Welcome to Tunnel Talk, with the latest in Hokies recruiting.
Flip szn?
Virginia Tech's current recruiting class is filling out, and the names on the recruiting board - even at the positions where there are needs - are starting to dwindle.
We'll touch on defensive tackle in a moment, but let's look at tight end and offensive line. There are some decently impressive names on the recruiting board, still, but perhaps not the combination of quality and attainability that gives the coaches the ability to rest easy at night. They'll continue evaluating new players, but for now, the gameplan seems to be on flipping a couple prospects.
Charlotte tight end commit Jared Gibble has seen his attention from the Hokies pick up with a snap of the fingers.
Gibble, from Winston-Salem (N.C.) Oak Grove has long had interest in the Orange and Maroon, but only recently has that become mutual in any serious way. If VT offers, expect a flip.
The offensive line targets are a little more undefined - does Andrew Canelas still have an active offer? The Hokies are iffy at this stage. Do they want to wait for a guy like Chris Adams (and do they even consider him purely an offensive tackle? - even if there are more of them on the board.
Taking advantage of Jacksonville connections to pursue Minnesota commit Austin Barber has been a longer-term process than the more-sudden pursuit of Gibble, but the staff would like to flip the big man from the Gophers.
Certainly, thanks to building most of the class at this early stage (a trend around the country, too), the staff will have opportunities to continue beating the brush to find more players to pursue.
Tyleik Williams
As noted last night, in-state defensive tackle Tyleik Williams is slated to make a commitment this week, and things have trended hard in the direction of the Buckeyes. With a favorites list of Alabama, LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina and VT, you can imagine that a lot of the endgame of his recruitment boiled down to who'd take him (and when).
It should come as no surprise that only a couple of his "finalists" have had room for him. Ohio State's changing needs up front have made him a priority in the a quick (and short-term) timeframe. Read into that what you will about when they have - and haven't - considered him a take. Read what you will into the fact that he's now in a hurry to make a commitment.
I've long tried to maintain a level head about VT's in-state recruiting, in part because a lot of the context that's gone into recent struggles has changed (previous coaching staff's lack of success on the field, the recent coaches who were largely responsible for the struggles closer to home moved on after last season), and in part it's not crucial to do well close to home to be a strong team - and even a strong-recruiting team.
But to prioritize Williams for a few months (and to be fair, the Hokies hadn't prioritized him for some time before their recent re-push into Northern Virginia) and potentially end up an afterthought the instant OSU shows more than token interest... wouldn't be a good look.
Rebounding at DT
Assuming Williams does indeed become a Buckeye this week, there are still a few DL targets with whom the Hokies are in good standing. Quite frankly, it doesn't change a ton in the big picture (simply lop Williams off the top) as I posted yesterday.
Of course, for that to be a success (sans Williams), the staff would basically have to close out perfectly with the listed defensive linemen. In reality, the recruiting board there will have to expand as well, barring a surprise from the four-star Thursday.
Flip szn?
Virginia Tech's current recruiting class is filling out, and the names on the recruiting board - even at the positions where there are needs - are starting to dwindle.
We'll touch on defensive tackle in a moment, but let's look at tight end and offensive line. There are some decently impressive names on the recruiting board, still, but perhaps not the combination of quality and attainability that gives the coaches the ability to rest easy at night. They'll continue evaluating new players, but for now, the gameplan seems to be on flipping a couple prospects.
Charlotte tight end commit Jared Gibble has seen his attention from the Hokies pick up with a snap of the fingers.
Gibble, from Winston-Salem (N.C.) Oak Grove has long had interest in the Orange and Maroon, but only recently has that become mutual in any serious way. If VT offers, expect a flip.
The offensive line targets are a little more undefined - does Andrew Canelas still have an active offer? The Hokies are iffy at this stage. Do they want to wait for a guy like Chris Adams (and do they even consider him purely an offensive tackle? - even if there are more of them on the board.
Taking advantage of Jacksonville connections to pursue Minnesota commit Austin Barber has been a longer-term process than the more-sudden pursuit of Gibble, but the staff would like to flip the big man from the Gophers.
Certainly, thanks to building most of the class at this early stage (a trend around the country, too), the staff will have opportunities to continue beating the brush to find more players to pursue.
Tyleik Williams
As noted last night, in-state defensive tackle Tyleik Williams is slated to make a commitment this week, and things have trended hard in the direction of the Buckeyes. With a favorites list of Alabama, LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina and VT, you can imagine that a lot of the endgame of his recruitment boiled down to who'd take him (and when).
It should come as no surprise that only a couple of his "finalists" have had room for him. Ohio State's changing needs up front have made him a priority in the a quick (and short-term) timeframe. Read into that what you will about when they have - and haven't - considered him a take. Read what you will into the fact that he's now in a hurry to make a commitment.
I've long tried to maintain a level head about VT's in-state recruiting, in part because a lot of the context that's gone into recent struggles has changed (previous coaching staff's lack of success on the field, the recent coaches who were largely responsible for the struggles closer to home moved on after last season), and in part it's not crucial to do well close to home to be a strong team - and even a strong-recruiting team.
But to prioritize Williams for a few months (and to be fair, the Hokies hadn't prioritized him for some time before their recent re-push into Northern Virginia) and potentially end up an afterthought the instant OSU shows more than token interest... wouldn't be a good look.
Rebounding at DT
Assuming Williams does indeed become a Buckeye this week, there are still a few DL targets with whom the Hokies are in good standing. Quite frankly, it doesn't change a ton in the big picture (simply lop Williams off the top) as I posted yesterday.
Of course, for that to be a success (sans Williams), the staff would basically have to close out perfectly with the listed defensive linemen. In reality, the recruiting board there will have to expand as well, barring a surprise from the four-star Thursday.
