Welcome to the latest edition of Tunnel Talk, wherein I go in-depth on a couple recruiting topics with background and inside information aplenty.
Jalen Stroman
I remain confident that legacy defensive back Jalen Stroman's commitment tonight will be to the Hokies. Following in the footsteps of older brother Greg (and it helps that Greg was a mostly-anonymous three-star recruit who parlayed Virginia Tech into an NFL opportunity) makes a lot of sense for Stroman. The fact that the official team social media accounts have been hitting the "brothers play here" message pretty hard this week is no coincidence.
That said, I wouldn't call his pledge a done deal. At last check, the VT coaching staff hadn't been officially informed of a final decision, and Virginia has put a lot of effort into winning the hearts and minds of the second Stroman recruitment. Pitt is nominally involved as well. Virginia Tech is the favorite, but certainly not to the degree that I'd guarantee anything. Maybe a 65-30-5 split in percentages from Hokies to Hoos to Panthers, respectively.
I'll call it "steady but not settled" with the expectation still that his choice - coming via social media at 5 p.m. - will be Virginia Tech.
Tahjamell Bullock
After Dematrius Davis's decommitment, the staff immediately set out to find a replacement at the quarterback position in the 2021 class. Their first choice was Texas three-star Lucas Coley. However, it was clear pretty quickly that cracking into the group of favorites that had already begin to separate itself was going to take a lot of effort. Frankly, Coley's talent is very solid, but may not have justified the level of effort required (especially given the long-standing difficulties in winning over top Texas prospects for a variety of geographic reasons when they like their options closer to home already).
The staff pivoted to a player from a powerhouse program quite a bit more convenient to home - and from an area where the Hokies have had quite a bit more success, in Northern New Jersey - in the form of St. Peter's Prep three-star Tahjamell Bullock. A solid dual-threat type with the game to play in the Hokies' system and a much greater likelihood of visiting Blacksburg makes some sense.
Personally, I think Bullock is a better prospect anyway (in addition to being at least as good a fit as Coley), so there's not much lost with a pivot to a second target.
Of course, the Hokies have to land that target to make the choice meaningful anyway. New Jersey has been fruitful for Virginia Tech in recent years, and players from St. Peter's Prep tend to at least visit a handful of schools before committing, so there's a shot. Things shouldn't progress quickly here, but he'll be the guy to keep an eye on for the time being.
Looking to the future
The coaching staff has gotten back on the "issue a ton of offers" trend in recent days, and aside from the quarterback position, those have largely been for underclassmen (it was "running backs or underclassmen" a couple weeks ago). There's also the occasional rising senior offensive lineman, but for the most part, the recruiting board for 2021 is set, pending evaluations when senior film starts to become available.
The goal for the staff is to develop the relationships they have with 2021 prospects, and get on the minds of 2022 (and beyond) guys now, setting them up to watch the Hokies on TV this Fall.
The strategy there becomes a little clearer when phrased that way: the coaching staff is expecting a very good 2020 season, and hoping that success on the field will make their lives easier when it comes to recruiting, as well. If you're a team in the back of the mind for a young player, they're going to watch you play, and if your on-field actions speak positively of your future, the product starts to become a recruiting pitch itself without much talking needed in terms of a sales pitch.
It's a little bit of a gamble for the staff, but it should come as no surprise given what I've said this offseason that I think it's a pretty smart one: VT may not beat Penn State, they may not win the ACC, but if this coaching staff is going to be the one that works out for VT, the season should go very well if and when it happens. If the season doesn't go well... well, setting up for a future that likely doesn't include you isn't super-necessary, anyway.
The focus on underclassmen in terms of casting a wide net and upperclassmen in terms of narrowing in on top targets will continue to be an interesting trend to watch whenever the emergency Dead Period ends. Speaking of which...
Football back?
The NCAA's decision to allow limited voluntary workouts at team facilities starting June 1 will be an interesting test case for how the recruiting and playing prospectuses for college football move forward. If a slight re-opening leads to more outbreaks, I wouldn't count on those other phases of college athletics taking steps forward. If colleges around the country take the necessary precautions and everyone stays safe, incremental re-opening can happen.
I'm a little skeptical that this is going to go well (hopefully, given that we're talking mostly about healthy 18-22-year olds, the effects aren't too significant). The trends haven't been positive enough for long enough to ensure limited spread of the disease as things begin to open back up. The medical experts tend to be extremely skeptical that some of the things that are happening here are wise.
