Welcome to Tunnel Talk, with the latest inside scoop on the Hokies and recruiting.
Who's next in 2022?
When you look at the Hokies' Class of 2022, you see a group that's largely complete. The staff has reeled in 22 commitments in a group that's got room for about 25 (more on class size in a moment). That leaves only a couple spots open, though typical rates of attrition will certainly see that get just a little bit higher - as long as guys taking advantage of the covid-related sixth year of eligibility don't drag it down. Put that all together, and you have spots left for just a few key recruits.
There are two obvious candidates to be next-up.
You may recall a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that the Hokies were the strong leader in the clubhouse, with a process narrowed to VT and Duke. The only thing that held be back from a FutureCast at that time was knowing whether the staff would take him for sure. There was some indecision in the group at that time, but now it seems resolved in favor of taking a commitment if he still plans to decide by the end of this month.
From my perspective, Pulliam would more-than make up for the loss of previous linebacker commit Xavier Simmons. Having seen both play (Simmons in a camp setting, Pulliam for his high school team just a couple weeks back), they're different types of players, but the upside with Pulliam is much greater. He's a little n the smaller side, but a vast upgrade over Simmons athletically, and seems to show better game instincts, as well. I'd rather take a guy like that - and build him up a bit physically - than worry you have a guy whose potential is close to maxed out. It does seem like the staff has settled on taking just one linebacker in this class (hence the patience in making sure Pulliam is the right one).
The other player who seems closest to picking VT is in-state defensive end Benji Gosnell. A onetime Ohio State commit (as a tight end), he's a SWVA prospect - though his family also has a home in North Carolina, which is where he played his high school ball before this year - and the proximity is a major positive. The Hokies' needs at the DE position (along with linebacker, the only spot with obvious needs still in this class, though there are some other areas where the coaches would gladly continue to take talented players) are a selling point as well. After his visit for the game against Middle Tennessee State, it's clear that he's beginning to find a personality fit with the Hokies, too.
"He's a kid whose personality really fits at a place like Virginia Tech," said a source with knowledge of his mindset. "Obviously it's not too far away from where he's living now, and the vibe around VT is different than some of the other schools he's interested in - in a positive way."
Another strong push from UNC or an offer from Clemson (albeit a couple of the places that VT was compared positively to in vibe) could change his status... but for now I'm riding with the Hokies. It would not surprise me if he made the call the Oct. 9 weekend, rather than see what unfolds with the rest of the process.
More opportunities opening with NCAA rule shift
It hasn't been made official just yet, but it seems a formality that the NCAA is going to relax scholarship limits for the Class of 2022, hoping that it's the last time the numbers need to be adjusted to accommodate for the various ways in which the coronavirus pandemic affected the on-field and in-classroom experiences of student-athletes around the country. The operating assumption is that it'll be an expansion of seven to the single-year limit. There are some nuances there, of course, with the Transfer Portal coming into play, etc. The long and short of it is that it means teams who want to bring in more players can find a way to have that space available.
That opens up more spots higher up the totem pole in the recruiting hierarchy. That serves VT in some ways: there can be room for more guys they like. It also hurts in others, largely related to the position the Hokies hold in that hierarchy. The Clemsons and UNCs of the world are direct competitors for some recruits, and they're both higher on the totem pole in the atmosphere nowadays. VT seems to be gaining ground on both with a more-focused recruiting approach. But still, if a player's option is "go to the hottest-recruiting program that will take me," the Hokies are not as tops in that pecking order as has historically been the case.
Big picture staff and recruiting
Speaking of the Hokies making up ground on the recruiting trail, it's one area working in the favor of this coaching staff. At this stage, the athletic administration is firmly in head coach Justin Fuente's corner, and thoughts toward a coaching change in the offseason would require an unexpected collapse on the field. He's got a strong ally in AD Whit Babcock, who feels Fuente made the appropriate changes to right some of what wasn't quite working in the 2017-19 seasons/offseasons (the 2020 season is essentially considered a mulligan - unsatisfying though that may be for fans. Through no fault of the staff's own, they didn't have the opportunity to put out a full-strength team).
Changes to the recruiting staff have been as positive as I'd expected - though some of the turnover there feels a little too rapid-churn, some ineffective personnel were shed this offseason (along with some effective ones, to be fair), and a renewed focus on recruiting where the Hokies can win battles without over-investing resources has been a major net positive. Being a factor in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia is a strong possibility for VT. Over-focusing on Texas, and tossing some eggs into the California basket certainly got some results (I don't think any Hokie fans would want to get rid of freshman corner DJ Harvey out of the Los Angeles area, for example). But the amount of time and energy spent there compared to the results wasn't worth the effort.
Closer to home, area coaches in the DMV region have given positive reviews, even as guys that those coaches did truly like (Darryl Tapp and Corey Fuller) have moved on to NFL coaching opportunities.
"It wasn't with everyone on their staff, but you wondered how much of their heart was in recruiting for Virginia Tech and how much was going through the motions of doing the job," said the recruiting coordinator at a prominent high school in the region. "There seemed to be a passion for excellence only sometimes. A lot of it felt like the relationships were person-to-person, rather than trying to accomplish anything for the school. I've been in this game a long time, so I know that you have to build bonds with the individuals, and you pick a school for the guys who are coaching your kids, and not just the program itself. But you have to sell the boys on both of those aspects, and they're finding that balance again."
That jives with a lot of what I'd observed from the players' ends in the Hokies' truly fallow stretch on the trail (and in the interest of full disclosure, this high school coach's opinions definitely helped shape my own views on the matter). We'll see if the results continue to get back to where we'd expect - they aren't there yet, but there's always a year or two lag in a philosophical change on the recruiting trail taking effect - but if they do, the future could be very bright.
