15 guys hitting campus in January:

What to expect of the Hokies' early enrollees

2024 S Brody Barnhardt has (unofficially) added one team to his top list, but is sticking to a spring timeline:

Barnhardt plans January visit to Blacksburg before approaching pledge

Terrible to see

… will forgo the rest of his eligibility to go pro in Germany:

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2024 CB from Green Run:

Hokies in the early top eight for Milton Ferguson

I have expressed some skepticism about how seriously the Hokies should pursue West Liberty cornerback Shon Stephens. He'll be in his seventh year out of high school this Fall, and he only played football at any level in two of the previous six: his second year at Bakersfield Community College way back in 2018, and then at WLU this Fall. While he was a D-2 All-America selection according to the Conference Commissioners' Association this year (he was not picked for the AFCA list, generally considered more well-known), it's a swing on a guy that you're hoping has eligibility remaining when it seems likely that he will not.

He will make it to Blacksburg this weekend, and if all goes well, I would expect him to commit. There are relationships here that work toward the Hokies' favor in landing him over Indiana, the other program that he plans to visit this week. He tried to transfer to Penn State before the 2021 season (he was ultimately ruled ineligible and never suited up for the Nittany Lions) when members of the Hokies' current staff were running the defense there, led by now-Head Hokie Brent Pry. He's also forged a bond with defensive line GA Korey Rush, his primary point of contact in Blacksburg.

In some ways, letting the guy try to transfer in and hoping he ends up getting an eligibility waiver is low-risk: if he doesn't get eligibility, the result is the same as if you'd never pursued him in the first place (he doesn't play for you either way), and if he does get that waiver, you end up with a one-year player who could provide depth without scaring off any of your returning talent. I guess any sort of tarnish to the reputation that could arise in the former situation isn't that big of a turn-off for the staff - unlike the Justin Fuente regime, they don't have a history of weird pursuits that took precedence over more PR-friendly (or simply effective) recruiting strategies.

Stay tuned this weekend, because as I mentioned above, if the Hokies want him, they are well-positioned to pick up a commitment. But even that would not be the end of the saga unless and until a waiver goes through.

Sixth-year DE who was at Texas is first two-plus years:

Hokie opportunity arrives for Utah State transfer Byron Vaughns

In Baltimore St. Frances RB Durell Robinson:


I don't expect serious traction here, but staying on his mind as he approaches a second commitment following his decommitment from BC can help VT remain in the zeitgeist around SFA

Not sure that an offer is forthcoming, but there's at least some interest being shown in a forward for the 2023 group:


(With the way the current group is performing and the fact that it'll help facilitate a redshirt for Patrick Wessler, the staff doesn't have a need to land a guy unless he's one they really want - and at this stage at least, Bowser isn't there yet).

2023 OL from Deep Run High:

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Film:

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Since prospects love nothing more than to force the recruiting industry to work on holidays...

2024 WR Alex Taylor with a top 10 that includes the Hokies:

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Doing volunteer work at a couple homeless communities in Nashville:

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And that's not counting 3 (athletes potential DBs) and 2 transfer WRs. I want more stud DE's and DTs.

but if he can also get the best from NVA and the 757 he will have arrived.