I'd love to be proven wrong, though, because I miss football as much as anyone. The key simply has to be ensuring safety as the sport returns.
Jalen Stroman
I remain confident that legacy defensive back Jalen Stroman's commitment tonight will be to the Hokies. Following in the footsteps of older brother Greg (and it helps that Greg was a mostly-anonymous three-star recruit who parlayed Virginia Tech into an NFL opportunity) makes a lot of sense for Stroman. The fact that the official team social media accounts have been hitting the "brothers play here" message pretty hard this week is no coincidence.
That said, I wouldn't call his pledge a done deal. At last check, the VT coaching staff hadn't been officially informed of a final decision, and Virginia has put a lot of effort into winning the hearts and minds of the second Stroman recruitment. Pitt is nominally involved as well. Virginia Tech is the favorite, but certainly not to the degree that I'd guarantee anything. Maybe a 65-30-5 split in percentages from Hokies to Hoos to Panthers, respectively.
I'll call it "steady but not settled" with the expectation still that his choice - coming via social media at 5 p.m. - will be Virginia Tech.
Tahjamell Bullock
After Dematrius Davis's decommitment, the staff immediately set out to find a replacement at the quarterback position in the 2021 class. Their first choice was Texas three-star Lucas Coley. However, it was clear pretty quickly that cracking into the group of favorites that had already begin to separate itself was going to take a lot of effort. Frankly, Coley's talent is very solid, but may not have justified the level of effort required (especially given the long-standing difficulties in winning over top Texas prospects for a variety of geographic reasons when they like their options closer to home already).
The staff pivoted to a player from a powerhouse program quite a bit more convenient to home - and from an area where the Hokies have had quite a bit more success, in Northern New Jersey - in the form of St. Peter's Prep three-star Tahjamell Bullock. A solid dual-threat type with the game to play in the Hokies' system and a much greater likelihood of visiting Blacksburg makes some sense.
Personally, I think Bullock is a better prospect anyway (in addition to being at least as good a fit as Coley), so there's not much lost with a pivot to a second target.
Of course, the Hokies have to land that target to make the choice meaningful anyway. New Jersey has been fruitful for Virginia Tech in recent years, and players from St. Peter's Prep tend to at least visit a handful of schools before committing, so there's a shot. Things shouldn't progress quickly here, but he'll be the guy to keep an eye on for the time being.
Looking to the future
The coaching staff has gotten back on the "issue a ton of offers" trend in recent days, and aside from the quarterback position, those have largely been for underclassmen (it was "running backs or underclassmen" a couple weeks ago). There's also the occasional rising senior offensive lineman, but for the most part, the recruiting board for 2021 is set, pending evaluations when senior film starts to become available.
The goal for the staff is to develop the relationships they have with 2021 prospects, and get on the minds of 2022 (and beyond) guys now, setting them up to watch the Hokies on TV this Fall.
The strategy there becomes a little clearer when phrased that way: the coaching staff is expecting a very good 2020 season, and hoping that success on the field will make their lives easier when it comes to recruiting, as well. If you're a team in the back of the mind for a young player, they're going to watch you play, and if your on-field actions speak positively of your future, the product starts to become a recruiting pitch itself without much talking needed in terms of a sales pitch.
It's a little bit of a gamble for the staff, but it should come as no surprise given what I've said this offseason that I think it's a pretty smart one: VT may not beat Penn State, they may not win the ACC, but if this coaching staff is going to be the one that works out for VT, the season should go very well if and when it happens. If the season doesn't go well... well, setting up for a future that likely doesn't include you isn't super-necessary, anyway.
The focus on underclassmen in terms of casting a wide net and upperclassmen in terms of narrowing in on top targets will continue to be an interesting trend to watch whenever the emergency Dead Period ends. Speaking of which...
Football back?
The NCAA's decision to allow limited voluntary workouts at team facilities starting June 1 will be an interesting test case for how the recruiting and playing prospectuses for college football move forward. If a slight re-opening leads to more outbreaks, I wouldn't count on those other phases of college athletics taking steps forward. If colleges around the country take the necessary precautions and everyone stays safe, incremental re-opening can happen.
I'm a little skeptical that this is going to go well (hopefully, given that we're talking mostly about healthy 18-22-year olds, the effects aren't too significant). The trends haven't been positive enough for long enough to ensure limited spread of the disease as things begin to open back up. The medical experts tend to be extremely skeptical that some of the things that are happening here are wise.
I'd love to be proven wrong, though, because I miss football as much as anyone. The key simply has to be ensuring safety as the sport returns.
