Welcome to Tunnel Talk, with the latest in Hokie recruiting.
Khalib Johnson
After he was offered by the Hokies, it didn't take long for the 2022 QB out of Alabama to set a decision date within a few weeks. That can usually mean one of two things: that he already had a college choice in mind and VT was too late, or VT was the offer he was waiting for and would be the choice. Given the broader circumstances, I assumed the former before having a chance to catch up with Johnson's folks. Now, though, I'm starting to lean toward the latter (with a caveat).
It's not necessarily that VT was the offer he was waiting for, but it checked a box for a type of offer that he felt like he needed to have enough options to make his commitment. Kansas, Louisville, and USF are his other finalists, and while they have their QB successes, you could fairly say that the Hokies are the first more-traditional power (even if the level of success hasn't been there in recent years) among those options. The staff has done a decent job leveraging their inroads into the state of Alabama after landing Kenji Christian, and particularly nearby in the areas surrounding Birmingham - which tend to be the biggest producers of talent in the area.
As with all players from the Deep South, bigtime SEC (or Clemson) offers could change the calculus if and when they arrive. But if he sticks to the timeline and the Alabamas and Floridas of the world don't jump in quickly, the Hokies are truly in this one.
The McDonald Twins
Signing Day has come and gone, and given that the Hokies didn't add any signatures on the opening of the traditional period (which lasts through April 1, but almost always sees its action finished on the first Wednesday in February), it was a little surprising to not see the McDonald twins sign up. It seemed like the hold-up in becoming scholarship players was mostly about holding room open for any potential additions. It's still possible that, as the Signing Period draws to a close, any transfer additions take slots (or the lack thereof means the Mcdonalds do sign).
The flexibility provided by their willingness to head down the road without the promise of a scholarship immediately is paying dividends, though. It's totally possible they do end up signing by April 1. It's just as likely they arrive on campus without signing LOIs - whether that's signing scholarship papers (without a letter of intent, technically, but ultimately the same effect), or arriving as preferred walk-ons to earn their scholarships early in their careers. And they would be guys earning them early on.
In-state recruiting
We haven't seen the effects yet - and quite frankly, I can't guarantee that it will play out as expected - but it's clear that the intent is to be a bigger factor in the Commonwealth of Virginia and surrounding environs. Whether that's last offseason's non-coaching staffers (including Baltimore-area alum Corey Fuller and DC-area alum Jeron Gouveia-Winslow), or the fact that the replacement for an assistant heading to the NFL is by adding another alum from the Chesapeake Bay in J.C. Price.
I wouldn't say it's an admission that there were errors made with earlier coaching hires, but certainly Fuente seems to be indicating that he sees the values in bringing on guys who get the Virginia Tech thing - and chose to become Hokies out of high school - in terms of selling to current high-schoolers. That the majority of recent additions have been guys from the recruiting footprint is both intentional and also just an added boost to bringing in high-caliber coaches with long-standing ties to the program.
Obviously the cynic (or realist) in me says, "well, there's a lot of ground to make up if they want to recruit well on home turf." But these coaching moves are the types that can help do it.
As always, thanks for reading on HokieHaven.com. Feel free to use this thread to discuss the topics herein or other items related to Hokie recruiting.
Khalib Johnson
After he was offered by the Hokies, it didn't take long for the 2022 QB out of Alabama to set a decision date within a few weeks. That can usually mean one of two things: that he already had a college choice in mind and VT was too late, or VT was the offer he was waiting for and would be the choice. Given the broader circumstances, I assumed the former before having a chance to catch up with Johnson's folks. Now, though, I'm starting to lean toward the latter (with a caveat).
It's not necessarily that VT was the offer he was waiting for, but it checked a box for a type of offer that he felt like he needed to have enough options to make his commitment. Kansas, Louisville, and USF are his other finalists, and while they have their QB successes, you could fairly say that the Hokies are the first more-traditional power (even if the level of success hasn't been there in recent years) among those options. The staff has done a decent job leveraging their inroads into the state of Alabama after landing Kenji Christian, and particularly nearby in the areas surrounding Birmingham - which tend to be the biggest producers of talent in the area.
As with all players from the Deep South, bigtime SEC (or Clemson) offers could change the calculus if and when they arrive. But if he sticks to the timeline and the Alabamas and Floridas of the world don't jump in quickly, the Hokies are truly in this one.
The McDonald Twins
Signing Day has come and gone, and given that the Hokies didn't add any signatures on the opening of the traditional period (which lasts through April 1, but almost always sees its action finished on the first Wednesday in February), it was a little surprising to not see the McDonald twins sign up. It seemed like the hold-up in becoming scholarship players was mostly about holding room open for any potential additions. It's still possible that, as the Signing Period draws to a close, any transfer additions take slots (or the lack thereof means the Mcdonalds do sign).
The flexibility provided by their willingness to head down the road without the promise of a scholarship immediately is paying dividends, though. It's totally possible they do end up signing by April 1. It's just as likely they arrive on campus without signing LOIs - whether that's signing scholarship papers (without a letter of intent, technically, but ultimately the same effect), or arriving as preferred walk-ons to earn their scholarships early in their careers. And they would be guys earning them early on.
In-state recruiting
We haven't seen the effects yet - and quite frankly, I can't guarantee that it will play out as expected - but it's clear that the intent is to be a bigger factor in the Commonwealth of Virginia and surrounding environs. Whether that's last offseason's non-coaching staffers (including Baltimore-area alum Corey Fuller and DC-area alum Jeron Gouveia-Winslow), or the fact that the replacement for an assistant heading to the NFL is by adding another alum from the Chesapeake Bay in J.C. Price.
I wouldn't say it's an admission that there were errors made with earlier coaching hires, but certainly Fuente seems to be indicating that he sees the values in bringing on guys who get the Virginia Tech thing - and chose to become Hokies out of high school - in terms of selling to current high-schoolers. That the majority of recent additions have been guys from the recruiting footprint is both intentional and also just an added boost to bringing in high-caliber coaches with long-standing ties to the program.
Obviously the cynic (or realist) in me says, "well, there's a lot of ground to make up if they want to recruit well on home turf." But these coaching moves are the types that can help do it.
As always, thanks for reading on HokieHaven.com. Feel free to use this thread to discuss the topics herein or other items related to Hokie recruiting.