Who's next in 2022?
When you look at the Hokies' Class of 2022, you see a group that's largely complete. The staff has reeled in 22 commitments in a group that's got room for about 25 (more on class size in a moment). That leaves only a couple spots open, though typical rates of attrition will certainly see that get just a little bit higher - as long as guys taking advantage of the covid-related sixth year of eligibility don't drag it down. Put that all together, and you have spots left for just a few key recruits.
There are two obvious candidates to be next-up.
You may recall a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that the Hokies were the strong leader in the clubhouse, with a process narrowed to VT and Duke. The only thing that held be back from a FutureCast at that time was knowing whether the staff would take him for sure. There was some indecision in the group at that time, but now it seems resolved in favor of taking a commitment if he still plans to decide by the end of this month.
From my perspective, Pulliam would more-than make up for the loss of previous linebacker commit Xavier Simmons. Having seen both play (Simmons in a camp setting, Pulliam for his high school team just a couple weeks back), they're different types of players, but the upside with Pulliam is much greater. He's a little n the smaller side, but a vast upgrade over Simmons athletically, and seems to show better game instincts, as well. I'd rather take a guy like that - and build him up a bit physically - than worry you have a guy whose potential is close to maxed out. It does seem like the staff has settled on taking just one linebacker in this class (hence the patience in making sure Pulliam is the right one).
The other player who seems closest to picking VT is in-state defensive end Benji Gosnell. A onetime Ohio State commit (as a tight end), he's a SWVA prospect - though his family also has a home in North Carolina, which is where he played his high school ball before this year - and the proximity is a major positive. The Hokies' needs at the DE position (along with linebacker, the only spot with obvious needs still in this class, though there are some other areas where the coaches would gladly continue to take talented players) are a selling point as well. After his visit for the game against Middle Tennessee State, it's clear that he's beginning to find a personality fit with the Hokies, too.
"He's a kid whose personality really fits at a place like Virginia Tech," said a source with knowledge of his mindset. "Obviously it's not too far away from where he's living now, and the vibe around VT is different than some of the other schools he's interested in - in a positive way."
Another strong push from UNC or an offer from Clemson (albeit a couple of the places that VT was compared positively to in vibe) could change his status... but for now I'm riding with the Hokies. It would not surprise me if he made the call the Oct. 9 weekend, rather than see what unfolds with the rest of the process.
More opportunities opening with NCAA rule shift
It hasn't been made official just yet, but it seems a formality that the NCAA is going to relax scholarship limits for the Class of 2022, hoping that it's the last time the numbers need to be adjusted to accommodate for the various ways in which the coronavirus pandemic affected the on-field and in-classroom experiences of student-athletes around the country. The operating assumption is that it'll be an expansion of seven to the single-year limit. There are some nuances there, of course, with the Transfer Portal coming into play, etc. The long and short of it is that it means teams who want to bring in more players can find a way to have that space available.
That opens up more spots higher up the totem pole in the recruiting hierarchy. That serves VT in some ways: there can be room for more guys they like. It also hurts in others, largely related to the position the Hokies hold in that hierarchy. The Clemsons and UNCs of the world are direct competitors for some recruits, and they're both higher on the totem pole in the atmosphere nowadays. VT seems to be gaining ground on both with a more-focused recruiting approach. But still, if a player's option is "go to the hottest-recruiting program that will take me," the Hokies are not as tops in that pecking order as has historically been the case.
Big picture staff and recruiting
Speaking of the Hokies making up ground on the recruiting trail, it's one area working in the favor of this coaching staff. At this stage, the athletic administration is firmly in head coach Justin Fuente's corner, and thoughts toward a coaching change in the offseason would require an unexpected collapse on the field. He's got a strong ally in AD Whit Babcock, who feels Fuente made the appropriate changes to right some of what wasn't quite working in the 2017-19 seasons/offseasons (the 2020 season is essentially considered a mulligan - unsatisfying though that may be for fans. Through no fault of the staff's own, they didn't have the opportunity to put out a full-strength team).
Changes to the recruiting staff have been as positive as I'd expected - though some of the turnover there feels a little too rapid-churn, some ineffective personnel were shed this offseason (along with some effective ones, to be fair), and a renewed focus on recruiting where the Hokies can win battles without over-investing resources has been a major net positive. Being a factor in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia is a strong possibility for VT. Over-focusing on Texas, and tossing some eggs into the California basket certainly got some results (I don't think any Hokie fans would want to get rid of freshman corner DJ Harvey out of the Los Angeles area, for example). But the amount of time and energy spent there compared to the results wasn't worth the effort.
Closer to home, area coaches in the DMV region have given positive reviews, even as guys that those coaches did truly like (Darryl Tapp and Corey Fuller) have moved on to NFL coaching opportunities.
"It wasn't with everyone on their staff, but you wondered how much of their heart was in recruiting for Virginia Tech and how much was going through the motions of doing the job," said the recruiting coordinator at a prominent high school in the region. "There seemed to be a passion for excellence only sometimes. A lot of it felt like the relationships were person-to-person, rather than trying to accomplish anything for the school. I've been in this game a long time, so I know that you have to build bonds with the individuals, and you pick a school for the guys who are coaching your kids, and not just the program itself. But you have to sell the boys on both of those aspects, and they're finding that balance again."
That jives with a lot of what I'd observed from the players' ends in the Hokies' truly fallow stretch on the trail (and in the interest of full disclosure, this high school coach's opinions definitely helped shape my own views on the matter). We'll see if the results continue to get back to where we'd expect - they aren't there yet, but there's always a year or two lag in a philosophical change on the recruiting trail taking effect - but if they do, the future could be very bright.
