Earlier this afternoon, three-star safety TJ Quinn revealed that he'll be making his college commitment this Thursday. My initial reaction was that this was good news for Louisville (and therefore bad for VT), then I thought about reasons it could be positive for the Hokies.
That was my speculation while waiting to hear back from sources close to a number of different parties (in Blacksburg, Louisville, and South Georgia).
After continuing to hear back from those groups, I can comfortably report (not guarantee, but report) that my initial instinct - he's following in Dad's footsteps and heading to Derby City - is the likely outcome here. The Hokies don't feel good about it, folks close to the Louisville program tell me that the Cards do, and most importantly, contacts in the Peach State are the most confident of all.
https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/tj-quinn-239421
So where does this leave VT safety recruiting? Frankly, I like Quinn a lot as a kid, and he's a decent player... but the Hokies should be able to recruit higher-upside players than he is (and I have full confidence that two of those are already in the fold, and most of the other realistic targets on the board meet that bill, as well). It's not the recruiting-industry classic "they're being saved from themselves" by any stretch of the imagination, but if the prospect they land rather than Quinn ends up being a better player... they won't lose sleep over it.
Numbers-wise, it could mean that they end up taking three safeties, rather than the four they've been telling prospects they'd planned to take (and from the VT end, maybe three was the long-term target all along, but they didn't want to hurt feelings by closing the door on guys early). Obviously Donovan McMillon, who's visited a couple times - including before he even held a Hokies offer - is the most realistic option there, and it's fair to say that there are some indications that he's better than his current ranking (not least of which is the offer list, though y'all are well aware of the reasons I think that's not the most reliable data point when trying to rank players).
Either way, Quinn coming off the board should be another step in the direction of the VT recruiting board getting more focused. Obviously there have been a number of players on it who the Hokies didn't really stand a legit chance, but among those who have been serious options (and in Quinn's case, who heavily favored the Hokies at one point), I bet the staff will be almost relieved to be able to focus on a smaller group without having to tell anyone "no thanks."
The updated recruiting board at the DB positions later this week should be able to provide some clarity about who's really in the mix (and from a simple administrative perspective on my end, that's a positive).
That was my speculation while waiting to hear back from sources close to a number of different parties (in Blacksburg, Louisville, and South Georgia).
After continuing to hear back from those groups, I can comfortably report (not guarantee, but report) that my initial instinct - he's following in Dad's footsteps and heading to Derby City - is the likely outcome here. The Hokies don't feel good about it, folks close to the Louisville program tell me that the Cards do, and most importantly, contacts in the Peach State are the most confident of all.
https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2021/tj-quinn-239421
So where does this leave VT safety recruiting? Frankly, I like Quinn a lot as a kid, and he's a decent player... but the Hokies should be able to recruit higher-upside players than he is (and I have full confidence that two of those are already in the fold, and most of the other realistic targets on the board meet that bill, as well). It's not the recruiting-industry classic "they're being saved from themselves" by any stretch of the imagination, but if the prospect they land rather than Quinn ends up being a better player... they won't lose sleep over it.
Numbers-wise, it could mean that they end up taking three safeties, rather than the four they've been telling prospects they'd planned to take (and from the VT end, maybe three was the long-term target all along, but they didn't want to hurt feelings by closing the door on guys early). Obviously Donovan McMillon, who's visited a couple times - including before he even held a Hokies offer - is the most realistic option there, and it's fair to say that there are some indications that he's better than his current ranking (not least of which is the offer list, though y'all are well aware of the reasons I think that's not the most reliable data point when trying to rank players).
Either way, Quinn coming off the board should be another step in the direction of the VT recruiting board getting more focused. Obviously there have been a number of players on it who the Hokies didn't really stand a legit chance, but among those who have been serious options (and in Quinn's case, who heavily favored the Hokies at one point), I bet the staff will be almost relieved to be able to focus on a smaller group without having to tell anyone "no thanks."
The updated recruiting board at the DB positions later this week should be able to provide some clarity about who's really in the mix (and from a simple administrative perspective on my end, that's a positive).
