Welcome to Tunnel Talk, running through the latest in the world of Hokies and recruiting. Today, we reside in the Garden State...
Another running back still on the board
Despite landing athlete/RB Chance Black within the past couple weeks, the Hokies' recruiting staff has not ceased operations when it comes to recruiting the running back position. A player who has pretty much always been near the top of the board remains the primary target as the Hokies look to complement Black in the class.
Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's Regional four-star Audric Estime has a very different build (5-11, 210 pounds) from the taller, slimmer Black, and a thunder-and-lightning approach is still possible in the class. Black's positional versatility would provide some additional options should the VT staff manage to also land Estime.
They certainly haven't given up the ghost, hosting him on a "virtual visit" last week.
“I’m hearing a lot from Rutgers along with Arizona State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Virginia Tech,” he said. “Florida is hitting me up too even though they haven’t offered. I did a virtual visit with Arizona State three weeks ago and one with Virginia Tech last week. Rutgers I did recently as well. I learned more about both the football and academic side of the programs.”
The most likely outcome is that he ends up at Rutgers - the Knights are doing a good job establishing themselves as a legitimate option for a number of the top players in their home state, and have built connections with Estime's program - but Virginia Tech is probably No. 2 on the list at this point. How much energy the Hokies can expend on his recruitment will go a long way toward determining the final outcome, and is dependent upon how the rest of the group develops.
Tahjamell Bullock
Staying in North Jersey, and indeed in the Catholic ranks (though conference reshuffling in recent years means these schools are no longer rivals), Jersey City St. Peter's Prep three-star Tahjamell Bullock remains the top target at the quarterback position as the Hokies rebound from the decommitment of Dematrius Davis.
Bullock's recruitment was initially designed to wrap up before the beginning of his senior season, but like with many other players, the emergency Dead Period has thrown a bit of a wrench into the works.
The Hokies feel as though they've taken over the top spot in his recruitment. There are two primary questions: 1) is he willing to commit sight-unseen (more on this in a moment)? and 2) if he's not willing to commit without a recruiting visit, will he be able to take a visit before the season begins? If the answer to both of those questions is "no," the options are to push back his recruitment or pick a school that he's already visited. Pushing back the recruitment would be the more likely of the two options, since it doesn't preclude an eventual commitment to a school that he's already seen anyway.
Popping back to the "recruiting visit" portion of the above paragraph. We've seen players get creative with checking out campuses (such as former VT target Tristan Bounds), taking self-guided tours that the NCAA has no jurisdiction over. They can't meet with coaches on those trips, but if you combine them with the "virtual visits" that prospects are taking - and I hate that terminology, because it refers to glorified (or not-even-glorified) FaceTime conversations with coaching staffs, i.e. not a big deal at all - they can get a feel for campus.
Bullock has gotten the "virtual visit" treatment from the coaching staff, and is tentatively considering a trip down to Blacksburg - again, not technically a visit in the NCAA's eyes - to tie the whole thing together. Assuming that does happen (and I am assuming this), the Hokies can close some of the gaps pointed out above, and I'd name them the heavy favorite in Bullock's recruitment.
Just a two-parter today, but plenty of interesting nuggets on a pair of top targets. Keep it locked on HokieHaven.com for all the latest in the world of Hokie recruiting.
Another running back still on the board
Despite landing athlete/RB Chance Black within the past couple weeks, the Hokies' recruiting staff has not ceased operations when it comes to recruiting the running back position. A player who has pretty much always been near the top of the board remains the primary target as the Hokies look to complement Black in the class.
Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's Regional four-star Audric Estime has a very different build (5-11, 210 pounds) from the taller, slimmer Black, and a thunder-and-lightning approach is still possible in the class. Black's positional versatility would provide some additional options should the VT staff manage to also land Estime.
They certainly haven't given up the ghost, hosting him on a "virtual visit" last week.
“I’m hearing a lot from Rutgers along with Arizona State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Virginia Tech,” he said. “Florida is hitting me up too even though they haven’t offered. I did a virtual visit with Arizona State three weeks ago and one with Virginia Tech last week. Rutgers I did recently as well. I learned more about both the football and academic side of the programs.”
The most likely outcome is that he ends up at Rutgers - the Knights are doing a good job establishing themselves as a legitimate option for a number of the top players in their home state, and have built connections with Estime's program - but Virginia Tech is probably No. 2 on the list at this point. How much energy the Hokies can expend on his recruitment will go a long way toward determining the final outcome, and is dependent upon how the rest of the group develops.
Tahjamell Bullock
Staying in North Jersey, and indeed in the Catholic ranks (though conference reshuffling in recent years means these schools are no longer rivals), Jersey City St. Peter's Prep three-star Tahjamell Bullock remains the top target at the quarterback position as the Hokies rebound from the decommitment of Dematrius Davis.
Bullock's recruitment was initially designed to wrap up before the beginning of his senior season, but like with many other players, the emergency Dead Period has thrown a bit of a wrench into the works.
The Hokies feel as though they've taken over the top spot in his recruitment. There are two primary questions: 1) is he willing to commit sight-unseen (more on this in a moment)? and 2) if he's not willing to commit without a recruiting visit, will he be able to take a visit before the season begins? If the answer to both of those questions is "no," the options are to push back his recruitment or pick a school that he's already visited. Pushing back the recruitment would be the more likely of the two options, since it doesn't preclude an eventual commitment to a school that he's already seen anyway.
Popping back to the "recruiting visit" portion of the above paragraph. We've seen players get creative with checking out campuses (such as former VT target Tristan Bounds), taking self-guided tours that the NCAA has no jurisdiction over. They can't meet with coaches on those trips, but if you combine them with the "virtual visits" that prospects are taking - and I hate that terminology, because it refers to glorified (or not-even-glorified) FaceTime conversations with coaching staffs, i.e. not a big deal at all - they can get a feel for campus.
Bullock has gotten the "virtual visit" treatment from the coaching staff, and is tentatively considering a trip down to Blacksburg - again, not technically a visit in the NCAA's eyes - to tie the whole thing together. Assuming that does happen (and I am assuming this), the Hokies can close some of the gaps pointed out above, and I'd name them the heavy favorite in Bullock's recruitment.
Just a two-parter today, but plenty of interesting nuggets on a pair of top targets. Keep it locked on HokieHaven.com for all the latest in the world of Hokie recruiting.
