to say thank you to all those veterans, including a lot of Hokies!

Guys, I spoke earlier with Episcopal (Va.) four-star DB Patrice Rene, No. 160 in the Rivals250. As I've mentioned for a while, Rene is one of the very top defensive back targets left for VT in the 2016 class. He and Rivals250 safety Marlon Character are arguably the top two targets.

A little back story on Rene: He was born in Haiti to his parents, who are Haitian, moved to Ottawa, Ontario when he was four and has been in boarding school at Episcopal for the past few years. So as far as in-state guys, he might technically be one based on where he's in school, but he's definitely not an 'in-state' guy.

Assistant coach Torrian Gray has been up to see Rene multiple times, including last week. And Rene said he has a closer relationship with Gray than any other position coach. Rene visited VT for junior day in February and said he loved getting to talk to Frank Beamer in person. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster has also been in to see Rene multiple times this spring and that has also made a big difference.

The schools Rene mentioned most were VT, Rutgers, North Carolina and Ohio State. Along with Tennessee, he said "Those schools stand out only because I’ve known them for a while and I have a solid relationship with the coaches and getting to know the programs." He said those are also the ones recruiting him hardest.

Rene said he has 25 offers now and wanted to make a decision before the end of his junior year. This is his final week of school for the semester, though, so he said he wants to take more visits and go to more camps, then cut his list to five by next month. He hopes to make a decision either late July or early August.

Still time here, but Hokies are in excellent shape and have really made him a priority. Rene also cited Danny Coale being from Episcopal and how he knows how many DBs from VT have gone on to the NFL, notably Kam Chancellor.

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.

Does it matter if the OC routinely runs into the middle of the line on 1'st and 2'nd down and then passes on the third ?

Guys, the full story will be out tomorrow, but I spoke just a few minutes ago with Grady (Ga.) four-star safety Marlon Character, No. 195 in the Rivals250. As most of you saw and even from the tweet I embedded, Character tweeted a top three of VT, South Carolina and Ohio State:
Login to view embedded media Character said he actually plays both ways in school, WR and safety. He actually played mostly receiver in a seven-on-seven today in Atlanta. But he tells coaches who ask that he wants to play defense, because he feels like that's his best chance to get to the NFL and succeed in college. Character also returns punts and kicks.

I had him break down his top three and with VT, he likes the Hokies' track record of sending DBs to the NFL. He also said he feels like "I can be productive there" and he really likes Bud Foster and Torrian Gray. Character still has not visited Blacksburg yet, but here's the best news, he plans to visit for a whole weekend, June 19-21.

South Carolina sounds to be the other one that's right with VT. Character last visited there for the Gamecocks' game against Georgia last fall and plans on visiting again, June 13. This one though is only a one-day visit. Character said, "I can see myself playing there" and likes the overall energy in the program.

Of the three, the darkhorse sounds like Ohio State. Character has not visited there, either, and doesn't have a visit planned. But he likes the coaches and said they've "recruited me hard." Still, with no visit set and not saying a lot on the Buckeyes, it sounds like they're in a clear third.

Character said he doesn't have a date set to commit, but believes he'll be ready after his visits. Still, he said that will likely come in July, as he wants some time to think about his top three and his visits. Right now, it sounds like it's between VT and South Carolina and the upcoming visits will be the deciding factor. For the Hokies to be in this well without him visiting says a lot to where they stand.

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'm a pork and kraut guy

Just of interest to you guys, Mike Farrell's all-Rivals Camp Series team, featuring a few VT targets: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1768851