Welcome to the latest edition of Tunnel Talk, running through some of the topics du jour in the world of Hokies and recruiting.
The numbers
Let's begin today with a quick discussion of scholarship numbers: take a look at the scholarship distribution for starters. With 78 scholarship slots officially spoken for via recruited student athletes (and others all-but certain to go to preferred walk-ons like wide receiver Kaleb Smith, offensive lineman Austin Cannon, and kicker Brian Johnson), there are a few openings unspoken for.
Some of those will go to other preferred walk-ons, with guys who haven't been honored in the past - unlike the above-three listed players - earning them on a year-to-year basis (or if they're contributors, perhaps beyond). However, there are still likely to be one or two to play with.
For that reason, the coaching staff is continuing to monitor the Transfer Portal for players who'd be a good fit for Virginia Tech. There's no guarantee they'll bring anybody in, of course. The player has to be a good fit for their needs on the field, have the right amount of eligibility (and therefore scholarship use) remaining, and of course be willing to transfer to Blacksburg. There are some options with whom they've made contact, and of course grad-transfer players are the best fit because they require only a commitment to one year on-scholarship.
At this point, the staff is hopeful to pick up one more player, though my personal view of the matter is that they'll have a tough time hitting all three criteria (namely landing a guy who has a lot of other options).
Dead period blues
On the high school recruiting end of things, a recent run on commitments - and yes, a couple decommitments - has meant an eventful phase of the emergency Dead Period. As I said consistently when the period began, there's no predicting for certain how an unprecedented situation is going to impact timelines and the process. Even still, the situation that unfolded, with tons of players making early commitments around the country (including to programs they'd never visited), was a surprise.
My expectation is that a lot of these commits are going to be shaky when the visit trail can continue. That is to say, if Virginia Tech was a runner-up for a player who committed elsewhere, and he hadn't seen Blacksburg before picking the other program, a push to get that player to at least visit is extremely likely to be fruitful.
The opposite is true as well, of course, but with Dematrius Davis and Latrell Neville having already left the fold... well, VT doesn't have any commitments who are particularly shaky (I DO NOT intend to say he'll definitely look at other schools, but Jacksonville (Ark.) defensive tackle Tyas Martin is the only prospect to commit without visiting yet, and most of the others have taken several visits over the years).
There may be a bit of a free-for-all this Fall when it comes to poaching other programs' commits, but VT is poised to be a beneficiary much more than a victim.
Tyrell Raby unlikely
When Virginia Tech offered him, it appeared that Tyrell Raby would be a serious prospect to consider the Orange and Maroon, and possibly even end up in the class. The three-star out of Baton Rouge (La.) Madison Prep said the right things about VT early.
However, now that the Hokies have lost a commitment from his cousin, Latrell Neville (a New Orleans native who moved to the Houston area as a kid), the primary connection isn't there. While Neville won't explicitly cross VT off the list publicly until he makes a commitment elsewhere, he is not expected to continue considering the program, and that diminishes the shot at Raby, as well.
Of course, that doesn't mean a shot at Raby is gone, per se: five of the schools in his top 10 are Group of Five programs, so the Hokies don't have to keep pace with the Alabamas and LSUs of the world so much as the Louisiana Techs and Memphises. That may also have some indication of his overall level of play, though, and if landing him isn't made easier by a family connection, pursuing a player whose geography makes his recruitment more convenient is probably going to end up being the move.
As always, thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the latest on the Hokies and recruiting.
The numbers
Let's begin today with a quick discussion of scholarship numbers: take a look at the scholarship distribution for starters. With 78 scholarship slots officially spoken for via recruited student athletes (and others all-but certain to go to preferred walk-ons like wide receiver Kaleb Smith, offensive lineman Austin Cannon, and kicker Brian Johnson), there are a few openings unspoken for.
Some of those will go to other preferred walk-ons, with guys who haven't been honored in the past - unlike the above-three listed players - earning them on a year-to-year basis (or if they're contributors, perhaps beyond). However, there are still likely to be one or two to play with.
For that reason, the coaching staff is continuing to monitor the Transfer Portal for players who'd be a good fit for Virginia Tech. There's no guarantee they'll bring anybody in, of course. The player has to be a good fit for their needs on the field, have the right amount of eligibility (and therefore scholarship use) remaining, and of course be willing to transfer to Blacksburg. There are some options with whom they've made contact, and of course grad-transfer players are the best fit because they require only a commitment to one year on-scholarship.
At this point, the staff is hopeful to pick up one more player, though my personal view of the matter is that they'll have a tough time hitting all three criteria (namely landing a guy who has a lot of other options).
Dead period blues
On the high school recruiting end of things, a recent run on commitments - and yes, a couple decommitments - has meant an eventful phase of the emergency Dead Period. As I said consistently when the period began, there's no predicting for certain how an unprecedented situation is going to impact timelines and the process. Even still, the situation that unfolded, with tons of players making early commitments around the country (including to programs they'd never visited), was a surprise.
My expectation is that a lot of these commits are going to be shaky when the visit trail can continue. That is to say, if Virginia Tech was a runner-up for a player who committed elsewhere, and he hadn't seen Blacksburg before picking the other program, a push to get that player to at least visit is extremely likely to be fruitful.
The opposite is true as well, of course, but with Dematrius Davis and Latrell Neville having already left the fold... well, VT doesn't have any commitments who are particularly shaky (I DO NOT intend to say he'll definitely look at other schools, but Jacksonville (Ark.) defensive tackle Tyas Martin is the only prospect to commit without visiting yet, and most of the others have taken several visits over the years).
There may be a bit of a free-for-all this Fall when it comes to poaching other programs' commits, but VT is poised to be a beneficiary much more than a victim.
Tyrell Raby unlikely
When Virginia Tech offered him, it appeared that Tyrell Raby would be a serious prospect to consider the Orange and Maroon, and possibly even end up in the class. The three-star out of Baton Rouge (La.) Madison Prep said the right things about VT early.
However, now that the Hokies have lost a commitment from his cousin, Latrell Neville (a New Orleans native who moved to the Houston area as a kid), the primary connection isn't there. While Neville won't explicitly cross VT off the list publicly until he makes a commitment elsewhere, he is not expected to continue considering the program, and that diminishes the shot at Raby, as well.
Of course, that doesn't mean a shot at Raby is gone, per se: five of the schools in his top 10 are Group of Five programs, so the Hokies don't have to keep pace with the Alabamas and LSUs of the world so much as the Louisiana Techs and Memphises. That may also have some indication of his overall level of play, though, and if landing him isn't made easier by a family connection, pursuing a player whose geography makes his recruitment more convenient is probably going to end up being the move.
As always, thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the latest on the Hokies and recruiting.
