What is the latest on Mike Arnold and Tyrell Smith? Should we expect them to come next year or have they gone in another direction?

Check out my Multimedia Primer for this week. You could literally spend a good hour or two watching VT/Miami highlights/memories.

https://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1814551

Smart and Herman are both on their short list. On a shocking note, so is Shane Beamer. There is no way we are lucky enough that they hire Beamer or anyone else and Herman is still available when we finally have a vacancy. If Beamer sticks around for next season the search will have to start over because Smart and Herman will be gone.

If they hire Shane and he proves himself in the SEC then bring him home. I just don't see him beating out Herman or Smart for the position.

Full story coming, but 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.

Guys, I spoke earlier with Riverbend (Va.) 2017 four-star DE Tyjuan Garbutt, No. 171 in the Rivals250. Garbutt is a kid I had heard of last season but who I first saw in June at VT's camp.

Garbutt said he's up to 14 offers, most recently from Kentucky, Wake Forest and East Carolina. The Hokies were the third to offer him, but he said the first to recruit him. Pittsburgh was first to offer earlier this year, then Virginia, then VT.

Garbutt visited for junior day back in February with his teammate, OL Zach Adams. Garbutt then visited again for the camp and was back for the Ohio State game last month. That was the first game he'd taken in at VT and Garbutt said he loved the experience. He also thought the game would have been different if Michael Brewer hadn't gotten hurt and also attributed that to the struggles this season. But Garbutt called the Hokies one of the teams he's always looked at.

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster has been the primary recruiter here, one of the few he's personally seen to recruiting. Garbutt said he was the first coach to show interest and start recruiting him. Foster told him that VT graduates its players and that he sees Garbutt having a bright future beyond college.

I asked Garbutt if there was anything, not necessarily a school, but anything in his recruitment that stood out. He said Pittsburgh and how he believes Pat Narduzzi has completely changed the program. Garbutt also mentioned Michigan State a few times. This weekend, Garbutt is going to Wake Forest for an unofficial visit. He was going to be at Pittsburgh last weekend, but because of the weather, his game got over late and he said he got home well after 2, so they didn't go.

Long way to go here, but I can also say I've met one of his coaches who is a huge VT guy. So Pittsburgh and UVA are also two to watch, but for the moment, the Hokies are in good shape.

Aside from throwing at him more, of course, what should CSL do? Maybe also aside from the RZ lob over a 5'11" CB, how should Loeffler create preferred match-ups? Best moments and ways to leverage a kid who seems (to me) to be a unique, dangerous and underutilized weapon.

Guess I figured BH would play a more prominent role, though in fairness, I don't know what defenses have done (if anything) to take him away.

Full story coming, but 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.

Guys, I talked earlier with 2017 four-star center Dajour Dickens, who's No. 91 in the Rivals150. He played the last two seasons at Bethel (Va.), but is now at Miller School (Va.).

Dickens said he has 15 offers, most recently from Clemson, Texas, VCU and Central Florida. He's been one of Virginia Tech's top targets for quite a while now. And he was on hand for the Hokies' football season-opener against Ohio State. When I asked who is standing out right now, Dickens said VT, Maryland and Creighton. But I get the sense that the Hokies are in good position only for now. When I asked about his visit to VT, Dickens said, "VT’s campus is ok. Im not crazy about it, but it’s ok."

The good thing is that assistant coach Isaac Chew has made a good impression on Dickens. He said Chew is "laid back and chill." But Maryland is the one that really has his attention.

Dickens is visiting the Terps this weekend for midnight madness and is very, very pumped about going. It's his first visit there. He likes the coaches and he went on and on about the jerseys. Dickens said he wants to see the arena, facilities and campus. The other school to keep an eye on is Creighton. That's the outsider right now, but he's listening. So this weekend's visit could go a long way in shaping where Dickens' recruitment goes next. But for right now, VT has a slim lead, followed by Maryland and Creighton.

Guys, today, VT offered South Gwinnett (Ga.) three-star LB Malik Robinson. Recruited by assistant coach Torrian Gray:
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scUM, as always, loaded with athletes but short on sideline ability (jmo)

What does Bud most need his kids to accomplish in order to win?

Kaaya and crew lit FSU up but fell short due to fsu's stud RB (can't think if the kid's name).

The ball will be in the air a good bit, imo. No way they run wild like they did last year. They'll have to throw. More importantly, they want to throw.

Hit the QB. Get their O off the field.

Guys, second part of our basketball preview with a story and video interviews from VT players this week: Seth Allen, Devin Wilson, Justin Bibbs and Ahmed Hill: http://rvls.co/1VSnwsU

I caught up with DE Zack Gilbert the other day. He says Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech are tied at the top but everything I've heard says he's going to end up at Pitt. He has an official visit scheduled to Virginia Tech on October 23 and will announce a commitment at the end of November.

