The on-again, off-again visit for four-star cornerback Kalon Gervin to Blacksburg this weekend is back in the works, and that's obviously a good thing for the Hokies. He had considered a visit to Ohio State (which would have been bad for VT only because of the missed trip here, not because the Buckeyes are a serious contender), but instead will attend the BBQ Saturday.
First, let's take a little look at why not coming wouldn't have been catastrophic, so much as an annoyance. Gervin was planning to head to Columbus with his high school coaches (OSU's Friday Night Lights elite camp is tomorrow), whereas he wants his mom to get a chance to see Blacksburg. That's a very important distinction: if the Virginia Tech trip was less worthwhile without his mom in attendance (but the OSU trip was), that says a lot about how important the two schools are in his mind. The Buckeyes haven't offered and aren't expected to, so that would have been a more casual experience, whereas clearly VT is in the 'getting down to brass tacks' stage of his recruitment.
In fact, Gervin has made it no secret that Virginia Tech leads the way for him. That openness about it could say a little bit more about how close he might be to a commitment. We've long shared here that Gervin may have a good idea of where he wants to go to school and is just looking for 1) Mom's approval, and 2) the right time to announce. Further sources have indicated that he's hinted to the Hokies that he's just about ready to pull the trigger, again just trying to time things right (Gervin wasn't sure last we spoke, but does believe his mother will be able to make it this weekend).
That 'I'm almost committed' vibe is a positive for VT, but also gives them a little trepidation when it comes to his desire to see other schools (especially when a trip to Blacksburg is the opportunity cost). They encouraged him to head to the BBQ this weekend to show... loyalty's not quite the right word, but certainly to give the impression that his leaderboard hasn't changed behind the scenes. That can be a risky move, but has paid off for the coach, as he's going to make it to campus Saturday.
Will he commit? If the timing's right, there's a distinct possibility.
First, let's take a little look at why not coming wouldn't have been catastrophic, so much as an annoyance. Gervin was planning to head to Columbus with his high school coaches (OSU's Friday Night Lights elite camp is tomorrow), whereas he wants his mom to get a chance to see Blacksburg. That's a very important distinction: if the Virginia Tech trip was less worthwhile without his mom in attendance (but the OSU trip was), that says a lot about how important the two schools are in his mind. The Buckeyes haven't offered and aren't expected to, so that would have been a more casual experience, whereas clearly VT is in the 'getting down to brass tacks' stage of his recruitment.
In fact, Gervin has made it no secret that Virginia Tech leads the way for him. That openness about it could say a little bit more about how close he might be to a commitment. We've long shared here that Gervin may have a good idea of where he wants to go to school and is just looking for 1) Mom's approval, and 2) the right time to announce. Further sources have indicated that he's hinted to the Hokies that he's just about ready to pull the trigger, again just trying to time things right (Gervin wasn't sure last we spoke, but does believe his mother will be able to make it this weekend).
That 'I'm almost committed' vibe is a positive for VT, but also gives them a little trepidation when it comes to his desire to see other schools (especially when a trip to Blacksburg is the opportunity cost). They encouraged him to head to the BBQ this weekend to show... loyalty's not quite the right word, but certainly to give the impression that his leaderboard hasn't changed behind the scenes. That can be a risky move, but has paid off for the coach, as he's going to make it to campus Saturday.
Will he commit? If the timing's right, there's a distinct possibility.
