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Contest #7 July 5th

  • This contest is for 2 pts in the grand prize running.
  • Open to all rivals posters with a minimum of 50 forum comments.
  • Contest will continue daily until an entry is deemed correct.
  • ONE entry per post. Multiple guesses in the same post will disqualify the post.
  • First poster to comment with the correct answer in an unedited post will win.
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A flight is more than a couple of these uninterrupted by a pause.

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This contest is for 2 pts toward the 10 pt grand prize of $25 cash. To receive any cash prize including the grand prize, you must have a paypal account. Paypal accounts are free and it's quick and easy to sign up for one.

This thread is for contest posts only until contest ends. If you have a comment, please add it in your contest post. Comments lacking legitimate contest entries will be deleted. (so that all entries are grouped together at end of contest)

If you have questions, email or message Sunny. Good luck and may Babcock be with you.

Comparing VT's Indoor Facility

Guys, I posted this on our Twitter a little while ago, since I forgot I took two photos from the same angle. As I posted a few weeks ago, when I was in Baltimore for the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour, I got a tour of the Baltimore Ravens' practice facility. It's obviously much more expansive than just a facility and includes weight room, meeting rooms, coaches offices, TV studios and much more.

But here's a way to compare just the indoor practice facilities themselves. VT's on the left, Ravens on the right.
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***Location VT: DC Update***

Continuing our updated 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:
NONE

Top targets:
OL Richard Merritt, Archbishop Carroll (DC), four stars, No. 74 in Rivals100, No. 6 OG -- Searels
OL Jauan Williams, Archbishop Carroll (DC), four stars, No. 125 in Rivals250, No. 10 OT -- Searels
LB Aaron Hansford, St John's College Prep (DC), four stars, No. 249 in Rivals250 --- Burden
CB Deon Jones, Archbishop Carroll (DC), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Burden

Recent Rivals Stories On VT DC Targets:
Merritt from HokieHaven.com, July 1: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1779695
Hansford from Rivals.com, June 18: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1775990
Williams from HuskerOnline.com, June 4: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1771933

Overview:
It's a bit quiet for the nation's capital right now in recruiting for the Hokies, save for one school, Archbishop Carroll. Virginia Tech had a trio (Merritt, Williams and Jones) from there visit for its spring game in April, but outside of that, it hasn't made a ton of noise, past getting Woodson (DC) three-star cornerback signee DuWayne Johnson this past February.

THE top target in DC remains Merritt, whom the Hokies have made one of the top priorities at offensive line for a while now. Merritt is still very much open to VT, saying that he loves assistant coach Stacy Searels and that he believes Searels will "take care of me." So far, that's been one of the only visits Merritt has made, which could really help the Hokies. Though a few Big Ten teams are in pursuit, the other two main players are Florida State and Florida, while Maryland will remain a contender until the end. Merritt said he grew up a Noles fan, but has never visited. He'll get that chance July 15, on a swing to visit both Florida schools. That could likely swing the pendulum in favor of FSU, but for now, almost by default, VT is in the lead. The big thing is when Merritt will be able to have surgery on a fractured ankle, which could alter his visit plans.

Williams has been open to the Hokies, but not nearly as high as his teammate. He also had good things to say about his VT spring game visit, but has looked more elsewhere. Maryland remains a very viable option, though he'll also make the Florida swing with Merritt. Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State are a few others in the hunt for Williams, who's visited nearly every school with Merritt. But with Merritt waiting word on surgery, we'll see how that affects his visit plans as well. Williams hadn't passed the SAT until recently, prompting him to look at Marshall and others, but with a better score, VT and others will be back in play.

Jones is a big-time recruit for the 2017 class. He's been more of a recluse thus far, with interviews, but has remained wide open in his recruitment. Getting him to visit for the spring game was a big deal. Jones visited Clemson and Alabama this spring, but hasn't done much traveling since the VT spring game. The Hokies will need to get him back on campus this fall to stay in the hunt.

