***Tunnel Talk EXTRA*** Top targets visiting elsewhere
- By TimSullivan
- The Gobbler
- 5 Replies
After breaking down a few visitors who are or have been committed to other schools, how about some top Hokie targets who were on the road elsewhere, as well?
Virginia Tech's top target practically throughout the 2017 recruiting cycle has been Chesapeake (Va.) Indian River safety Devon Hunter. The No. 47 recruit in the country will announce his college commitment this Friday, with only two official visits under his belt. He saw Blacksburg the Dec. 9 weekend, and more recently was at Florida over the past couple days. He's been pretty quiet over the latter phases of his recruitment, but we touched base with sources in the Sunshine State to see how the Gators felt it went.
"He seemed to have a good time," Inside the Gators recruiting analyst Blake Alderman reports. "He told a few other visitors it will definitely be between VT and UF. It's just that nobody has said "yeah, we're getting him' [that makes me think it won't be Florida]."
Given that the hype of a recruiting weekend often sees prospects tell those around them that the school they're currently visiting will be the choice, even if it's not (a couple potential examples in a moment), that's a positive sign for Virginia Tech... especially since he has given such assurances to Virginia Tech commits and coaches in the past. It should be no surprise that Alabama and Auburn - which he'll visit in the next two weeks after the pledge - aren't in the mix right now. They'll definitely try to change that status even when he's technically off the board when on their campuses.
Two of VT's top defensive end targets - one a commit - were visitors in Pittsburgh this weekend. The Panthers have been an interesting recruiting rival in the 2017 cycle, and they're trying to steal away both former commit Tyjuan Garbutt and current commit Nathan Proctor from the Hokies.
"Proctor and Garbutt both told multiple Pitt commits that they'd be coming to Pitt, but it's been hard to sort out how much of that is just kids saying that during a visit and how much is legit," said Ryan Donnelly of Panther-Lair (see what I mean about the statements kids make to each other on visits?). "Pitt feels better on Proctor than they do on Garbutt from what I can gather. He's always a relatively quiet kid but going totally radio silent with everybody besides his family is a bit unlike him."
Pitt is worried about an in-home visit to Proctor from VT head coach Justin Fuente, feeling it could be the thing that shores up his pledge and shuts down the recruiting process altogether. That in-home will take place tonight and the Hokies have "complete confidence" that it will indeed seal Proctor's commitment once and for all, though they acknowledge that there's a bit of wiggle room right now. They haven't been worried about Garbutt for some time, but the fact that he hasn't simply re-committed after many, many trips to Blacksburg means there's some uncertainty there, as well, even if that uncertainty is far less.
Another current commitment will spend some time checking out other schools in the next two weeks, always a bit of a concern. Stockbridge (Ga.) running back Jalen Holston will see Michigan State and Minnesota. That's a team that ha pulled sleepers out of Georgia in the past, and one that recently added one of the most enthusiastic head coach-recruiters in the nation, respectively. Since Holston has been VT's top running back target ever since five-star Khalan Laborn opted to head South to Tallahassee instead of staying home, losing Holston would be a blow indeed. As is the case with other players discussed here, they think they'll hold onto him, but there is a sense of "we just don't know" as it relates to how the visits might impact that.
Virginia Tech's top target practically throughout the 2017 recruiting cycle has been Chesapeake (Va.) Indian River safety Devon Hunter. The No. 47 recruit in the country will announce his college commitment this Friday, with only two official visits under his belt. He saw Blacksburg the Dec. 9 weekend, and more recently was at Florida over the past couple days. He's been pretty quiet over the latter phases of his recruitment, but we touched base with sources in the Sunshine State to see how the Gators felt it went.
"He seemed to have a good time," Inside the Gators recruiting analyst Blake Alderman reports. "He told a few other visitors it will definitely be between VT and UF. It's just that nobody has said "yeah, we're getting him' [that makes me think it won't be Florida]."
Given that the hype of a recruiting weekend often sees prospects tell those around them that the school they're currently visiting will be the choice, even if it's not (a couple potential examples in a moment), that's a positive sign for Virginia Tech... especially since he has given such assurances to Virginia Tech commits and coaches in the past. It should be no surprise that Alabama and Auburn - which he'll visit in the next two weeks after the pledge - aren't in the mix right now. They'll definitely try to change that status even when he's technically off the board when on their campuses.
Two of VT's top defensive end targets - one a commit - were visitors in Pittsburgh this weekend. The Panthers have been an interesting recruiting rival in the 2017 cycle, and they're trying to steal away both former commit Tyjuan Garbutt and current commit Nathan Proctor from the Hokies.
"Proctor and Garbutt both told multiple Pitt commits that they'd be coming to Pitt, but it's been hard to sort out how much of that is just kids saying that during a visit and how much is legit," said Ryan Donnelly of Panther-Lair (see what I mean about the statements kids make to each other on visits?). "Pitt feels better on Proctor than they do on Garbutt from what I can gather. He's always a relatively quiet kid but going totally radio silent with everybody besides his family is a bit unlike him."
Pitt is worried about an in-home visit to Proctor from VT head coach Justin Fuente, feeling it could be the thing that shores up his pledge and shuts down the recruiting process altogether. That in-home will take place tonight and the Hokies have "complete confidence" that it will indeed seal Proctor's commitment once and for all, though they acknowledge that there's a bit of wiggle room right now. They haven't been worried about Garbutt for some time, but the fact that he hasn't simply re-committed after many, many trips to Blacksburg means there's some uncertainty there, as well, even if that uncertainty is far less.
Another current commitment will spend some time checking out other schools in the next two weeks, always a bit of a concern. Stockbridge (Ga.) running back Jalen Holston will see Michigan State and Minnesota. That's a team that ha pulled sleepers out of Georgia in the past, and one that recently added one of the most enthusiastic head coach-recruiters in the nation, respectively. Since Holston has been VT's top running back target ever since five-star Khalan Laborn opted to head South to Tallahassee instead of staying home, losing Holston would be a blow indeed. As is the case with other players discussed here, they think they'll hold onto him, but there is a sense of "we just don't know" as it relates to how the visits might impact that.