Guys, Kelly and I are hunkered down in the lobby of our hotel right now before making the trek back to V-A. She'll add some more notes as well, but wanted to pass along a few tidbits now that the weekend is over.

The big news happened earlier this morning. Not sure if it's really out there much (I noticed he hasn't tweeted), but Indian River (Va.) LB Jaquan Yulee told us his top two are Alabama and Virginia Tech. He's making his announcement on Monday at his school. I know he tweeted out he's gonna "shock the world", but I'll still be surprised if he doesn't pick the Tide. The Hokies have done a very impressive job of staying in this one until the very end. Over the past few months, I've been saying Alabama is everything but a sure bet for his commitment. But Virginia Tech has made this interesting. He was actually probably more pro VT this weekend than when I've talked to him before. Odds are still overwhelmingly for Alabama, but we'll see.
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I'll start more recently here, since we just finished up the Quarterback Challenge today, but there's been some chatter with Spring Hill (Tenn.) four-star QB Tylin Oden and Virginia Tech. Oden committed to Louisville last month. He told me that offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler has been in contact with him multiple times over the past few weeks. Oden through a very good ball today and while he's skinny as a rail, he has a good frame and has a strong arm. But Oden told me that he has no plans to visit Blacksburg and considers himself solid with the Cardinals. I'd still at least keep an eye out here, though.

The other QB we watched was Oscar Smith (Va.) three-star Shon Mitchell. He had an extremely strong showing at our Atlanta camp to earn an invitation to the Rivals Quarterback Challenge. And while he looked ok yesterday, he struggled quite a bit today. He has flashes, but when he's off, he's really off. And today, he was really off, finishing with a negative score (based on hitting target, close to target and negatives for bad misses). VT offered last fall and the only other offers came just recently from Wake Forest and Charlotte. Good basis here, though and you can tell he'll grow plenty more. He likes the Hokies most right now, though a lot can happen in the next year, when he likely decides.

VT has made HUGE strides in Pennsylvania and more than I realized until I got to Baltimore. Rivals100 RB Miles Sanders, who committed to Penn State last summer, said he'll most likely take official visits to Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech this fall. He still made it very clear that he's committed to the Nittany Lions. And it sounds like the Panthers have the edge if he were to decommit. But with Sanders liking the Hokies and not visiting yet, that's huge. You never know, if he does visit.

The other guy I hadn't heard mentioned with VT much is 2017 four-star DB Lamont Wade. He has a very strong interest in the Hokies and says he's visiting soon, though no visit is set yet. He won't camp this summer, but could visit for the camp in July. Ohio State and Pittsburgh look like the favorites here, but assistant coach Torrian Gray is really keeping his interest and if he visits, the chances should go up. Penn State and West Virginia are also worth watching here.

Finally, the other guy to really take note of is American Heritage (Fla.) WR Dredrick Snelson. A one-time Miami commit, Snelson keeps saying he's opened things up and now has a top five of Miami, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Florida State, and UCF. But honestly, Snelson has been all over the place. There's been mention of a lot of other schools, like Notre Dame, Ohio State and others, so it's tough to cut through what's legit and not in some ways. The Hokies are hanging around as a darkhorse for sure. But right now, it's not clear if he'll even visit or not.

LOTS more updates coming, including stories and video as Kelly interviewed just about every VT target present this weekend.

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The top recruit in the country right now is Dexter Lawrence. I had an opportunity to interview him; he was so nice and seemed very humble and grateful to be number one. That interview will be posted soon.

At the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour, he has been a shining star so far. He is performing extremely well, bringing his A-game. Jason will have footage and photos to come!

I think he could hold on to the number one ranking, but I wanted to get y'alls opinion. Who do you think could take over his spot? Do you think Virginia Tech has a chance? Let me know what you're thinking!

Have not heard nothing on a few months now.

I say no way possible if our much-improved O stays predictable.

I don't care how well our Oline is playing, if we always run on 1st & 2nd down, then throw on 3rd, the D knows when to send more bodies than we can block.

And, except for rare occasions, I didn't see a 3rd down play call, like a screen pass, or a draw play, to counter the rush on 3rd.

The only game I can recall when we were predictable and won, was the OSU game last year we pulled out on all those 3rd and longs with super plays.

Just saying.

GREAT promo we're running right now, that ends at 11:59 tonight. So take advantage soon!:

https://n.rivals.com/users/sign_up

LOTS of great tidbits on the Hokies in Baltimore. And some surprises, too, like Miles Sanders showing even more interest in taking a visit to Virginia Tech:

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1772348

http://www.landgrantholyland.com/20...ate-news-recruiting-urban-meyer-burrell-byars


What the hell is he trying to say? We didn't win with class so he chose Ohio State.

