After being very adamant on the heels of a visit to Michigan that he will still be a Hokie, there's a possibility that quarterback Alex Orji may not be as locked in as he seems.
A couple factors to keep in mind here. Orji and his dad, Willy, have both been pretty clear that nothing was going to sway him away from Virginia Tech (and particularly so after the Hokies hired Chris Marve, who recruited Orji's older brothers to play at Vanderbilt). That's remained the case. However, a semi-surprise official to Ann Arbor over the weekend has prospect and parent a little on the quieter side, which can obviously provide queasy feelings.
I've been in touch with our Michigan writers, who have indicated that they aren't getting feedback from the Orjis, either. The old adage applies: hearing nothing on the heels of a visit usually means either very good things for maintaining the status quo (a commitment to VT), or that there's big news coming (that is being kept under wraps until go-time). I would have assumed - have been assuming - the former, but with our Michigan writers reaching out to me for information (which often happens on behalf of the staff at the school you cover), it seems there's legitimate hope in Ann Arbor to execute the flip. Simply put at this stage, I don't know, and am not going to pretend I do.
What I will say is that the other current commits, including those who were shored up this weekend, indicate that Orji is still saying all the right things to them. That could be a kid blowing smoke before "shocking the world" (which seems to be the only goal on the recruiting trail nowadays. Every decision is not a world-shocker, guys!) on Signing Day. It could be one who's being honest with future teammates.
While he didn't have the senior year I expected of him, Orji is still an extremely talented player, and would be a major contributor for basically any Power-5 program with a year or two to develop. Not having a quarterbacks coach at this point may be a negative in selling him on remaining in Orange and Maroon, though.
I'll update the situation as it unfolds.
A couple factors to keep in mind here. Orji and his dad, Willy, have both been pretty clear that nothing was going to sway him away from Virginia Tech (and particularly so after the Hokies hired Chris Marve, who recruited Orji's older brothers to play at Vanderbilt). That's remained the case. However, a semi-surprise official to Ann Arbor over the weekend has prospect and parent a little on the quieter side, which can obviously provide queasy feelings.
I've been in touch with our Michigan writers, who have indicated that they aren't getting feedback from the Orjis, either. The old adage applies: hearing nothing on the heels of a visit usually means either very good things for maintaining the status quo (a commitment to VT), or that there's big news coming (that is being kept under wraps until go-time). I would have assumed - have been assuming - the former, but with our Michigan writers reaching out to me for information (which often happens on behalf of the staff at the school you cover), it seems there's legitimate hope in Ann Arbor to execute the flip. Simply put at this stage, I don't know, and am not going to pretend I do.
What I will say is that the other current commits, including those who were shored up this weekend, indicate that Orji is still saying all the right things to them. That could be a kid blowing smoke before "shocking the world" (which seems to be the only goal on the recruiting trail nowadays. Every decision is not a world-shocker, guys!) on Signing Day. It could be one who's being honest with future teammates.
While he didn't have the senior year I expected of him, Orji is still an extremely talented player, and would be a major contributor for basically any Power-5 program with a year or two to develop. Not having a quarterbacks coach at this point may be a negative in selling him on remaining in Orange and Maroon, though.
I'll update the situation as it unfolds.
