Just a heads up, this came out yesterday, but confirmed through my VT staff sources that Joe Perri, who was a graduate assistant last year, has been moved to defensive quality control coach for the Hokies. Perri played at Pittsburgh, graduating in 2007 and was also a graduate assistant there before arriving at VT.

Guys, I spoke with Indian River (Va.) four-star LB Jaquan Yulee just a little while ago to see what was going on and he said he was ready to release the seven he said are on top (his words exactly).

That seven is, in no order, Alabama, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State, Michigan, Clemson and Virginia Tech.

Of that group, it looks and sounds to me like Alabama is the front-runner. The whole time Yulee and I were on the phone, his dad was in the background yelling, "Roll Tide!" Yulee said his dad will play a factor in his decision, but the biggest factor will be with his grandma. He's making the trip to Alabama with her April 18.

Other than that, the past two weeks, he's visited North Carolina and NC State. One of the few places he said he wants to visit is VT, so there is hope. He's not sure when he'll be visiting, but my guess is he visits for the spring game.

There's no timetable on a decision, but at the latest, he and his dad said he could decide by homecoming. Yulee is holding out hope of making the Under Armour game or another all-star game. If he does, he said he'll announce there.

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.[/B]

Jaquan Yulee profile

Oh well.

Guys, I don't have a ton here, but it's been asked, so I asked a few VT staff sources on what's going on with the morning workouts the Hokies are doing for football.

As a lot of you know, they're at 5:45 am, in Rector Fieldhouse and are closed to the public and media. But these are essentially just drills, sprints and other exercises that last a little over an hour each morning. They entail breaking the team up into groups and moving from station to station for sprints, shuttles, cone drills, etc.

I'm told yesterday, the first day of the workouts, was a struggle. But the players had just gotten back from spring break and I think that was to be expected. They were in a lot more sync today and performed a lot better.

I'm told the guys that have been standing out over just two days are Isaiah Ford, JC Coleman, Ryan Malleck and Kalvin Cline. I don't have any specifics on why they're standing out, but that the staff was simply especially pleased with these guys.

The other one I've specifically heard mentioned is true freshman Xavier Burke, who enrolled in January. My staff sources say he just works so hard. They've especially been impressed with his effort on everything that's been asked of him and the feedback they've gotten from the strength staff.

I'll post any other tidbits when available

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.[/B]

We haven't mentioned this guy a lot because honestly, a lot of it has been under the radar (a la Dwayne Lawson last year), but as first reported by our colleague Jake Reuse at UGASports.com, there's a top five for Grady (Ga.) safety Marlon Character: VT, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Ohio State.

Full story coming, but Character plans to decide sometime this summer. He's ranked No. 195 in the Rivals250.

Marlon Character profile

Oliver ripped apart the NCAA on being able to pay athletes:

Oliver On NCAA

Hey Jason,

Sorry I couldnt figure out how to send you a PM or cancel my service myself. Can you send me a link on how to do this?

Thanks.

Guys, I didn't get a chance to type this up last night, but I spoke to Stafford Senior (Va.) four-star OL Josh Ball. As I mentioned over the weekend, he's essentially the top OL target for VT in the 2016 class.

Ball is now up to 18 offers. VT offered late last summer, when he really started blowing up. I first saw Ball last May at a VTO camp and I don't believe he had any offers at that point, so it's all come pretty fast.

With VT, Ball has visited about three or four times. He was at the UVA game in November and then back for the Feb. 7 junior day. Ball said he loves "the campus and what they're doing with the football program." He's also good friends with and works out with Hokies Rivals250 DT signee Tim Settle, so that also plays a factor.

And this is one that assistant coach Stacy Searels has personally taken over recruiting for months now. Searels has seen him pretty much every opportunity he's gotten and Ball said they talk on Twitter at least once a week. Ball said Searels has told him he's the number one guy on the board for VT.

I do get the sense that Ball is pretty open with his recruitment. This year, he's visited VT, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, NC State and Penn State, so odds are, he will stay regionally to go to school. He is visiting Clemson and South Carolina during his spring break, which is the first full week of April. He'll also be at the Rivals Camp April 11 in Richmond, right after those visits.

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.[/B]

Josh Ball profile

Guys, I spoke earlier with Gilman School (Md.) three-star offensive lineman Stephen Spanellis, just to touch base and get the latest on his recruitment.

Spanellis has held a VT offer for a while. He played two years with sophomore-to-be defensive end Melvin Keihn. Spanellis said they've talked quite a bit, but he made a point to say that wouldn't make or break his decision.