Video: The latest w/ DE Gilbert

Our last target board update was Aug. 22, so I'm a little behind. A few targets have committed elsewhere, but Virginia Tech is still in great shape with a number of top players. Here's the latest on where the Hokies stand.

COMMITMENTS ELSEWHERE: RB Elijah Holyfield (Georgia), WR Ahmir Mitchell (Michigan), WR Ian Boyd (George Mason basketball), TE Naseir Upshur (Florida State), TE Garrett Walston (North Carolina), OL Pete Leota (South Carolina), CB Therran Coleman (Pittsburgh), Safety Eric Burrell (Wisconsin), Safety Keyvone Bruton (Temple), ATH Steven Smothers (West Virginia).

New offers by VT: DE Antonneous Clayton

VT COMMITMENTS: CB Khalil Ladler.

VT DECOMMITMENTS: None

DECOMMITMENTS ELSEWHERE: DT Jarrod Hewitt (Rutgers), TE Garrett Walston (Georgia)

RISERS: DT Jarrod Hewitt, who decommitted from Rutgers last month. Even before then, Hewitt had stayed in touch with assistant coach Charley Wiles. Then, Hewitt officially visited the Hokies this past weekend. He's told HokieHaven.com via text since then that he enjoyed his visit and that Virginia Tech is under strong consideration. Was a possible commitment on his visit, so Hokies feel like they're very close.

TE Jovani Haskins, who told Rivals.com Sept. 13 that Virginia Tech is his leader. He still has a top four of VT, Rutgers, Miami and West Virginia. Haskins officially visited the Hokies Sept. 7 for the Ohio State game and said he loved the visit. He plays mostly Saturday games, however, which has made visiting other schools right now very difficult. He'll try to visit Rutgers and at least one of the other two after his season concludes.

DE Patrick Jones, who told HokieHaven.com Sept. 23 that VT, California, NC State and Duke are standing out most. He unofficially visited the Hokies for their season-opener against Ohio State and had planned an official visit Oct. 3 for the Pittsburgh game, but flooding and severe weather forced him to cancel. Possible visitor for either of VT's last two home games, Oct. 23 and Nov. 21. He hopes to decide sometime next month.

LB Jaquan Yulee, who told HokieHaven.com Sept. 28 that he's still committed to Alabama, but open to Virginia Tech. He visited unofficially in July and again for the Hokies' game against Ohio State. He's mentioned wanting to take multiple official visits, but hasn't listed any definite places he'll visit besides Alabama and VT.

DE Nick Coe, who was on hand for Virginia Tech's game against Pittsburgh Oct. 3 unofficially. Coe told HokieHaven.com Oct. 7 that the only three really in play are VT, Auburn and Florida State. He has officials set to FSU Oct. 30, Auburn Nov. 27 and VT Jan. 22. Coe said he'll decide after that last visit, so the Hokies will get the last shot at him.

ATH Khaleke Hudson, who tweeted last week that he plans to take an official visit to VT Oct. 23. The odds are still slim, but Hudson is still keeping in contact. Penn State was on hand recently for one of his games and could be the front-runner at this point.

LB Keith Simms, who has an official visit planned for Oct. 23 to VT. He just officially visited Oregon this past weekend and also will visit Maryland Dec. 4. The Hokies are a long shot, but if he does follow through on his planned visit, they're at least in the running.


FALLERS: WR Grant Holloway, who cancelled an official visit he had set to VT for Oct. 3. Holloway officially visited Florida Sept. 26 and received an opportunity to walk on for football. The Gators are his dream school and are the clear front-runner. He also officially visited Georgia and hasn't rescheduled with the Hokies.

OL Landon Dickerson, who told Rivals.com Oct. 7 that he doesn't like the uncertainty at VT, mostly with the coaching staff. Dickerson unofficially visited the Hokies for the season-opener against Ohio State, but seemed to be looking for things not to like. He officially visited Florida State, which looks like the front-runner, last weekend.

OL Tremayne Anchrum, who told TigerIllustrated.com Oct. 12 that he's still considering Clemson, Boston College, Colorado and Nebraska. He officially visited the latter two last month. Anchrum was a late offer by the Hokies and it looks like they were too late to the mix.

DE Jaquan Bailey, who looked very high on VT for most of the latter part of the summer, but who has tailed off. Bailey has been committed to Florida since March and it looks like he'll stay put.

OL Johncarlo Valentin, who has had little to no mention of VT since visiting during the summer for camp. Valentin officially visited Oklahoma and Arizona State last month. He told ASUDevils.com Sept. 20 that he has no favorites.

NOTE: Also keep in mind that any prospects who are not listed as risers or fallers have not had their odds changed.

Click HERE for the full target board

Guys, I'm traveling to south Florida on Friday, so we'll be holding this week's chat at 3 pm tomorrow (Thursday), to get you all caught up on everything. Come take advantage of and get the very most out of your subscriptions and come chat with us! If you can't make it, you can always post a question here, email me or check out the replay afterward.

