The recruiting focus has largely shifted to 2022... but there are still some active recruitments in the senior class.
Marcus Bradley
After his decommitment from Maryland, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard defensive tackle Marcus Bradley didn't have to wait long before hearing from the Hokies. Indeed, the Virginia Tech staff reached out within an hour of his re-entry to the open recruiting market.
The 6-3, 280-pounder had held a Hokies offers when he committed to the Terps, along with a number of other high-profile programs (including a couple that have been bugaboos in the DMV area: Ohio State and Penn State, two programs he's visited). That doesn't mean he won't be interested in Virginia Tech - after all, the Hokies can sell him on a pretty dire need at his position that no other program will likely be able to - but a bit of cold water on the expectations is necessary, too. VT is essentially starting from scratch here, as he'd never taken a visit to Blacksburg (nor expressed much interest in doing so) previously.
As with a few other recruitments at the position, this could be a test case for whether the DL coaching duo of Tapp and Terrlinck can turn some hype on the recruiting trail into results. There's no question their work would be cut out for them with the Rivals250 standout.
Wide receivers
The staff has re-expanded the recruiting board at receiver in the wake of Tray Curry's decommitment (which, as I've noted before, was ultimately more of a mutual thing). There are a couple prospects who have emerged as most realistic to fill that role: Kansas decommit Keon Coleman, and current Mississippi State commit (and former Ole Miss commit) Brandon Buckhaulter.
Coleman is a little more wide-open in the recruiting process, and a number of programs are in pursuit. However, he has mentioned the Hokies as being among the most-persistent in pursuit of him (and as you're aware, that's not always something we hear from recruits). He'll take his time with a decision, and the hope is that it extends long enough to give him the opportunity to take an official visit to Blacksburg before putting pen to ink on Signing Day. He's a big-play threat in the mold of a Tre Turner (and like Turner, also considers himself a basketball prospect in a way that may not ultimately mean much in college), though he's fairly raw.
Buckhaulter's recruitment is a little more nuanced, given that he's currently committed to Mississippi State. Despite that, he's more certain in stating that he'll visit Virginia Tech (to the extent that when he was first offered, I initially misunderstood and thought he had already visited VT). He attends a private school in the Jackson area and doesn't have some of the academic question marks that often make it difficult for ACC teams to pull out of the Magnolia State. It does seem more likely that he'll give the Hokies serious consideration than does Coleman... but "serious consideration" still means a little less when a kid is already committed elsewhere.
Juco an option?
We've reached the point in the cycle when the coaching staff begins to sift through some of the top junior college prospects to fill positions of need. One has already picked up an offer - Hutchinson CC defensive tackle Isaiah Iton - and if the staff can't fill the needs at OT and DT in the 2021 class with high school prospects, expect that Juco offer net to be cast even a little wider.
As with every other aspect of recruiting (and football... and life), there's no knowing how timelines, etc. will work out in a pandemic-affected 2020. Typically, junior college players like to sign in December and enroll at midterm. It's also typical that there's at least some window for official visits prior to that, but the NCAA has had the trail locked down since March. That could mean junior college players are slow to sign, and that there's a little bit more of a talent pool available down the road, when the Hokies can be more certain about their needs.
As always, thanks for visiting HokieHaven.com. Feel free to use this thread to discuss the topics herein.
Marcus Bradley
After his decommitment from Maryland, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard defensive tackle Marcus Bradley didn't have to wait long before hearing from the Hokies. Indeed, the Virginia Tech staff reached out within an hour of his re-entry to the open recruiting market.
The 6-3, 280-pounder had held a Hokies offers when he committed to the Terps, along with a number of other high-profile programs (including a couple that have been bugaboos in the DMV area: Ohio State and Penn State, two programs he's visited). That doesn't mean he won't be interested in Virginia Tech - after all, the Hokies can sell him on a pretty dire need at his position that no other program will likely be able to - but a bit of cold water on the expectations is necessary, too. VT is essentially starting from scratch here, as he'd never taken a visit to Blacksburg (nor expressed much interest in doing so) previously.
As with a few other recruitments at the position, this could be a test case for whether the DL coaching duo of Tapp and Terrlinck can turn some hype on the recruiting trail into results. There's no question their work would be cut out for them with the Rivals250 standout.
Wide receivers
The staff has re-expanded the recruiting board at receiver in the wake of Tray Curry's decommitment (which, as I've noted before, was ultimately more of a mutual thing). There are a couple prospects who have emerged as most realistic to fill that role: Kansas decommit Keon Coleman, and current Mississippi State commit (and former Ole Miss commit) Brandon Buckhaulter.
Coleman is a little more wide-open in the recruiting process, and a number of programs are in pursuit. However, he has mentioned the Hokies as being among the most-persistent in pursuit of him (and as you're aware, that's not always something we hear from recruits). He'll take his time with a decision, and the hope is that it extends long enough to give him the opportunity to take an official visit to Blacksburg before putting pen to ink on Signing Day. He's a big-play threat in the mold of a Tre Turner (and like Turner, also considers himself a basketball prospect in a way that may not ultimately mean much in college), though he's fairly raw.
Buckhaulter's recruitment is a little more nuanced, given that he's currently committed to Mississippi State. Despite that, he's more certain in stating that he'll visit Virginia Tech (to the extent that when he was first offered, I initially misunderstood and thought he had already visited VT). He attends a private school in the Jackson area and doesn't have some of the academic question marks that often make it difficult for ACC teams to pull out of the Magnolia State. It does seem more likely that he'll give the Hokies serious consideration than does Coleman... but "serious consideration" still means a little less when a kid is already committed elsewhere.
Juco an option?
We've reached the point in the cycle when the coaching staff begins to sift through some of the top junior college prospects to fill positions of need. One has already picked up an offer - Hutchinson CC defensive tackle Isaiah Iton - and if the staff can't fill the needs at OT and DT in the 2021 class with high school prospects, expect that Juco offer net to be cast even a little wider.
As with every other aspect of recruiting (and football... and life), there's no knowing how timelines, etc. will work out in a pandemic-affected 2020. Typically, junior college players like to sign in December and enroll at midterm. It's also typical that there's at least some window for official visits prior to that, but the NCAA has had the trail locked down since March. That could mean junior college players are slow to sign, and that there's a little bit more of a talent pool available down the road, when the Hokies can be more certain about their needs.
As always, thanks for visiting HokieHaven.com. Feel free to use this thread to discuss the topics herein.
