Last night, in-state WR Mekhai White let a couple updates on his recruitment out into the public. The four-star from King George (Va.) plans to enroll early at the school of his choice, will shut down his recruitment in July to mull his options (most of July is a Dead Period anyway, for what it's worth), and announce his decision before his final high school season begins. He is, for the most part, wide open among his suitors at this time, he says.
The 6-3, 174-pounder has his official visit to Blacksburg this weekend. While I noted earlier that his trainer says Maryland and Virginia Tech are the only two under consideration, I'm willing to take White at his word in terms of being wide open (though I would also say that he's open among those in his final eight more so than to any program interested in him). He's slated to visit Blacksburg this weekend, of course, and given the realities of the NCAA recruiting calendar, that means the Hokies get the last crack at him.
Where does this all end up, though? I've been told on multiple occasions that Michigan has been given the impression that it's the team to beat (there's a reason that all four FutureCasts from Rivals staff are in favor of the Maize and Blue, as well). However, I've received similar messages directly from the VT end of things: White has let the Hokies know they're in the driver's seat - and has confirmed to me that he's said it. So, while Michigan may be right at the top of the list, along with the Hokies, reading too much into the offhand statements of a kid who's inclined to tell people what he thinks they want to hear is going one layer too deep. He's certainly an honest kid, so don't construe that as a knock on him, just a note than sometimes kids say things to coaches or reporters, and knowing which statements are going to have sticking power is important - and boosted when you have a strong network of team sites like Rivals.
With that in mind, Michigan already has commitments from receivers Channing Goodwin and I'Marion Stewart, and is in really good position with a number of other pass-catchers from the Carolinas (you surely recognize Goodwin as a onetime VT target - and his friends and teammates from the area like Jordan Shipp and Terrell Anderson are still on the Wolverines' board, to say nothing of guys from around the country). That's not to say if White sits down and calls Michigan to commit they'd turn him down. But certainly you can bet this weekend that the Hokies will push hard on the fact that they need and want him more than a program like Michigan - from the Wolverines' end of things, I'm told that there are questions about where he would fit into the class. Another Hokies selling point is that VT is his best bet to play with friends like Keylen Adams or Chanz Wiggins at the next level.
So with that in mind, the story on White's recruitment has yet to be written, and not only do I think the Wolverines are there in ink, I wouldn't have them as a clear favorite, at least not until after the Hokies have their best chance to make a strong pitch this weekend.
The 6-3, 174-pounder has his official visit to Blacksburg this weekend. While I noted earlier that his trainer says Maryland and Virginia Tech are the only two under consideration, I'm willing to take White at his word in terms of being wide open (though I would also say that he's open among those in his final eight more so than to any program interested in him). He's slated to visit Blacksburg this weekend, of course, and given the realities of the NCAA recruiting calendar, that means the Hokies get the last crack at him.
Where does this all end up, though? I've been told on multiple occasions that Michigan has been given the impression that it's the team to beat (there's a reason that all four FutureCasts from Rivals staff are in favor of the Maize and Blue, as well). However, I've received similar messages directly from the VT end of things: White has let the Hokies know they're in the driver's seat - and has confirmed to me that he's said it. So, while Michigan may be right at the top of the list, along with the Hokies, reading too much into the offhand statements of a kid who's inclined to tell people what he thinks they want to hear is going one layer too deep. He's certainly an honest kid, so don't construe that as a knock on him, just a note than sometimes kids say things to coaches or reporters, and knowing which statements are going to have sticking power is important - and boosted when you have a strong network of team sites like Rivals.
With that in mind, Michigan already has commitments from receivers Channing Goodwin and I'Marion Stewart, and is in really good position with a number of other pass-catchers from the Carolinas (you surely recognize Goodwin as a onetime VT target - and his friends and teammates from the area like Jordan Shipp and Terrell Anderson are still on the Wolverines' board, to say nothing of guys from around the country). That's not to say if White sits down and calls Michigan to commit they'd turn him down. But certainly you can bet this weekend that the Hokies will push hard on the fact that they need and want him more than a program like Michigan - from the Wolverines' end of things, I'm told that there are questions about where he would fit into the class. Another Hokies selling point is that VT is his best bet to play with friends like Keylen Adams or Chanz Wiggins at the next level.
So with that in mind, the story on White's recruitment has yet to be written, and not only do I think the Wolverines are there in ink, I wouldn't have them as a clear favorite, at least not until after the Hokies have their best chance to make a strong pitch this weekend.