Chat link: http://bit.ly/1X3BzhJ

#66 Offense
379 yards per game
206.5 passing per game
172 rushing per game
31 points per game

#65 Defense
341 yards per game
150 passing per game
190 rushing per game
22.3 points given up per game

Special Teams
We are tied for 13th in America in blocked punts and blocked kicks.
Punt return D is tied for 43rd.
Kick return D is tied for 39th.
We are 26th in Kickoff returns.
Scoring Offense-57 (scoring O is total points scored by the O, the D, and special teams)

Defense
Defensive Touchdowns scored- 12th
Total Defense is 39th
We are 15th in fumbles recovered.
Rush D is 96th
Opponents Yards Per play-80th
Pass D is 11th
Sacks-43rd
Tackles for loss-30th
First Downs Allowed-33rd
Scoring Offense-57 (Scoring O is total points scored by the O, the D, and special teams)

Offense
Total O-88th
Yards Per Play-104th
Passing Offense-86th
Passing Efficiency-55th
Rushing Offense-68th
Sacks Allowed-89th
Tackles for Loss Allowed-71st
First Downs Gained-65th
Scoring Offense-57 (scoring O is total points scored by the O, the D, and special teams)

Thought I posted this yesterday, but about 30 minutes of Buzz looking forward to the season. I focused more ont he culture aspect of the Hokies and an addition of size: http://rvls.co/1VOYFLT

Guys, the second installment of Derrick Hopkins' weekly thoughts on VT: http://rvls.co/1LLPZBg

As I posted early in the week, I expected you to beat a nc state team that feasted on the easiest schedule in the nation, but your staff deserves credit for changing some things up on offense.

ncstatedave is now 3-15 in ACC play

Enjoy, you guys looked good tonight on national TV

We finally broke one with the jet sweep, but against better defenses it's still a bust. If it were thrown in sporadically there might be more success, but the amount that Loeffler features it, teams are looking for it and there's no chance. I still would like to see the OL have a chance to block for more straight ahead running plays and see what they can do. We will see how much improved they are Sat. against a good DL.

The young DB's have been impressive. I imagine they will struggle some against Miami, though, and other more talented WR groups than NC State has. More out of inexperience than lack of talent. With Edmunds, Mook , and Alexander, the future of DBU looks to be in good hands. If Kendall and Facyson are both back next year, and the young guys getting real experience this year, we will once again have one of the best D-backfields in the nation.

Guys, I posted this earlier this afternoon, but if you missed it, here's Frank Beamer at his press conference today on facing the Canes: http://rvls.co/1K4Rz9L

He protected the ball and gave it all he had. Can't deny his heart after playing beat up in the second half.

Guy is talented. He has great anticipation and is a great tackler. Future leader for this d.

I spoke to 2017 Rivals100 RB Khalan Laborn today to recap his visit to Florida State last night. He told me he is planning to be at the Alabama game against LSU and is in the process of setting up visits to Ohio State and Virginia Tech.

I am kind of surprised but I did notice some changes.. 1. the RB rotation was what it should be.. #34 until he taps his helmet. Shane Beamer was over coaching so bad that it was killing our run game, he has done this since he took over. I still really hate the design of our running plays.. It would be nice to be able to line up and run north south.. not number to number. If we could have some kind of middle run game then that side to side play would work better as a surprise off schedule play... just me.. 2. IMO Motley is better than Brewer.. I know I am the only one on this board to think so. I also know Motley had a bad game last week. But the way our Offense is set up Motley looks WAAAAY better than Brewer did in it. I know brewer had a good half against Ohio State but I can also remember when Brewer lost us a few games last year too. 3. Our D looked pretty good! Dadi worries me a little. He has had a tackling problem his whole career. He had A LOT of hype this off season and he still gets to the QB quickly but its like he expects the QB to just fall over..

But this was a great much needed we are still alive in the coastal I will be a UVA fan on a rare occasion tomorrow.

Small consolation for the frustration we feel, but historically many of the prominent, biggest name football programs have experienced a decline into mediocrity. Football runs in cycles and no one sustains a high level of success forever. We had a nice 20 or so year run of annual relevance, national rankings, etc.. I hate to see it end...for a fourth year in a row. If we're truly an established brand in college football circles then we should be able to return to a high level at some point in the fairly near future. All the other "major" name brand programs were able to do so in usually no more than about 5 years.

But think about it and take some solace in the fact that all the following programs have had downturns of various lengths just in the last 20 years...Miami, FSU,Penn State,Nebraska,Michigan,Texas,Oklahoma,USC,UCLA,Washington,Colorado,Bama,Tennessee,Auburn, TAMU,Florida, Notre Dame, and others.

Nothing lasts forever. It's our turn to struggle and have to climb back into the national picture. I hope it doesn't take 20 years.