Spanellis was recruited pretty hard by former assistant coach Aaron Moorehead. But since then, Spanellis has been recruited by assistant Stacy Searels and now a bit by Zohn Burden. Spanellis said the coaches have simply told him how much they need offensive linemen and want him to visit.

I get the sense that Spanellis might be focused more on academics than anything else. He just picked up an offer from Yale and the only school he's visited this year is Wake Forest, for junior day. Not coincidentally, he said the Demon Deacons are the ones standing out most. Spanellis, who's on spring break right now, said he's visiting Boston College on Thursday.

Spanellis will be a tough one to land for VT, as I get the sense he'd want more Ivy League offers.

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.[/B]

Stephen Spanellis profile

JS
Give us some news on Hell Week. Who looks good? Who is a surprise - good or bad?
Early enrollees sucking wind? What was their workout today? What's on for tomorrow?
545am workouts don't sound like fun but a good team building exercise I'm sure.
Tell us some stories!!! Don't hold back...


Thanks

Guys, I tweeted it out earlier, but Prince Avenue Christian (Ga.) three-star OL Robert Kraeling told Jake Reuse of our Georgia site, UGASports.com, that he has a top six of VT, Alabama, Auburn, NC State, Duke and Boston College. Kraeling visited Blacksburg last month and is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 32 offensive tackle and No. 37 player in Georgia.

Robert Kraeling profile

Guys, I spoke earlier with Bamberg-Ehrhardt (SC) three-star OL Drew Wilson earlier, to see where he is with his recruitment. VT offered Wilson, Rivals' No. 23 guard and No. 9 player in SC, last summer.

Wilson now has eight offers, most recently from North Carolina. But right now, he says he's wide open. And I think he's genuine with that. He hasn't visited anywhere this year because his father has had issues with his knees. Wilson's dad is having surgery the week after his spring break, so they haven't gone anywhere.

Wilson isn't on the top of VT's list, but he's in the top group. He told me assistant coach Shane Beamer has primarily recruited and talked to him, so that should also tell you something, as Stacy Searels usually handles the OL. But Wilson said he really likes Beamer and that he's checked in regularly with his coach, if it was during a time he couldn't contact Wilson. When they have talked, Wilson said Beamer has talked about how well he explodes with his hips. But as far as VT itself, Wilson has never visited, so he said he doesn't know a whole lot, only that he knows a lot of big players have been Hokies and the academics are good.

Right now, Wilson said he wants to see VT, Clemson, North Carolina, NC State and East Carolina this spring and summer. But again, the timing is a little unpredictable, because Wilson isn't sure how his father's knees will be. And obviously, Wilson doesn't wanna check anywhere out without his dad.

This is a big kid who told me multiple times he loves run-blocking and hitting people and I think he's a prospect who will only get better. But because of his father's health, it might be into next fall at the earliest before Wilson would make any type pf decision.

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.[/B]

Drew Wilson profile

This quote from one of the more comical uva children about the Hokies' sweep in baseball this weekend:

"For anyone whose played baseball, you know that bats can inexplicably go silent. It's too bad they did this weekend against a 3rd rate program, but then again the Mets beat the O's in '69. Baseball makes you shake your head sometimes. With our young bats we will improve over time, but the we play real programs coming up too starting with FSU I believe." ET Bass

Seems to me if you were going to compare your team to a major league team, wouldn't you pick someone other than the O's?

BTW, Bass . . . Occasionally pitchers have something to do with " bats can inexplicably go silent".

Four star DE 2015 signee Trevon Hill tore his ACL in off-season workouts. He's having surgery on it in the coming weeks and is expected to miss/redshirt his freshmen year at Virginia Tech. He was expected to contribute right away.

This post was edited on 3/15 9:07 PM by Max Esterhuizen

Nothing like taking a Hoo to the woodshed....Carry on.

I really like this guy. Max and I talked with Bilas last week at the ACC Tournament. Here's our Q&A, with some interesting answers on Buzz and the Hokies.

Bilas on VT/Buzz

Anyone who views the recruiting rankings on this site has to be confused....... The homepage shows a very small scrolling print of the current projected TOP 25 college football teams...... you call scroll down from #1 to #25........

This top 25 RIVALS listing currently has the following ACC programs ranked in order (top 25).

1- Miami
2 - FSU
7- Clemson
16- Duke
21- Louisville
22- NCST
25- Va Tech

HOWEVER IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE **F U L L ** COMPLETE LISTING OF ALL TEAMS....YOU CLICK ON EXPANDED LISTING.... TO SEE THE FULL TOP 25 TEAMS..PLUS AN EXPANDED LISTING TO SEE ALL D-1 TEAMS....

