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Signing day

hokieinc-ville

New Recruit
Jul 17, 2009
138
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Overall a very good class but disappointing that we didn't land any guys today that were on the fence. Can't see how we could lose Becton to Louisville of all places. We're back in the top 25 but we need to be in the top 15 or better if we want to win the ACC. We are losing too many kids to out of state schools who will end up disappointed that they made a bad choice because they listened to some slick recruiter's hype.
Fuentes did well for his first full year on the recruiting trail and hopefully next year he'll bring home more in-state kids once he builds relationships with coaches in Tidewater, Richmond, Northern Va and D.C.
 
How in the world does Maryland out recruit VT? They sucked this year and VT had a lot of success....just doesn't make sense.
 
I think some schools do not recruit by the rules. Anyone picking Louisville over VT, should be investigated by NCAA.
(I guess sex parties in Louisville are appealing to some)
 
Durkin is from The Urban Myer school of doing whatever it takes.

The Becton deal is curious. The Hoo's thought they had him on board until the Hokies made a late push. Michigan was also some where in the picture. Then Louisville comes out of left field and sign the kid. Their facilities, their academics, the character of their coaching staff can't compare with the first three. Heck, Bronco was supposedly in the kids living room on Tuesday giving him hats and stuff. Doesn't sound right that he would suddenly choose a team that gave up at the end of the year. Just sayin.
 
He thought he was better than VT, period . And if you want VT to start getting these top 15 or lower classes, then fill up the bags, Girls, Cars and get these High School coaches some Nice Hidden Gifts. And Don't forget Mom and Dad. You have any idea what four sets of MBB season tickets are worth at Louisville say for 4 years. How About unCheats MBB season tickets for 4 years. Just a few things that you can Sell and Never leave a Trail.. Things that happen and VT doesn't do .. I'll stick with the good guys !
 
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It would be good just to see what all takes place at Louisville. They are lower than a snake in the grass. It just feels like a dirty place every time I drive thru there on I 64.
 
With regards to losing the kid to Maryland....evidently we recruited him as a DB and UMD offered him a chance to play WR...he wants to play WR.
 
Never understood any young man choosing Maryland.....what a crap hole of a place.

It really is. I went to grad school there for a week, and thought , w.t.f., I've got to get out of here. So I did. One of the few good moves that I made when I was 22.
Can't imagine how they can recruit anybody
 
How in the world does Maryland out recruit VT? They sucked this year and VT had a lot of success....just doesn't make sense.
I asked the same question last night on a different thread. Then it hit me.....Maryland's recruiting coordinator is .......... London. All the years he spent at UVA, he built relationship with the coaches in 757 area, and is now using that to channel the recruits to Maryland. We all knew he could not coach to save his life, but was an excellent recruiter. So that is the reason for their surge in recruiting. I give credit to Durkin for realizing London's value as a recruiter and getting him on his staff.
 
Our new coach earned a rebuilding year already and this year may well be one. But this class has a lot of play makers in it and after this year look out.
 
On WRs and DBs, always give them some option to sign as WRs. Then if they can't run routes or catch the ball, move them to DB.
 
I asked the same question last night on a different thread. Then it hit me.....Maryland's recruiting coordinator is .......... London. All the years he spent at UVA, he built relationship with the coaches in 757 area, and is now using that to channel the recruits to Maryland. We all knew he could not coach to save his life, but was an excellent recruiter. So that is the reason for their surge in recruiting. I give credit to Durkin for realizing London's value as a recruiter and getting him on his staff.
I would agree but London has moved on and is the head coach at Howard....
 
The year was 2011. We had a 3star top25 duel threat QB from Ocean Lakes named Lafonte Thourogood who had given a verbal to VT. On signing day, Chris Beatty flipped him to Vanderbilt where he was coaching at the time. Of course Beatty bolted later and Thourogood was switched from QB to RB, never seen the field and later transfered to James Madison to play QB.
Hes always been a thorn in VTs recruiting side from the time he was at WVU up until now. Im not sure what his selling point is but two things Ive noticed about Beatty, he doesnt stay anywhere very long and the players he get dont usually pan out.
Looks like hes got a Bishop Sullivan to Maryland pipeline started. 247 credited him with the Gaddys recruitment and the Capehart flip. Not sure If its related or not but the lone 2019 commit VT had from Bishop Sullivan decommited later the same day that Capehart flipped.
247 did credit London with the recruitment of Tyran Hunt.
 
London was overrated as a recruiter at UVA. Sure he pulled a few 5 star recruits, but not near enough good recruits overall to even field a winning program in the Coastal division of the ACC.
 
Evidently there is more to the TC situation...hopefully we didn't burn any bridges...a lot of good kids come out of there.
 
London was overrated as a recruiter at UVA. Sure he pulled a few 5 star recruits, but not near enough good recruits overall to even field a winning program in the Coastal division of the ACC.
There is a difference in being a good recruiter and a good coach. London will do a good job recruiting for any team. Just don't make him the head coach.
 
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There is a difference in being a good recruiter and a good coach. London will do a good job recruiting for any team. Just don't make him the head coach.