VT has made a few other sniffs in DC, including with Hansford and Abdul Adams. But Adams seems firm for the moment in his Michigan State commitment, while Hansford has listed a number of other schools he's looking at, like Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Florida, North Carolina, Duke and Notre Dame, but hasn't made much of a mention of the Hokies.

Rivals national team analysis:
"They've got a couple of offers out to uncommitted guys in the 2016 class, the big one being Richard Merritt. He's the one who's taken the hardest look at the Hokies so far. I think they certainly stand a fighting chance. Other than Florida State, that could be the only other ACC team he's really taken a hard look at. But you've gotta look at some Big Ten teams and a couple of SEC teams as ones who could be out in front for him. Merritt is really the only big one VT has left for 2016.

In 2017, Virginia Tech has offered Deon Jones, a big-time defensive back. Other than Jones, they don't have a whole lot going in DC. There are a couple of guys I think could be offer guys, especially if you look at St John's, with Tyree Johnson, a three star athlete. And there are some other guys who are going to emerge in the area that I think Virginia Tech will get on pretty early."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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Planned Site Maintenance

Just a heads up of planned maintenance coming to the site. From Rivals:

All Rivals message boards will be upgraded to the latest software version beginning 11:59 pm EDT on Wednesday, July 8th. The expected total duration of the maintenance window will be four hours.

During this window, each site will be unavailable for 5 to 10 minutes while it is upgraded, and will display the forum maintenance page during that time.

INsider: OL Update

Guys, our Adam Friedman can add more when the stories are released tomorrow, but just wanted to give you an update on basically the Hokies' top two OL targets for 2016.

First, South Caldwell (NC) Rivals100 OL Landon Dickerson still maintains VT and Tennessee at the top, but they're no longer alone. Auburn and Michigan are both making big pushes and he's set to camp in a few weeks at Florida State. The Hokies should still feel like they're in the best position right now, but they'll still have to fend those four off. Dickerson really likes OL coach Rick Trickett, so we'll see how that visit goes.

Imhotep Charter (Pa.) four-star OL Johncarlo Valentin has also emerged as likely the No. 2 top OL priority right now, especially after he visited VT June 14 for camp. Valentin gave me a top five on that day, but VT, Michigan and Temple are the three to beat. He really likes the prospect of playing at home and Michigan will be the one to watch to see how their other OL targets do. But the Hokies are also in excellent shape here, they'll just have to stay diligent and see how everything plays out.

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.

New 2017 Rivals100 Released

Guys, the first numbered Rivals100 for the class of 2017 has been released. VT had a ton of guys make the cut, including Lamont Wade, who made a HUGE jump to No. 5. Story: http://rvls.co/1JJtOKk

Here's the full list of targets:

CB Lamont Wade, Clairton (Pa.), five stars, No. 5
CB William Poole III, Hapeville Charter (Ga.), five stars, No. 12
CB Shaun Wade, Trinity Christian (Fla.), four stars, No. 19
Safety Devon Hunter, Indian River (Va.), four stars, No. 26
RB D'Andre Swift, St Joseph's (Pa.), four stars, No. 29
RB Anthony McFarland, Dematha (Md.), four stars, No. 31
Safety Paris Ford, Seton La Salle (Pa.), four stars, No. 33
RB Khalan Laborn, Ocean Lakes (Va.), four stars, No. 34
QB Davis Mills, Greater Atlanta Christian (Ga.), four stars, No. 52
WR Tee Higgins, Oak Ridge (Tenn.), four stars, No. 58
WR OrTre Smith, Wando (SC), four stars, No. 61
CB Deon Jones, Archbishop Carroll (DC), four stars, No. 67
WR Jerry Jeudy, Deerfield Beach (Fla.), four stars, No. 71
DT Fred Hansard, Hun School (NJ), four stars, No. 78
LB Jordan Anthony, Good Counsel (Md.), four stars, No. 82
CB LeAnthony Williams, Roswell (Ga.), four stars, No. 89

***INsider: Tarik Black Latest***

Guys, I spoke just a little while ago with Cheshire Academy (Conn.) 2017 four-star WR Tarik Black. He's a member of the Rivals100 to watch for 2017 and who VT offered just last month.

