Welcome to Tunnel Talk, with the latest in Hokie recruiting.
Good shape with Devin Lee
The VT coaching staff did a really good job staying on top of McDonogh (Ga.) Ola defensive tackle Devin Lee when he committed to Ole Miss. Perhaps with the knowledge that his commitment was unlikely to stick, they never gave up (very much the opposite of their approach with in-state DE Naquan Brown, even though his decommitment from LSU was even more predictable). That has them in decent shape - with our boots on the ground in Georgia indicating that Virginia Tech is almost certainly the team to beat right now. That doesn't guarantee anything - VT was eliminated from the hunt at earlier stages of the process, but kept hanging around, for example - but it's a good place to be.
The Hokies also appear to be in decent position for West Georgia three-star Ian Mathews, though depending on which of his finalists have room for him at this point, VT can either be in prime position, or way behind the eight-ball. (Namely, kids from just across the border from Auburn tend to be locks if the Tigers want them, while Georgia Tech is also a hometown-type option under two hours away in Atlanta). The Hokies are selling both their need at the position and that they were among the first to pursue him from Power-5 to him. There's time to play out in this one.
That combination - along with the fact that his virtual visit didn't seem to lead to a flip in short order - has USF commit Desmond Mamudi sliding down the pecking order just a bit. VT would still take a pledge, no doubt, but they're not pushing as hard as they were before last week.
Adding a potential wrench into the works? There may not be as much need at the position. Justin Fuente said today that all would-be graduating seniors this year are welcome to return to next year's team, which could make a major impact. Neither DaShawn Crawford nor Jarrod Hewitt (the two seniors) looks a lock to have NFL opportunities at this point, and depending upon what their life goals are after football, if either of them came back at what looks like the position of greatest need, it could be a game-changer. This is all speculative, with nobody having announced any leave/stay intentions (with guys departing early for the NFL - Christian Darrisaw and perhaps Tre Turner seem the most obvious ones - looking likely, too). It's something to watch as the regular season draws to a close and as we're barely over a week from Signing Day.
Da'Wain Lofton says he's solid
One of Virginia Tech's most mysterious commits over the past couple months has been Fort Worth (Texas) Northside slot receiver Da'Wain Lofton. Hometown TCU offered, and he went radio silent about recruiting for a very long time.
He's finally come out and given indication that he's planning to stick with the Hokies (it can't be overstated how strong the pull to stay close to his mom was, so that's a win). Whether he ultimately signs next week, or waits until February, you can safely say VT is back in the driver's seat - which maybe they weren't despite his stated commitment status throughout the Fall. If he delays his signing, it gives TCU and maybe some others a chance to try to shake him free. If he opts to take it to February (not currently the plan, but a possibility), I would put odds back slightly below 50/50 that he ends up in Orange and Maroon.
For now though, things are positive.
Christian Moss lookin' likely
I don't know the reason that Kennessaw (Ga.) North Cobb 2021 wideout Christian Moss just picked up his first offer from FBS this weekend, with the Hokies jumping in. He plays for a high-profile program close to Atlanta, and was getting some buzz from our own Chad Simmons before the season. One look at the film, he he jumps off the page as closer to a four-star prospect than to an FCS recruit.
That's good news for VT, though. Especially given the timeline that his recruitment has played out on, he's particularly appreciative of the first Power-5 program to jump into the mix for him. I haven't had a chance to catch up with him directly yet, but those around him are indicating that it would be tough for anyone to beat VT for him - unless the true heavy-hitters of the college football world and recruiting trail suddenly start showing interest.
As I mentioned over the weekend, he's also a high school teammate of both former Hokie commit Tray Curry and offered 2023 quarterback Malachi Singleton. The ship has sailed with the former (by the Hokies' own choice), while possibly landing Moss couldn't do anything but help land an elite signal-caller a couple years down the line.
Good shape with Devin Lee
The VT coaching staff did a really good job staying on top of McDonogh (Ga.) Ola defensive tackle Devin Lee when he committed to Ole Miss. Perhaps with the knowledge that his commitment was unlikely to stick, they never gave up (very much the opposite of their approach with in-state DE Naquan Brown, even though his decommitment from LSU was even more predictable). That has them in decent shape - with our boots on the ground in Georgia indicating that Virginia Tech is almost certainly the team to beat right now. That doesn't guarantee anything - VT was eliminated from the hunt at earlier stages of the process, but kept hanging around, for example - but it's a good place to be.
The Hokies also appear to be in decent position for West Georgia three-star Ian Mathews, though depending on which of his finalists have room for him at this point, VT can either be in prime position, or way behind the eight-ball. (Namely, kids from just across the border from Auburn tend to be locks if the Tigers want them, while Georgia Tech is also a hometown-type option under two hours away in Atlanta). The Hokies are selling both their need at the position and that they were among the first to pursue him from Power-5 to him. There's time to play out in this one.
That combination - along with the fact that his virtual visit didn't seem to lead to a flip in short order - has USF commit Desmond Mamudi sliding down the pecking order just a bit. VT would still take a pledge, no doubt, but they're not pushing as hard as they were before last week.
Adding a potential wrench into the works? There may not be as much need at the position. Justin Fuente said today that all would-be graduating seniors this year are welcome to return to next year's team, which could make a major impact. Neither DaShawn Crawford nor Jarrod Hewitt (the two seniors) looks a lock to have NFL opportunities at this point, and depending upon what their life goals are after football, if either of them came back at what looks like the position of greatest need, it could be a game-changer. This is all speculative, with nobody having announced any leave/stay intentions (with guys departing early for the NFL - Christian Darrisaw and perhaps Tre Turner seem the most obvious ones - looking likely, too). It's something to watch as the regular season draws to a close and as we're barely over a week from Signing Day.
Da'Wain Lofton says he's solid
One of Virginia Tech's most mysterious commits over the past couple months has been Fort Worth (Texas) Northside slot receiver Da'Wain Lofton. Hometown TCU offered, and he went radio silent about recruiting for a very long time.
He's finally come out and given indication that he's planning to stick with the Hokies (it can't be overstated how strong the pull to stay close to his mom was, so that's a win). Whether he ultimately signs next week, or waits until February, you can safely say VT is back in the driver's seat - which maybe they weren't despite his stated commitment status throughout the Fall. If he delays his signing, it gives TCU and maybe some others a chance to try to shake him free. If he opts to take it to February (not currently the plan, but a possibility), I would put odds back slightly below 50/50 that he ends up in Orange and Maroon.
For now though, things are positive.
Christian Moss lookin' likely
I don't know the reason that Kennessaw (Ga.) North Cobb 2021 wideout Christian Moss just picked up his first offer from FBS this weekend, with the Hokies jumping in. He plays for a high-profile program close to Atlanta, and was getting some buzz from our own Chad Simmons before the season. One look at the film, he he jumps off the page as closer to a four-star prospect than to an FCS recruit.
That's good news for VT, though. Especially given the timeline that his recruitment has played out on, he's particularly appreciative of the first Power-5 program to jump into the mix for him. I haven't had a chance to catch up with him directly yet, but those around him are indicating that it would be tough for anyone to beat VT for him - unless the true heavy-hitters of the college football world and recruiting trail suddenly start showing interest.
As I mentioned over the weekend, he's also a high school teammate of both former Hokie commit Tray Curry and offered 2023 quarterback Malachi Singleton. The ship has sailed with the former (by the Hokies' own choice), while possibly landing Moss couldn't do anything but help land an elite signal-caller a couple years down the line.