The just announced winner, Jenner, is indicative of an abject failure of society and redefinition of English terms. Courage is when our brave solders barge into buildings in foreign lands rooting out delusional psycopaths trying to kill them in the name of some pathetic idea of god. Courage is defined daily by our uniformed police officers patroling hostile inner cities and maintaining good order and safety for ALL citizens - but especially the disadvantaged poor who have no one on their side lending protection. Courage overflowed in Lauren Hill who though battling terminal cancer, raised over $1M for research to help those other than herself.
So Jenner, the narcissistic sociopath gets this year's award - how sweet and fitting.

To make the Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour even bigger, four-star OL Josh Ball tweeted this last night:

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So even though Seth blew it and Weaver was horrendous, I am rooting for Golden State. I remember when they didn't offer Stephen. NEVER thought he would be MVP but VT has always been family. Despite past mistakes, a Curry is still one of us. I wanted him to be a Hokie way back when. Water under a bad bridge.

Best of luck to the Curry fam. Go Hokies!

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ECU is restoring Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge found in 1996 where it sunk off the coast of Beaufort, NC in 1718. The ship was originally an English frigate captured by UVA (the french) and then captured again by the pirate Captain Ben Hornigold. Captain Ben gave her to Blackbeard and he upgraded her with a lot of firepower to pillage the seas. How many cannons did she display?



This contest is for 1 pt 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.

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

based upon latest recruit Josh Ball posting on this site........evidently wants to get lost in mountains of WV

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...th-carolina-tar-heels-five-serious-violations

These include LOIC.

Thoughts?

Finally!!

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/ncaa-finds-lack-of-institutional-control-at-unc/14689222/

Guys, I missed this while I was driving to Baltimore, but big offer for VT commit Troy Pride:

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New rankings have been released for positions: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1771627

Any thoughts on the VT targets?

Continuing our 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:
OL Noah DeHond (transferred to Peddie School, NJ), three stars -- Searels
WR Tarik Black, Cheshire Academy (Conn.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Stinespring
LB Avery Roberts, Concord (Del.), four stars (2017) -- Brown

Top targets:
OL Lucas Niang, New Canaan (Conn.), three stars, No. 57 OT, No. 4 in CT -- Searels
OL Malcolm Pridgeon, Nassau CC (NY) -- Searels
OL Charles Baldwin, ASA College (NY) -- Searels
WR Tarik Black, Cheshire Academy (Conn.), four stars, Rivals100 to watch for 2017 -- Stinespring

Recent Rivals Stories On VT FL Targets:
DeHond from PantherLair.com, May 28: https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1769782
DeHond from BadgerBlitz.com, May 26: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1769380
Pridgeon from HuskerOnline.com, May 20: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1767810
Niang from ScarletNation.com, April 29: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1761964
Baldwin from TideSports.com, April 28: http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1761325

Overview:
There's not a ton of talent in the northeast, but for the talent there, the Hokies are keeping a presence. And all of the top targets are on the offensive line. At the top of the list is Niang. He's yet to visit, but assistant coach Stacy Searels has visited this spring and remains in touch. He's made a few visits this spring, including Rutgers and UCONN, but has been very quiet for the most part about his recruitment. There are a few others ahead of him on VT's board, but it's likely the Hokies would accept a commitment if he wanted to. Niang appears open, though and while he wants to take more visits, hasn't given any details on any definites.

The other two to watch are Pridgeon and Baldwin. Searels visited both this spring and both have conveyed their interest in VT, even though they haven't mentioned publicly. Baldwin had a top two of Alabama and Ole Miss in April and is following up by visiting the Tide today. Michigan State and Oklahoma are also in good position, so the odds look slim for the Hokies. With Pridgeon, offers continue to come in, including from Baylor on Monday and Kentucky a few weeks ago. Still no luck on getting either to visit and while Pridgeon is still a bit more open, they'll have to visit for VT to have any chance.

We've included DeHond on this list because he transferred to Peddie School (NJ) after our New Jersey update. It's still very early there, but Searels did visit him last month. DeHond just visited Pittsburgh, his most recent offer, along with Alabama and Wisconsin. Yet another prospect who hasn't visited Blacksburg and will need to for the Hokies to be legitimate contenders.

For 2017, VT has offers to two big-timers in Black and Roberts. Black will be one of the top receivers in the class and has been a bit quiet of late, but is still very much open, as is Roberts. But Roberts has been a bit more active with visits, to Nebraska, South Carolina and Rutgers this spring.

The one to watch who hasn't been offered yet is Andover (Mass.) three-star tight end Alex Marshall. He was already one of the top players in the region, but has reclassified to the 2017 class and could now really see his recruitment take off. Assistant coach Bryan Stinespring visited a few weeks ago at the end of the spring evaluation period, just before he reclassed. The Hokies are definitely keeping an eye on him.