Black said he's up to 17 offers. He has no favorites or leaders yet, but to give you an idea of where he's looking, he said he's visited Boston College, UCONN, Syracuse, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan. But for now, he has no visits planned.

Black said he believes offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler is the one who told his coach he had an offer. But the coach he's been talking to has been assistant coach Zohn Burden. Black said he doesn't really know anything about the Hokies yet, but that he knows they have a good team and a good school. With Burden, Black said "He's a really cool guy and I can relate to him." Burden has told Black he needs to visit multiple times and Black said multiple times that he needs to.

The only visits Black has planned right now are to the Ohio State/Michigan game in November and he said he also knows he'll be going to games at Alabama and Rutgers. So for now, it's safe to assume those are his top four right now, unofficially. VT wants to get him down for a game, but that will also be tougher because it would be an unofficial and he would be footing the bill. So for now, the odds on this one are steep, but there's still time since he's a 2017 guy.

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.

New 2016 Rivals150

The new basketball rankings came out today and VT's top two targets each got a bump, Fultz and DeLaurier. Here's where VT's targets ended up: http://rvls.co/1NDG5OS

SG Markelle Fultz, five stars, No. 23
PF Mamadi Diakite, four stars, No. 30
PF Javin DeLaurier, four stars, No. 40
PG Curtis Jones, four stars, No. 60
PG Eric Hester, four stars, No. 89
SG Kwe Parker, four stars, No. 90
C Jethro Tshisumpa, three stars, No. 121

Two Hokies Confirmed Detours

Guys, we've known this for a while that the odds were very high, but I got confirmation today that three-star safety Adonis Williamson and his teammate, Eric Whitehead are heading to junior college. They'll be there for at least a year, after failing to gain admission to VT.

Nassau CC inadvertently tweeted in April that Whitehead was headed there. But he still had two opportunities, with the ACT and SAT, to qualify. However, he's received his scores back from there and has fallen short. He'll indeed be at Nassau.

Williamson will attend ASA College in Brooklyn. He said he was pretty disappointed, but hopes to make the most of his chance. he's also glad he won't be that far away from Whitehead and right now, both plan to still be at VT. But we'll see what unfolds then. It's not a certainty that VT will want them by then or what the circumstances will be.

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.

Insight On Four-Stars' Destinations

Guys, I posted this yesterday on the INsider chat, but for those who missed it, wanted to pass on what I heard from a pretty good source.

In talking with three-star LB Tavante Beckett, who said he works out with these guys, he tells me that Indian River (Va.) four-star CB Wayne Davis will pick VT and that Phoebus (Va.) four-star DB Robbie Robinson will pick Clemson. Again, this can always change, but this is coming from a guy who is around both players a lot. Davis is expected to be at VT's July 25 barbecue, while Robinson has never really been a target of the Hokies.

Just something to keep in mind.

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***INsider: Jimmie Taylor Latest***

I spoke earlier with Southwest-Onslow (NC) three-star DE Jimmie Taylor Jr. and his dad, Jimmie Sr. Junior just got an offer from VT a few weeks ago, his most recent one.

Taylor said he likes what he's seen from VT so far, with the academics, tradition and history in football. He told me he has a great relationship with assistant coach Charley Wiles and they talk about their future plans and how Wiles sees him as a hand in the dirt type of player. Taylor said he feels like he can be on the field all three downs.

The only school Taylor has been to recently was Michigan. He called it "an outstanding school" and said he loved talking to DJ Durkin and the rest of the staff there. Taylor said he also enjoyed the tour of the school and also talking with coach John Harbaugh. Taylor called him "One of the greatest coaches ever," so he's pretty high on the Wolverines.