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE TOP 25 LISTING ABOVE DOES NOT COME ANYWHERE NEAR MATCHING THE SMALLER TOP 25 LISTING - IT SHOWS THE FOLLOWING ACC RANKINGS.

3- FSU
4- CLEMSON
24- VA TECH
26- MIAMI
28- UNC
32- LOUISVILLE
35- NCST
39- GT
44- UVA
47- BC
51- WAKE
62- DUKE

I HAVE NO EXPLANATION OR GUESS AS TO WHY THE WIDE DISPARITY BETWEEN WHAT IS SUPPOSEDLY THE S A M E LISTING.....UNLESS THE FLUIDITY OF RECRUITING COMMITMENTS & DE-COMMITMENTS IS TOO VIOLATILE
I CERTAINLY WISH OUR RANKING WAS HIGHER ------ WHICH IT WAS .....UNTIL THE GEORGIA QB RECRUIT (LOGAN) WITHDREW HIS COMMITMENT........ BEFORE HIS DECOMMITMENT.......VA TECH WAS #17......AFTER HIS DECOMMITMENT WE DROPPED TO # 24...

THE BEST THING OF BOTH LISTINGS IS THAT VT REMAINS FAR AHEAD OF UVA.......AT LEAST IN THIS POLL

Virginia Tech swept #1 ranked UVA for the first time since 1987 on a go-ahead HR in the bottom of the 8th to win 6-5. The Hokies seem to have righted their season with the sweep of UVA.

This post was edited on 3/15 3:36 PM by Max Esterhuizen

Hokies win again today over Hoos and thus win series. Go for sweep tomorrow. Hopefully this will get them started playing the kind of baseball they are capable of for the rest of the season. Great win.

I can't believe I'm getting excited about the Buffalo Bills. I just spoke with Rex Ryan in person about a month ago on business and I was drifting off thinking to myself as he spoke about the current weather in Buffalo, wondering what he was going to do for a qb so I asked him. He responded with laughter and danced around the question but came off as if he had a plan.. Never saw this coming but man is this the perfect fit for TT. He's got offensive firepower and the d was really good pre-Ryan so it should be even better. Got to pull for TT, so count me as a Bills fan now.

VT Baseball huge win over #1 Virginia 2-1. Congrats Hokies!

Rough day everywhere for Hoo crowd.

Guys, I spoke earlier with Trinity Christian (Fla.) three-star running back Jalin Buie. As you all know, Trinity Christian has been a big target for VT over the past few years, especially since Isaiah Ford signed on in the 2014 class.

Buie has had an offer for a while, but it looks like the Hokies have cooled on him, even more than I realized. Buie said he still talks regularly with Ford, which is why he still has interest. But Buie is still behind three-star CJ Freeman on VT's board. Buie said he's talked a few times with assistant coach Charley Wiles, who has told him the Hokies might not take a running back. For now, though, it appears they will take one. But Buie has work to do to move up the board.

Right now, Buie said the two schools standing out the most are South Florida and South Carolina. Buie said he's spoken to both coaches regularly and the Gamecocks were his first offer.

The other thing with Buie is he's coming off a partially torn left ACL. He played in six games before ending his season to have surgery. Buie told me he's running normally, but still hasn't cut on it yet.

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.[/B]

Jalin Buie profile

Those familiar with the main street upscale mini shopping plaza & eateries will soon welcome Frank Theatre IMAX Cinebowl entertainment complex --within few weeks - giving visiting fans more reason to come early & stay longer....
while shopping mall area has had ups & downs......it is anticipated that this IMAX eatery complex adjacent to the mall could reinvigorate shopping & growth to the region........

North Carolina has had numerous IMax theatre complexes for years....(author of this post) has driven to Winston-Salem,
Gboro, Raleigh Durham.......while Rke Lburg & sw western va has been stuck in stone ages---- cville, richmond tidewater have had similar facilities for years

WELCOME FRANCK CINEBOW L!!!!!

Guys, I've confirmed through VT staff sources that three OL have been identified as the top targets on the board for 2016. I just had an update on one of them in a separate post, but those three are:

Stafford (Va.) four-star Josh Ball
South Caldwell (NC) three-star Landon Dickerson
Nansemond River (Va.) three-star Thomas Jarrett Hopple

I'll have updates on the other two as well as soon as possible, but these are the three to really keep an eye on in the 2016 class.

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.[/B]