It's commitment eve for in-state defensive end Bryson Jennings, and his ultimate destination remains a mystery. The 6-6, 220-pounder took just two official visit during June, though and that's a good place to start.
Virginia Tech hosted him June 4, and North Carolina June 19. While he's also seen his other finalists (Kentucky, Penn State, and Virginia) in the past, you'd typically expect a kid who only saw two finalists on officials to be favoring those two programs. The catch? Although Jennings is a Virginia Tech legacy (dad, Bryan, was an All-Big East tight end who went on to an NFL career - and is now Clover Hill's head coach), the Hokies do not have positive vibes about where this one is heading. The flipside is that UNC doesn't have positive vibes either (although the Heels are more in the "lack of vibes" category than feeling like the vibes are negative. I've said "vibes" a lot in this paragraph).
Some of that requires a bit of an explanation about the personality of both Jenningses. You'll not that Bryan's Rivals profile has many fewer updates than the average prospect. That's because he chooses not to talk to the media - obviously I'm not a big fan of that, but can't begrudge him it. Dad is similarly quiet when it comes to dealing with those in our industry. The twist is that they're similar uncommunicative when it comes to coaching staffs. Not knowing where a kid is leaning isn't the kiss of death when the opposition's coaching staff is similarly in the dark.
I would still lean toward the Hokies being an underdog - this is a staff that is typically very confident, even in the face of ominous trends (or recruiting reporters in the market straight-up telling them "this kid told me what he's doing, and it's not what you think it's going to be"). When they don't feel good about something, it's probably for a reason. In the end, Jennings's early favoritism of UVa could even win out (despite his not taking an official there), or one of his other finalists could even surprise. That's the nature of predicting what a kid's going to do when he keeps everyone in the dark. But at this stage, I'm leaning Heels over Hokies, with the other options just window-dressing.
What does it mean for VT if that happens? A strong run in the Commonwealth has a chance to continue Friday, even if there's a little hiatus in it tomorrow afternoon, and indeed nothing has dissuaded me from the opinion that Gunner Givens will provide good news for VT. A slight step back in momentum is something the Hokies can overcome (particularly since they've gotten by without much momentum of any sort in the past few years). To potentially miss out on a legacy prospect who is highly rated hurts. And given the way Jennings has handled his recruitment, I wouldn't expect - no matter who he chooses - that he revisits his recruitment later on, barring coaching changes, etc. But the emotional tie to Blacksburg can also be a draw if and when the Hokies show that they're back to being a contender in the Coastal. You never say never if the Orange and Maroon prove themselves worthy of consideration for players who want to compete for championships.
Virginia Tech hosted him June 4, and North Carolina June 19. While he's also seen his other finalists (Kentucky, Penn State, and Virginia) in the past, you'd typically expect a kid who only saw two finalists on officials to be favoring those two programs. The catch? Although Jennings is a Virginia Tech legacy (dad, Bryan, was an All-Big East tight end who went on to an NFL career - and is now Clover Hill's head coach), the Hokies do not have positive vibes about where this one is heading. The flipside is that UNC doesn't have positive vibes either (although the Heels are more in the "lack of vibes" category than feeling like the vibes are negative. I've said "vibes" a lot in this paragraph).
Some of that requires a bit of an explanation about the personality of both Jenningses. You'll not that Bryan's Rivals profile has many fewer updates than the average prospect. That's because he chooses not to talk to the media - obviously I'm not a big fan of that, but can't begrudge him it. Dad is similarly quiet when it comes to dealing with those in our industry. The twist is that they're similar uncommunicative when it comes to coaching staffs. Not knowing where a kid is leaning isn't the kiss of death when the opposition's coaching staff is similarly in the dark.
I would still lean toward the Hokies being an underdog - this is a staff that is typically very confident, even in the face of ominous trends (or recruiting reporters in the market straight-up telling them "this kid told me what he's doing, and it's not what you think it's going to be"). When they don't feel good about something, it's probably for a reason. In the end, Jennings's early favoritism of UVa could even win out (despite his not taking an official there), or one of his other finalists could even surprise. That's the nature of predicting what a kid's going to do when he keeps everyone in the dark. But at this stage, I'm leaning Heels over Hokies, with the other options just window-dressing.
What does it mean for VT if that happens? A strong run in the Commonwealth has a chance to continue Friday, even if there's a little hiatus in it tomorrow afternoon, and indeed nothing has dissuaded me from the opinion that Gunner Givens will provide good news for VT. A slight step back in momentum is something the Hokies can overcome (particularly since they've gotten by without much momentum of any sort in the past few years). To potentially miss out on a legacy prospect who is highly rated hurts. And given the way Jennings has handled his recruitment, I wouldn't expect - no matter who he chooses - that he revisits his recruitment later on, barring coaching changes, etc. But the emotional tie to Blacksburg can also be a draw if and when the Hokies show that they're back to being a contender in the Coastal. You never say never if the Orange and Maroon prove themselves worthy of consideration for players who want to compete for championships.