Right now, it honestly sounds like Michigan and VT are towards the top, with no favorites right now. Taylor said he's visited NC State, Tennessee and South Carolina, but really didn't mention anything specific about any of those. He plans on visiting the Hokies July 25 for the barbecue and also wants to go to Wisconsin. Taylor's dad also mentioned going to Florida for the Friday Night Lights camp this month, so there's some interest there, too.

Taylor said if all goes well, he'll be committing somewhere at the end of the summer/beginning of the season, so likely early August. I do think Michigan has the edge, but VT can certainly impress on his visit and move up.

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.

***INsider: Brock Miller Update***

I spoke just a little while ago with John Carroll (Fla.) three-star linebacker Brock Miller, whom Virginia Tech just offered last month. I reached out to see where everything stands.

Miller has 23 offers, most recently from the Hokies and Minnesota. What's ironic is that Miller's first ever college visit was actually to VT two years ago for a basketball camp. He said he toured campus, but everything on that trip was basketball-centered, so he toured all the basketball facilities and talked to then-coach James Johnson. That's also where his first college mail came from.

Miller now has talked a lot to assistant coach Charley Wiles on the phone. Miller said he really wants to get back to VT to see it from a football perspective. And it sounds like that's a good possibility for July 25 for the barbecue. That will be a much better indicator of where the Hokies stand, but for him to already have a little background could be big.

So far this spring, Miller visited Kentucky, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest. Miller was born in Charlotte and lived there until he was six or seven, then moved to Florida. But he still has a lot of family in North Carolina. That's a big reason he's looking at schools in the area. I also get the sense he wants to get out of Florida. Miller complained about the heat there a few times.

Coming up, Miller said he wants to visit Minnesota, VT, Mississippi State, Virginia and Miami. I get the sense that he's pretty open, but with him having background of the Hokies, his visit there could make a big difference. We'll see.

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.

***Location VT: Pennsylvania Update***

Continuing our updated 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:
CB Therran Coleman, Brashear (Pa.), three stars, No. 55 CB, No. 14 in PA -- Loeffler/Gray
OL Robert Hainsey, Gateway (Pa.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Loeffler/Searels
LB David Adams, Central Catholic (Pa.), 2017, four stars -- 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
CB Therran Coleman, Brashear (Pa.), three stars, No. 55 CB, No. 14 in PA -- Loeffler/Gray
CB Lamont Wade, Clairton (Pa.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Loeffler
ATH Paris Ford, Seton LaSalle (Pa.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Loeffler

Recent Rivals Stories On VT PA Targets:
Valentin from HokieHaven.com, June 15: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1775062
Hudson from HuskerOnline.com, June 28: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1778529
Adams from Rivals.com, June 25: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1778021

Overview:
The biggest news from the Keystone State this month is with Valentin. He visited Virginia Tech for the first time in June 14, bringing a few of his teammates to camp. Valentin didn't participate and didn't need to, but spent plenty of time talking with the Hokies coaches and players who were on hand. To give you an idea of just how important Valentin is, even assistant coach Stacy Searels' wife spoke with him. And his comments after the camp are extremely high on Virginia Tech. The Hokies have to be considered one of the very top contenders here, among a top five he gave of VT, Michigan, Auburn, Temple and South Carolina. This one will likely come down to official visits as he has no plans to announce any time soon, but the Hokies are in excellent position.

As shown below, Hamlin released a top 10 last month that includes the Hokies. And this is one of those cases where that's significant, since he hasn't visited before. Hamlin is another target VT is trying to get to visit for its July 25 barbecue, but there's been nothing definitive on him yet. Still, the odds are high that he'll take an official visit to Blacksburg this fall and if that happens, the Hokies could be in even better position.