I agree. Howard is a good match for London. He is a good person but not a good coach. It took 6 years for the AD at UVA to come to that conclusion.
Briles at Baylor on the other hand is the scum of the earth. This deserves its own thread.
Whats coming out now about Baylor typifies whats wrong with the entire NCAA football program. Its pretty bad,
 
I wish we recruited more DTs but things should work out with what we have.
Kids grow and develop differently with age.
From our many DB will grow some LBs.
From our good LB class we may get a DE or 2.
From our 4 DEs one may work out well in the interior line. Both Woody Baron of late and Jim Davis in the past were DTlites and did very well.
 
Anyone who can bring multiple 5 stars to UVA is a good recruiter, even FB struggled to that with a winning program.
I disagree. Recruiting isn't about landing a few 5 star players, it's about recruiting enough depth and talent to fill your personnel needs and field a competitive program. London didn't accomplish that. Look at the nearly bare cupboard he left for Mendenhall.
 
With the right coaching they would have been stars at VT......plus based on VT's RB issues, Smoke would have been a huge addition for VT.
Wasn't nearly enough for Mendenhall to win with. That's not coaching, that's poor recruiting.
 
I disagree. Recruiting isn't about landing a few 5 star players, it's about recruiting enough depth and talent to fill your personnel needs and field a competitive program. London didn't accomplish that. Look at the nearly bare cupboard he left for Mendenhall.
Wasn't nearly enough for Mendenhall to win with. That's not coaching, that's poor recruiting.
The point was Smoke would have helped VT with their RB situation you this year.....or maybe I should say lack of RB this year.
 
He doesn't block well enough to play for Coach FU . Eli is the only
one of the big 4 London recruited that I would of wanted
 
UVA is another example of how recruiting star power dont automatically equal winning. Coaching. being the right system, chemistry...No excuse for UVA to lose the way they have after the recruiting classes they had under London. Im not sure how Mizzell would have fit in Fuentes offense any better than the stable of RBs that we had but I would like to think that Bud could have really utilized a few of those 4star ILBs and DBs the last few years.
 
UVA is another example of how recruiting star power dont automatically equal winning. Coaching. being the right system, chemistry...No excuse for UVA to lose the way they have after the recruiting classes they had under London. Im not sure how Mizzell would have fit in Fuentes offense any better than the stable of RBs that we had but I would like to think that Bud could have really utilized a few of those 4star ILBs and DBs the last few years.
The reason they lost was the simple fact London was the coach.....it remains to be seen what Bronco does after he recruits a few classes. This didn't seem to be much of a recruiting class this year. But I've been around long enough to know some coaches recruit the best available, some to a system, some to particular needs....got to give Bronco time before judging him. Bennett wasn't blowing any of us away with his early classes but soon figured out he was recruiting kids that could/would play his style and thrive in it. If Bronco starts showing improvement then fans will be patient, like VT fans have been with Buzz. It will be very interesting to see how VT fans are with Buzz if he doesn't make the NCAA tournament this year......
 
The reason they lost was the simple fact London was the coach.....it remains to be seen what Bronco does after he recruits a few classes. ....got to give Bronco time before judging him.

A good coach can go in to a new program and compete with the old coach's players if the old coach had been a good recruiter. (See Justin Fuente.) Bronco had a reputation as a good coach but he was lost with the players he got from London's recruiting.

I agree with you that Bronco needs time, but we wouldn't be talking about waiting for Bronco to recruit if good recruiting had already been in place at UVA.
 
A good coach can go in to a new program and compete with the old coach's players if the old coach had been a good recruiter. (See Justin Fuente.) Bronco had a reputation as a good coach but he was lost with the players he got from London's recruiting.

I agree with you that Bronco needs time, but we wouldn't be talking about waiting for Bronco to recruit if good recruiting had already been in place at UVA.
Maybe a better way to describe London was he had the ability to land a few top recruits each year but didn't really fill any voids he needed. I believe what Maryland saw in London was the ability to land some top recruits in the 757 for them.....not sure that ever really happened, but then again why would any recruit go to that cesspool.
 
It will be very interesting to see how VT fans are with Buzz if he doesn't make the NCAA tournament this year......

Buzz has proven over and over he is a good coach. Hopefully the fans will recognize the differences between this year's team and last year and realize that we're still a work in progress.
Maybe a better way to describe London was he had the ability to land a few top recruits each year but didn't really fill any voids he needed.

Exactly what I have been saying, and being a good recruiter requires more than just landing a few 5 star players. It was obvious when you watched the team play they were lacking talent all over the field. Here's an old article alluding to just that.

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/uva/dp-spt-teel-column-ur-uva-20160903-column.html
 
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Buzz has proven over and over he is a good coach. Hopefully the fans will recognize the differences between this year's team and last year and realize that we're still a work in progress.


Exactly what I have been saying, and being a good recruiter requires more than just landing a few 5 star players. It was obvious when you watched the team play they were lacking talent all over the field. Here's an old article alluding to just that.

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/uva/dp-spt-teel-column-ur-uva-20160903-column.html
I agree with you on Buzz, starting to here some fans grumbling so was curious to see what posters on this board think. No doubt in my mind VT can get into NCAA Tournament this year.....I believe you control your on destiny but have to win the ones down the stretch that I will call 50/50 games. You go 4-3 and your are definitely in.....3-4 may take a win in the ACC to get in.
 
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