Welcome to Tunnel Talk, with the latest in Hokies recruiting.
Isi Etute and Earl Miller
It has been a not-so-rosy week for the Hokies, with a number of (mostly-former) targets committing to other programs, so let's hop in with the positive news.
I'm expecting a pair of commitments in just over a week, with in-state linebacker Isi Etute and Florida defensive tackle Earl Miller both set to announce commitments next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Indeed, while Etute had a previous list of favorites, it's not clear who the other programs in the mix
even are for either of them: Hokie interest and offers bringing about quick ends to a recruitment is typically a positive sign.
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Although just rated a two-star player - thanks in large part to a 6-1, 185-pound body that says safety and a skillset that's more linebacker - Etute has a number of Power-5 programs on the list. Those schools believe that, while he's a bit of a tweener now, they can develop him into a top performer. Obviously, Virginia Tech is one of the programs with the longest track record of that type of development.
"I'll admit he's small," said an analyst in the 757. "But this is a kid who just hasn't spent the time in the gym yet - when he gets to college, I don't have any worries about his size."
Etute is also listed at 6-3 by his high school program, and while that's a slight exaggeration, it does speak to a frame that has a little more potential to fill out than it seems. He's in the mold of fellow in-state 'backer Keli Lawson, who has already committed to the Hokies. Etute is also the type of kid that area coaches are going to appreciate the VT coaches pursuing. It won't suddenly make the Hokies a hot program in the Tidewater, but will help ease some negative feelings, at the very least.
For Miller's part, assuming he does commit to the Hokies, he's going to end up another test case for this staff's ability to make early identifications of talent, and then develop it. Fortunately, that track record is pretty good (albeit not yet with these defensive line coaches, only because they haven't been in charge long enough). Boston College, his other major offer, has its own impressive history of finding unpolished gems, particularly on the defensive line.
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Miller is more the penetrating style of tackle that the Hokies will need to bulk up before he can contribute at this level (his 6-3, 258 pounds isn't quick enough off the edge to be an every-down DE, either). As a complement to a bigger tackle - say, in-state standout Tyleik Williams, or a recommitment from Arkansas standout and former Hokie pledge Tyas Martin - he's another nice piece, and if VT can add a third tackle (a second tackle/end tweener type, perhaps), the upgrade in size on the line will be obvious.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce
The head fakes of the past few weeks were just that: South Carolina three-star Ahmari Huggins-Bruce committed to Louisville yesterday. The amount of attention I gave (or didn't give) him in the past few days probably makes it obvious I was leaning strongly in that direction.
That said, the status of his recruitment with VT was consistent until the end: the staff liked him enough to accept a commitment had he wanted to give it, but perhaps not enough that they were going to keep pushing to ensure that they landed him. Largely, they made a decision that they didn't want him as badly (at this point) as Louisville, with Chance Black and Nykelius Johnson - coincidentally, both his fellow Palmetto-staters - among those already in the fold.
Should the staff reevaluate its needs down the road, there's a chance a renewed pursuit could get some traction closer to Signing Day. At this point, I'm not
expecting that, but keep it in mind as a possibility if there's a slot receiver spot open down the line.
Hokie legacy hitting the diamond?
I think Atlanta Pace Academy four-star Jayden Thomas is Virginia Tech's best shot at a top wide receiver in this class. He's also a better version of a similar type of burly-bodied outside bully that decommitment Latrell Neville would have filled. The grandson of former Hokie QB/RB Phillip Rogers has taken multiple trips to Blacksburg, where his grandparents still live.
There has been a recent twist in his recruitment, as well. Georgia Tech has offered him the opportunity to play baseball
and football in his hometown, and being a two-sport athlete is something he'll consider. It may not be a deal-breaker, but as a deal-sweetener, it's an interesting one.
VT's baseball program is expected to make a turnaround under head coach John Szefc, and the Hokies have been pretty open to letting top players participate in a spring sport (running back Cole Beck and offensive lineman Bryan Hudson in track, for example). Thomas hasn't told me that the staff has broached the topic of being a two-sport athlete with him, but it's something he'd at least take notice of.