Rivals national team analysis:
"Virginia Tech has made some strides in the New England area, but there aren't a lot of prospects up there that deserve a lot of attention. The big one that Virginia Tech is on right now is Lucas Niang. He's got a long offer sheet and looks like he might even be a little bit underrated. His offer sheet includes Auburn and TCU, but Virginia Tech has been touch. It's difficult for Niang to get out on the road a lot because he's so far away from schools. We'll see him take visits this off-season, but he's the big one for 2016.

Noah DeHond is an offensive lineman from New York, who has transferred to Peddie School in New Jersey. He has a Virginia Tech offer, but his offer sheet looks like it will be growing pretty quickly. Alabama is one of his most recent offers and there are a slew of others interested. He's also reclassified to 2017, so that should help his recruitment more.

Also in 2017, Tarik Black is a big-time player in the Rivals100. He's going to have a long offer sheet and already does. Look for him to get out on the road and take a lot of visits. He had a great camp at our New Jersey Rivals Camp, one of the top wide receivers, when there was a deep group there.

There's a few others in the Brooklyn area, like Romello Martin, a defensive lineman from Lincoln in 2017. He'll get a lot of interest and be a national guy. In 2018, there's a big-time guy at Erasmus Hall (NY), Matthew Jones. He'll be a national guy and Virginia Tech has stopped in to see him at his school. They've got some eyeballs on him, some good reviews from the coaching staff and his film is good for a freshman. So look for Virginia Tech to offer. Alex Marshall will also benefit from his extra year and will be one of the best tight ends in the 2017 class. We just need to see how he develops."

-- Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman

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I remember people were super high on this kid before he arrived...never really seemed to develop at VT though. Dakota Jackson is also gone.

We need something great to happen!!!!! Go Hokies !!!!!!

This link was passed on to me, but thought you all might want to see it as well. Full presentation Whit Babcock and members of the VT athletics Dept gave to the Board of Visitors yesterday in pdf form:

http://www.bov.vt.edu/documents/Ope...airs_and_Athletics_open_session_materials.pdf

This was also presented to the BOV by Tim Sands on Sunday: http://www.bov.vt.edu/documents/Open_Session_Materials/Information_Session_materials.pdf

Guys, I spoke earlier with St. Joseph's (NJ) three-star guard Breein Tyree, who has had a VT offer since last summer. Overall, he now has 15 offers. He said he can't keep up with most of them, but the ones he rattled off were USC, Kansas State, Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa State, Creighton, St Joe’s, LaSalle and Virginia Tech.

Tyree said he still receives a lot of letters from the Hokies, but hasn't actually spoken to anyone for a while. He still has interest and said he hopes to get back in touch with them soon. He's spoken to assistants Isaac Chew and Jamie McNeillly, but it's been a few months. So Tyree said he's not sure where he stands.

But even if VT does get back into it, the school they're gonna have to beat out is USC. He told me multiple coaches visited him in school and he appreciates that they flew across the country to see him. Tyree is headed out to Los Angeles for another visit June 20. The school behind the Trojans right now is Kansas State, where he plans on visiting this fall.

I'll see Tyree in a few weeks at the NBAPA Top 100 camp and it sounds like VT will get back in touch soon. But it also sounds like they've moved on to others, especially since Tyree is favoring USC so much.

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Includes VT for Rivals250 safety Damar Hamlin:

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Just a heads up that Kelly and I made it to Baltimore for the Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour. Media day kicks off Friday but we'll be meeting with other members of the Rivals team tomorrow for our annual conference.

TONS of coverage on the Challenge coming!

Guys, I spoke a little while ago with Norcross (Ga.) 2017 four-star linebacker Robert Beal, whom VT offered early last month. Beal said he now has 20 offers, with only Pittsburgh offering since the Hokies.

Still early here, as Beal said the only three schools he's visited so far have been Notre Dame, Florida State and Georgia. He told me the latter two stand out a bit now, but "because I've been there." With the Noles and Bulldogs, Beal said he liked the coaches and the academics.

Assistant coach Stacy Searels is the one recruiting Beal for the Hokies and who made the offer. Beal said Searels visited him during the open period, but basically the two have just been introduced, because of NCAA rules. Still, Beal said he is interested.

But VT will have to catch up to FSU and Georgia, especially the latter, right now. Beal is actually visiting Georgia on Wednesday and North Carolina Saturday. He said he's also working on plans to visit Clemson, but that's all for now. The Hokies are trying to get him up to camp this summer, in July and that would give us a much better indication of if VT will be a player here. But again, still early.

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.

Kelly and I are in Baltimore and at 12:30 pm Friday, we'll get you ready for the Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by Under Armour. Media day is Friday, while the camp gets going on Saturday. But as always, we'll answer any questions with VT recruiting, basketball, football and anything else Hokies. Come take advantage of and get the very most out of your subscriptions and join us for the chat!

And if you can't make the chat, don't worry. The chat is the best way to get real-time answers, but you can always post something on The Gobbler or email me directly at jason.stamm@rocketmail.com.

Chat link: http://bit.ly/1H22HI1