Sanders has said multiple times that he's solid with Penn State. But at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour, he said the two schools he's looking at taking official visits to are Pittsburgh and VT. Sanders has thrown out other schools as possibilities, but it looks as if anyone will pry him from the Nittany Lions, it's the Hokies and Panthers. That will still be very difficult to do.

Also at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge, Wade was a bit of a surprise in talking up VT. He said he'll definitely visit VT and Maryland this summer, though his Hokies visit hasn't happened yet. It's still very much in the air what Wade will do, but this is definitely one to watch.

The biggest attention for Pennsylvania is towards the 2017 class, but the two others to watch for 2016 are Coleman, a new offer and Hudson. The latter just placed VT in his top 10. It still looks like a longshot unless he visits and he hasn't said he'll do so, as he appears to be feeling out the field in that top 10. Coleman is relatively new on the offer board and the Hokies still haven't gone in on a full press yet, but depending on how they fair with remaining DB targets, they could still do so.

In 2017, watch Adams, OL Joshua Lugg and DE Damion Barber as three more that VT could start going after harder. Of the three, Adams has spoken highly on the Hokies thus far.

Rivals national team analysis:
"Pennsylvania is becoming a big area that Virginia Tech is focusing on, especially western Pennsylvania. Therran Coleman is someone who comes to mind, the defensive back out of Brashear. I would definitely expect him to take a visit to Virginia Tech and he's a great player, too, about 6'1" and 1890 pounds. He's a guy who, based on this upcoming season, could move up the rankings a little bit. I think he's talented enough to merit a four-star ranking or something close to that. I know Virginia Tech has been showing a lot of interest in him and they offered not long ago. That's a big move for them.

Looking elsewhere, they're doing work in the state, like with the Jackson twins (James Jackson & Tim Jackson), with both of them. If their grades get a little better, I would expect them to both get Hokies offers and eventually visit. Virginia Tech is also doing well with Lamont Wade and he's expressed interest in visiting soon. Virginia Tech is also in on Damar Hamlin and they have a good shot there.

David Adams is a guy who Virginia Tech loves. They're working on him really hard and really trying to stay on guys at Central Catholic. Josh Lugg is a guy they've offered and who Virginia Tech should work hard on. I would expect him to stay interested just because his ability to play early there."

-- Rivals.com mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman


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Poll: Top Times For INsider Chat


Alright guys, we're pretty split and even on two times, so now, it's time to cast your vote for one of those two. There's no way we're going to be able to fit into everyone's schedules, but my goal is to work with as many of you as possible. And as I always say during our chats, if you miss it, you can always make a post on this board or email me directly.

The majority time will begin in this week's chat.

***INsider: Patrick Kearns Update***

Guys, I spoke earlier with Rome (Ga.) OL Patrick Kearns, who's looking more and more like a top target for the Hokies. Assistant coach has said he wants at least one OL from Georgia in each class and Kearns is looking more and more like the one Searels wants most.

Kearns said his most recent offers are from Indiana, Kentucky and Georgia Tech. And this spring, he visited Ole Miss, Georgia and LSU for camps, with no offers there and also visited Georgia Tech, NC State, Virginia Tech and Duke.

The visit to Blacksburg came on June 15. Kearns said he "liked everything about it" and enjoyed seeing the new practice facility. He also spent a lot of time talking to Searels and called him "My kind of guy, my kind of coach." Kearns said he likes how he would fit in and enjoyed talking to coach Frank Beamer as well.

Last month, Kearns gave a top three of Georgia Tech, NC State and Kentucky. He said the Hokies are in that top grouping, too. Right now, the only visit he said he'll be taking is to Kentucky sometime in the next few weeks. And as it stands, Kearns plans on committing by the end of the month.

I think VT is in excellent position, but Georgia Tech seems to be the biggest contender. Kearns seemed unsure of the UK visit, so if he does, that could change, but right now, it looks like a battle of the Techs.

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.
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