I had been planning to post a two-prospect INSIDE the Tunnel piece, covering both uncommitted 2023 DEs who made their way to Blacksburg over the weekend... and of course one of them up and committed rather than sticking to his planned timeline. Ishmael Findlayter is the big grab, too. While he's unranked at this point, he has plenty of potential (though raw, as is often the case for Canadian kids who don't move to the States for their final year or two). He's even got a wide enough frame that playing on the interior - a skillset VT has not otherwise picked up in this class - is a possibility long-term.
But the other guy is worth keeping in mind, too, because there is a need to reload in the defensive front. That man, of course, is Florida three-star Jailen Ruth.
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He is obviously keeping a somewhat low profile, given that a kid who committed to Washington State in July doesn't want to advertise that he's taking (or planning) other visits by the end of the month. But his trip to Blacksburg went really well. Although the Hokies haven't offered, they've positioned themselves really well for him
if one does come down the line - and of course, not being sure how the DE board will play out and whether he's a guy they'll want to take is behind the lack of an offer. That alone should tell you just where they feel they are with him.
"It went great; I had a great time," he said of his stop in Blacksburg for Hokie Fest.
Where does that put Virginia Tech in his recruitment? Although he's committed to Washington State, a VT that has yet to offer is probably tied right at the top with the Cougars. One that would offer... might change the big picture for him.
"Yessir, I still am keeping my recruitment open," he explained. "But Wazzu is definitely home right now."
My personal take - the coaches obviously haven't made a final decision here - is that the offer doesn't eventually come. But building bonds with a player like Ruth helps keep the Hokies on the minds of players in the Sunshine State, particularly the Northern portion where it's a lot easier to pull players out of (it's actually
really good for VT, because a lot of the less-dense areas, while they aren't mountainous like SWVA, are fairly similar in vibe to Blacksburg, so there's an easier task to make it feel comfortable than kids coming from big cities - of course, the Hokies have also found some success in Jacksonville and Orlando, so it's not
necessary to get players out of the area).
For now, he's one to monitor, but may not be at the top of your mind.
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